What if you could build a microscopic motor, launch it in the human bloodstream, and send it to an exact destination inside the body? Well, these “molecular motors” already exist, and scientists are trying to develop them to save lives. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by DuPont. The first thing to understand, says professor Carlo Montemagno of Cornell University, is that we’re talking small. Really small. “If you had a period at the end of a sentence, you could put…about ten thousand of them on the period.” The so-called engine of these micro-motors has actually existed for billions of years — it’s a certain molecule that’s found in virtually all living things. When it undergoes a chemical reaction, part of it spins. “Most people visualize chemistry as being a kind of static type of phenomenon, in which electrons move back and forth or, two molecules just join up, but in reality it’s a very active type of process. In living systems there is a whole cadre of enzymes that, when they undergo a reaction, the molecule turns, it twists, it swivels.” Scientists have determined that they can create microscopic devices that can be attached to the spinning portion of this molecule. These can be used to manufacture and deliver minute amounts of drugs locally in the body. “It could be employed for the treatment of let’s say pancreatic cancer, which is normally inoperable and has a high mortality rate. The reason being that the drugs that can be used to kill the cell in the concentrations necessary to deliver them, would usually kill the patient also. Scientists hope to clone the spinning molecules into living cells that would become a kind of miniature”factory” that delivers cancer drugs. So what you do is you put this little patch of cells on top of the cancer cell, and, the cells produce the drug that you need, store it, and then based upon some other chemical signal, automatically releases some of the drug.” Professor Montemagno says research on the molecular motor has moved faster than expected, but actual use in the human body is some years away. Pulse of the Planet is presented by DuPont, bringing you the miracles of science, with additional support provided by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.
Molecular Motors - Spin
Scientists are working on a microscopic motor that could deliver medication like cancer drugs to a specific site in the body.
Air Date:08/04/2000
Scientist:
Transcript:
What if you could build a microscopic motor, launch it in the human bloodstream, and send it to an exact destination inside the body? Well, these "molecular motors" already exist, and scientists are trying to develop them to save lives. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by DuPont. The first thing to understand, says professor Carlo Montemagno of Cornell University, is that we're talking small. Really small. "If you had a period at the end of a sentence, you could put...about ten thousand of them on the period." The so-called engine of these micro-motors has actually existed for billions of years -- it's a certain molecule that's found in virtually all living things. When it undergoes a chemical reaction, part of it spins. "Most people visualize chemistry as being a kind of static type of phenomenon, in which electrons move back and forth or, two molecules just join up, but in reality it's a very active type of process. In living systems there is a whole cadre of enzymes that, when they undergo a reaction, the molecule turns, it twists, it swivels." Scientists have determined that they can create microscopic devices that can be attached to the spinning portion of this molecule. These can be used to manufacture and deliver minute amounts of drugs locally in the body. "It could be employed for the treatment of let's say pancreatic cancer, which is normally inoperable and has a high mortality rate. The reason being that the drugs that can be used to kill the cell in the concentrations necessary to deliver them, would usually kill the patient also. Scientists hope to clone the spinning molecules into living cells that would become a kind of miniature"factory" that delivers cancer drugs. So what you do is you put this little patch of cells on top of the cancer cell, and, the cells produce the drug that you need, store it, and then based upon some other chemical signal, automatically releases some of the drug." Professor Montemagno says research on the molecular motor has moved faster than expected, but actual use in the human body is some years away. Pulse of the Planet is presented by DuPont, bringing you the miracles of science, with additional support provided by the National Science Foundation. I'm Jim Metzner.