Brain Cancer: A New Smart Robot Treatment

Brain tumors, especially a type called glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), are tough to beat. Current treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy only give patients about 15 months to live on average. Scientists are now testing a new approach using tiny robots called nanorobots to fight GBM. These robots are coated with bits of two types of cells - platelets and M1 macrophages - to help them slip past the body's natural barriers and reach the tumor. Inside, they carry a special mix of materials that can heat up and kill cancer cells (photothermal therapy) and also break down into toxic substances to damage more cancer cells (chemodynamic therapy). Plus, they carry a common chemotherapy drug and a substance that boosts the immune system's ability to fight the tumor. This clever design helps the robots stay in the bloodstream longer and target the tumor more accurately. By combining multiple treatments, these nanorobots offer a promising new way to tackle brain cancer.