Why Nanorobotics Could Revolutionise Cancer Treatment
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, an enormous burden on society that impacts the lives of millions across the globe on a daily basis. Discovering a “cure for cancer” is often seen as the ultimate challenge for medical science. We have made remarkable progress in treating many cancers — the median survival time after diagnosis increasing from just one year in the 1970s to ten years by 2011 — yet we have barely scratched the surface of what is possible. In 2019, the worldwide market for cancer therapeutics was valued at $167.9 billion by The Business Research Company and is forecasted to reach a staggering $412.9 billion by 2030. Understanding the research landscape within oncology is crucial to identifying the companies that have the potential to transform cancer treatment.
The recent shift in focus towards personalised medicine within the field of cancer has led to each tumour being viewed as unique, allowing treatment to be tailored to individual patients. Immunotherapy and targeted cancer agents have indeed improved prognosis, especially for advanced disease, but are by no means a panacea. Striking a balance between toxic side effects and effective cure remains a major challenge. The emerging field of nanorobotics hopes to change this.
Broadly speaking, nanorobotics describes any machine created from tiny components at the nanometer scale. The application of nanorobotics to healthcare — termed nanomedicine — is starting to gain traction, particularly in the field of oncology. Drug delivery vehicles are one such example of where nanomedicine hints at an exciting future.
Blood vessels that supply tumour cells have wider gaps than those in healthy tissue. This anatomical variation means nanoparticles can only pass out of the bloodstream in cancerous tissue. Through encapsulation within a nanoparticle, the delivery of chemotherapy can therefore be targeted to tumour cells, allowing higher doses to accumulate. The simultaneous reduction of drug levels in healthy tissue acts to limit side-effects too. Given that many elderly patients are too frail to tolerate chemotherapy, nanorobotics could allow doctors to actively treat tumours previously managed with a focus on palliative care.
Of course, the targeted delivery of molecules to tumour cells is not limited to chemotherapy. Agents that make cells more sensitive to radiotherapy and metallic molecules that can be heated via an external magnetic field are currently under investigation. This all sounds very promising, but there are caveats that have limited clinical translation to date. Personalised therapy is fundamental for effective cancer treatment, even with nanorobotics. Selecting the optimum treatment for each individual cancer is the cornerstone of modern oncology. Nanoparticle delivery has clear potential to enhance cure rates and limit damage to healthy tissue, but is reliant on doctors choosing the right treatment in the first place.
Novel nanorobotics are under development that offer more innovative approaches to the treatment of cancer. Rather than relying on passive movement through porous blood vessels, DNA nanorobots have been created that can bind to receptors expressed specifically by cancer cells. This triggers the release of compounds that drive clotting, compromising blood supply to the tumour. There could be an infinite number of unique methods in which nanorobots can be programmed to attack tumours. The imagination of researchers will undoubtedly spawn a plethora of new paradigms over the coming years. Applications of nanomedicine of course extend beyond oncology, with equally fascinating work investigating the potential for nanorobotics to assist in tissue repair, monitor chronic conditions, and even perform surgery.
Curing the most aggressive and invasive tumours would represent a quantum leap in our battle against disease. Although validation is required in human studies, optimism is growing that precise targeting of cancer cells through nanorobotics may indeed be on the horizon.
Investors and venture capitalists should strongly consider the fledgling nanomedicine market, with several exciting companies poised to achieve significant growth.
Pre-IPO Ventures:
Xerion Healthcare:
- University of Oxford spinout founded in 2015 which has currently received £3.7m in investment over three rounds
- Developing titanium nanoparticles that enhance the effects of radiotherapy specifically in cancer cells
Nanobot biosciences:
- Innovative company founded by Hao Yan, a pioneer of DNA origami
- Building DNA nanorobots that bind to cancer cells and release clotting molecules that obstruct tumour blood supply
- Optioned by Skysong Innovations — Arizona State University’s technology transfer organisation
Keystone Nano:
- Developing photo-immuno nanotherapy activated by infra-red light and nanoparticles for delivery of siRNA and miRNA which can modulate the underlying cellular disease process
- Looking to partner with pharmaceutical companies, with their Ceramide Nanoliposome already approved by the FDA in 2017 and active phase I/II clinical trials underway in humans for their patented therapy
Public Companies:
Nanocarrier:
- Working on micellar nanotechnology and biocompatible materials able to deliver cancer therapeutics directly to tumour cells
- Relatively well established with a diversified product pipeline, receiving 4.8B yen (nearly $50m) in investment over three rounds prior to IPO
- Potential opportunities to partner with other companies by providing a drug delivery vehicle to enhance the effects of other anti-cancer drugs
Nanobiotix:
- NASDAQ listed company with 16 ongoing clinical trials at present
- Developed NBTXR3, a hafnium oxide radioenhancer (Hensify) which has European market approval for the treatment of locally advanced soft tissue sarcoma
Spago Nanomedical
- Swedish company responsible for TumoRad nanoparticles loaded with radioactive isotopes that allow internal radiation treatment selectively within tumour cells
- Patent protected in USA, EU and Japan — aiming to start clinical trials in 2022 following promising results in mouse models of breast cancer
Written by Benjamin Jones
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