Scientists have created tiny “living robots” from human cells – study
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A team of scientists has created “living robots” from human cells that can move around in laboratory dishes.
Scientists hope that this breakthrough could potentially help heal wounds or damaged tissue in the future, according to a study published in the journal Advanced Science, CNN writes.
The team from Tufts University and the Wyss Institute at Harvard University called their development antrobots.
Previously, the team had already created xenobots – “living robots” from stem cells obtained from embryos of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis).
| Photo: Gizem Humuska Tufts University |
“Some people thought that the characteristics of the xenobots depended largely on the fact that they were embryos and amphibians.
I don’t think it has anything to do with the embryo. It has nothing to do with the frog. I think this is a much more general property of living things– said the author of the study and professor of biology Michael Levin.
To create antrobots, scientists used adult human cells from the trachea. They were received from anonymous donors of different ages and genders.
Researchers have focused on this type of cell because they are relatively readily available thanks to work on Covid-19 and lung disease. Co-author of the study Gizem Humuska added that due to the ability of cells to move, this makes them special.
In addition, the cells of the trachea are covered with hair-like protrusions called cilia, which make a wave-like movement back and forth. Thanks to this function, small particles are pushed out of the trachea and enter the respiratory tract.
Scientists experimented with the chemical composition of the growth conditions of tracheal cells and found a way to induce the cilia of the organoids to look outward.
“Nothing happened on day one, day two, day four or day five, but as biology usually does, there was a rapid transition around day seven. It was like a blooming flower. On the seventh day, the eyelashes turned over and were outside”– noted the co-author of the study Gizem Humuska.
The team created antrobots by hand, “seeding” cells into a special form. Some were spherical and completely covered with eyelashes, while others were ball-shaped and covered with uneven eyelashes.
They also moved in different ways—some in straight lines, some in narrow circles, and others sitting and moving. In laboratory conditions, they survived up to 60 days.
Scientists found out that antrobots stimulate the growth of damaged areas of neurons, although the mechanism of healing is not yet clear.
Scientists added that there are no ethical problems with antrobots, because they are not made from human embryos and are not genetically modified material.
“They have a very limited environment that they live in, so there’s no way for them to somehow get out or live outside of the lab. They can’t live outside of that specific environment. They have a natural lifespan, so after a few weeks they just slowly biodegrade “, – added Professor Levin.
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