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Tiny robots heal stomach ulcers in mice

16-Aug-2017

Key points from article :

Micromotors are autonomous vehicles the width of a human hair.

They use bubbles to power the transport of drugs.

Approach was more effective than regular doses of antibiotics.

Spherical magnesium core coated with several different layers that offer protection, treatment, and the ability to stick to stomach walls.

Cores react with gastric acid to produce hydrogen bubbles that propel the motors around.

Micromotors were dissolved by the stomach, leaving no harmful residues.

The study was published in the Nature Communications journal.

Mentioned in this article:

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Joseph Wang

SAIC Endowed Chair, Director Center of Wearable Sensors, Distinguished Professor in Department for Nanoengineering at UCSD.

Nature Communications

Journal covering all topics in physics, chemistry, and biology.

Topics mentioned on this page:
Nanobots