As it turns out, robots may not be the death of humans after all. A research conducted by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) revealed that nanobots have the ability to kill cancer cells swiftly, effectively, and with no side effects.
According to Mark Davis, the head of the research team, "It sneaks in, evades the immune system, delivers the siRNA, and the disassembled components exit out." "It" referring to the nanobots which they've deployed into their test subjects' bodies.
siRNA or small-interfering RNA is a molecule that has the ability to "turn off an important cancer gene using a mechanism known as RNA interference (RNAi)." In simple speak, siRNA can melt away tumors and send them out of your body through your urine.
The Caltech guys have found a way for the siRNA to weave through the human body and go directly to where it's needed, hence, the lack of side effects. Their test subjects were patients with Melanoma, but with the new technique, "every protein now is druggable," meaning any type of cancer can be isolated and eliminated.
Further tests still need to be conducted, but everyone in the team is excited with the prospects.
The Philippines has the highest incidence rate of breast cancer in Asia, according to the Philippine Breast Cancer Network. Let's hope this research will end cancer's reign of terror once and for all.
Via Gizmodo and Nature
Source Caltech
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