Scientists have successfully tested micro-scale robots capable of swimming through blood vessels, delivering targeted medication, and dissolving harmlessly inside the body once their mission is complete. The achievement marks a major step toward next-generation therapies designed to reach the most inaccessible regions of the human body.
The micro-robots used in the study are tiny gelatin capsules roughly the size of a grain of sand. Inside each capsule are two key components: therapeutic drugs and iron oxide nanoparticles that allow researchers to guide the robots using external magnetic fields. This combination enables the devices to navigate even the most complex vascular networks with high precision.
One of the most impressive aspects of the research was the successful testing of these micro-robots in the brain vessels of pigs and sheep — animals whose vascular structures closely resemble those of humans. Using a clinical magnetic navigation system paired with real-time X-ray imaging, the robots were steered through the vessels, delivered their drug payload to the target site, and then completely dissolved.
Although the technology has not yet been tested in humans, experts believe it could dramatically improve the treatment of strokes, brain tumors, and other conditions that are difficult or risky to reach through conventional medical procedures. By directing drugs exclusively to diseased tissues, micro-robots may also significantly reduce systemic side effects.
If research continues to progress smoothly, scientists estimate that this groundbreaking method could begin clinical use within the next five to ten years. The study’s findings were published in Science, underscoring the innovation’s importance within the scientific community.