Nanorobots for Targeted Drug Delivery DuringTumor Resection
- incisionary
- Jan 24
- 3 min read
Can We Use Nanobots to Cure Cancer? Futures Platform (web article).
Surgery is still the main way doctors remove the solid tumors,despite all the efforts
cancer is still one of the biggest health problems in the world. But even with the best
surgical methods, doctors can’t always remove every single cancer cell. Sometimes tiny
cells stay behind at the edge of the cut, and this can cause the tumor to grow again or
lead to problems after surgery.
Because of this, researchers are now trying to use the robotics technology of
nanorobots during tumor surgery. These tiny robots can carry medicine directly to the
tumor, and that is what makes them special. They can move through small spaces and
hard parts of the tumor, reduce side effects, and deliver drugs more accurately and
exactly. Since they use new technology from biology, AI, and nanoscience, nanorobots
are slowly becoming a part of modern medicine. One of the main advantages is that nanorobots release medicine only when they reach
the tumor. Tumors usually have low oxygen and very high acidity, which is different from
the normal tissues of the human body . Nanorobots can sense this and release drugs
only inside the identified tumor. That means the medicine works better and healthy cells
don’t get damaged as much.
Some nanorobots can move on their own using chemical reactions or various magnetic
fields, so they can travel through blood vessels and dense tumor areas. Other variations
of it are made with sticky or porous surfaces so they can go deeper into the tumor and
stay there longer.
Low oxygen inside tumors, also called tumor hypoxia, which makes cancer insufferable
and harder to treat reducing the effect of chemotherapy. Some advanced nanorobots
are designed to fix this particular problem. They break down harmful substances like
lactic acid inside the tumor, which helps oxygen levels improve and lets the drugs work
better. This also makes it easier for surgeons to remove the tumor.
Nanorobots are getting smarter as well. Some are inspired by bacteria and follow
chemical signals to find cancer cells, just like bacteria follow food. Others use Artificial
Intelligence (AI) to decide where to go and when to release drugs. This makes
treatment more accurate, reduces drug waste, and lowers the risk of harming healthy
organs.
Adapted from Advances of medical nanorobots for future cancer treatments by X. Kong
et al., Journal of Hematology & Oncology (2023), DOI: 10.1186/s13045-023-01463-z.
Nanorobots have plenty of benefits compared to traditional cancer treatments. They
reduce side effects because drugs are delivered only to the tumor, not the whole body.
They are more accurate, meaning doctors can use smaller doses of the same medicine.
They also support less invasive treatment methods, which means less damage to
healthy tissue and faster recovery. Because of all this, nanorobots are seen as a
promising option for future cancer treatment.
But nanorobots still have problems. Scientists need to make sure they are safe for long-
term use, and producing them in large amounts is difficult. More clinical trials are
needed before they can be used in hospitals regularly.
Despite the challenges, research is growing fast. With more progress, nanorobots might
become a normal part of cancer treatment. They could change the way cancer is
treated by delivering drugs directly to tumor cells, improving surgical success and
reducing harm to healthy tissue. Even though there are problems, ongoing research
suggests nanorobots could play a big role in future cancer therapy.
Written by Bidyottama Adhikari at Incisionary
References:
Liu, S., Lu, Y., Feng, Q., et al. (2025). Self-propelled magnetic nanorobots alleviating
tumor hypoxia for targeted drug delivery. Small. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202504801
Efficiencies in the use of nanorobots in targeted drug delivery for the treatment of
cancers. (2023). Journal of Medical Research and Innovation.
Albasri, O. W. A., & Adham, L. S. (2025). Nanobots: The future of targeted drug delivery
and cancer treatment. Saudi Journal of Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Kong, X., et al. (2023). Advances of medical nanorobots for future cancer treatments.
Journal of Hematology & Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13045-023-01463-z
Futures Platform. (n.d.). Can we use nanobots to cure cancer?
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