Researchers have developed microscopic biological “robots” from human lung cells in the hope that they could one day circulate in the body to regenerate damaged tissue and treat disease.
This advance opens new perspectives for cell regeneration and raises questions about the traditional classification between robots, animals and machines.
The scientific team – from Tufts and Harvard universities – changed the chemical composition of lung cells from anonymous donors to create these robots called “anthrobots,” according to the university newspaper Tufts Now.
This study showed that if a group of “anthrobots,” a so-called “superbot,” were placed with damaged neuronal cells, it would stimulate the growth of new cells. Although the process of cell regeneration is not yet fully understood, researchers believe that “anthrobots” could be used in the future to unclog arteries, repair the spinal cord, identify cancer cells or deliver drugs to specific parts of the body.
“The cell assemblies we build in the lab can have capacities that exceed [leurs fonctions normales] in the body,” study co-author Michael Levin told Tufts Now.
Although they evolved from human cells, “anthrobots” do not have a complete life cycle and are therefore not considered full-fledged organisms. According to the study report, their use by doctors is certainly not imminent, but this discovery shows the potential performance of tomorrow’s medical technology.