Nanorobots the Future of Neurology: A Perspective on Alzheimer’s Disease

Nanorobots are complex machines measured in nanometers that operate at the molecular level inside patients. In the future these small nanoscale machines could potentially be used as biosensors to screen for disease, to combat pathological cellular or molecular processes or to deliver medication to precise locations. Nanorobots are akin to manipulatable electronic white blood cells that patrol the body. A nanorobot in the form of a micro-rocket has already been shown to bind and transport cancer cells in physiological fluids in vitro (1) and micromotors have been developed to deliver cargo via self-propulsion to the stomach in mice (2). Moreover, in 2016 Fraser Stoddart, Bernard Feringa and Jean-Pierre Sauvage won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for their work in the development of nanomachines in which they utilised chemical energy to create motion (3). Collectively, these breakthroughs are paving the way for the design of more complex nanorobots for medicinal use. The aim of this editorial is to inspire further research in the new field of nanorobotics for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurological disorders.