Mallorca nano-robots could spot cancer earlier

Tiny nano-robots moving through blood vessels could one day flag signs of cancer before conventional methods identify the disease. Researchers at the Universitat de les Illes Balears in Palma presented the computer-modelled system on 24 September. It has so far been tested only in simulations.

The small devices would search the bloodstream for biomarkers — substances that can signal disease. They would send their findings to an external device, which would analyse the data to support diagnosis. The study appears in the journal Computers in Biology and Medicine.

The Motibo research group combined nanosensors with mathematical models of the human circulatory system. Rather than relying on one fixed cut-off point, its system uses an algorithm inspired by the collective behaviour of insect swarms to make sense of the readings, including when biological variation makes them harder to judge.

A data hub, described by the researchers as a fusion centre, would process the information using an algorithm based on Markov chains and decide whether there are signs of cancer. The team says the approach could identify the disease at very early stages.

For now, the work remains theoretical. The researchers say future nano-robots might also carry therapeutic functions, allowing tumours to be treated locally as well as detected.

Topics: Culture

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com