Scientists Create Nanomachines

Scientists Create Nanomachines To Treat Ulcers in Mice

The tiny nanomachines are better than standard medicines and completely digestible.

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By Avery Thompson

In the future, all our medicines will be delivered by tiny nanobots floating through our body, probably. At least, that's if certain sci-fi predictions come true. But today's scientists just took the first step toward making that a reality, by creating tiny biological nanomachines designed to deliver antibiotics to mice.

The scientists first infected the mice with a type of bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. Bacterial ulcers are tough to treat because the antibiotics typically can't survive in the harsh stomach acid. In order for treatments to work, patients are typically given drugs to lower stomach acidity, and these drugs can have some unpleasant side effects.

Instead, the researchers developed tiny nanomachines made of magnesium. When the magnesium comes into contact with stomach acid, it releases bubbles of hydrogen that reduce the acidity locally without any side effects. As a bonus, the hydrogen bubbles also push the nanomachines around.

When the acidity is lowered past a certain point, the nanomachines are designed to emit the antibiotic. This antibiotic is gradually administered over a few days, and at the end the infection is gone. The stomach's acidity goes back to normal and the nanomachines are dissolved and digested.

Of course, this is a long way from what most people think of as nanobots, but it's an important first step. As this technology is improved, we could see this type of nanomachine used to treat other difficult illnesses. We might not be as far away from that sci-fi future as we thought.