Nano Immune System Enhancement
From Wise Nano
One of the greatest promises of nanotechnology has also caused the most upset; the application of nanobots in medicine. One proposal has been that nanobots aid or even replace our immune system. The purpose of this project is to discuss the pros and cons of this possibility, considering different levels of application.
It is worth noting that biotech appears to be making relatively rapid advances at present - e.g. stem cells, bio-sensor systems, gene-therapy, drug design, etc. Some benefits projected for nanotech may already be available by the time nanotech becomes medically useful.
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Nano Alert Systems
-Nanobots would live in a person's bloodstream, and give an early alert to the individual's doctor should s/he contract some virus. -This is the most likely use of nanotechnology in near-future medicine, since people will not trust the technology to do anything else.
It may also be possible for the nanoscale machines required for this function to be constructed without molecular nanotechnology, as they do not need to be present in massive numbers. They may also not need to float in the bloodstream if it is decided that a machine mounted in a permanent location would be safer.
How to alert doctors: Should doctors automatically get information about patients contracting diseases?
Pros
-This would be an excellent tool in mapping the spreading patterns of diseases. -More importantly, this could be used to alert doctors of a potential outbreak before it happens, aiding in containment.
Cons
-It would also be a violation of privacy, were it not optional -Computer hackers could interfere with information -The alternative is having people go to the doctor in order to have their status read.
Fixed Function Prosthetic Nano
Nanotech devices implanted with a single fixed function, typically replacing some damaged or malfunctioning biological system might follow monitoring nano - restoring sight or hearing, generating insulin, etc. This assumes that biological cures (e.g. stem cell based) are not available, as most people will perceive restoration of the body's natural systems (even if technically inferior in function) as less risky. E.g. there are already experiments with implanting cells to generate insulin to cure diabetes. It seems very likely that by the time molecular manufacturing allows in-body nanotech, many biotech-based cures will have already been found. Still, nanotech will likely improve the precision of such treatments, and ultimately that will give doctors sufficient confidence to allow "better than natural" medical improvements.
Nanobots could also be used one day to fight disease. They are small enough to destroy a virus, even to enter and repair a cell. It may in fact be possible for nanobots to create new tissue.
Besides being used as a solution to a problem, some have proposed nanobots permanently reside in our bloodstreams that are capable of altering cells and destroying viruses.
Permanent Nanobot Defense System
Pros
-Disease would be handled before people have to suffer. Many lives could be saved. -Immune systems could be constantly updated to new pathogens, a painless and frequent immunization in an age where diseases may be created as easily as computer viruses.
Cons
-The natural immune system would have no training or strength, and would become useless. -The nanobots could be used as a disease themselves, intentionally destroying tissue.
About the last possibility, of destructive malfunctioning systems
-This is a matter of how nanobots are controled
-If each bot has its own internal program, this is improbable.
-It is very possible that nanobots will not be able to hold and update the memory of millions of pathogens. In this case, a centralize or semi-centralized (multiple controllers) system of controlling circuitry is necessary, and clusters of nanobots will need only a short (cell-width) communication system with controllers.
-With centralized control and automatic updates, a malicous hacker could send faulty information that orders nanobots to do damage.
-An alternative is to have individuals go to the doctor in order to update, or have the system act.
Nanobot/Immune Symbiosis
Prior to developing nanobots to fight disease, using nanotechnology to enable the existing immune system may be a relatively easy solution to many difficulties. One possibility would be to maintain within the patient a population of immune cells which provide specific antibody mediated immunity, where in each immune cell there was also an externally addressible nanomachine capable of changing the particular antibody expressed by the cell to one appropriate to the current pathogenic environment.
Related work
Vasculoid is a rather futuristic medical appliance designed by Robert Freitas and Chris Phoenix. It would line the interior of the blood vessels, taking over the transport function of the blood. In other words, it would replace the blood, but not replace the tubes. This should reduce bloodborne infections (not necessarily eliminate them, because some pathogens can hide in body cells) and should eliminate metastasizing cancer.
