Journey to the centre of the body

By Lisa Cardy

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REMEMBER the sci-fi film Fantastic Voyage �It may not be�so fantastic, as scientists�develop 'mini robots' to�travel�through the body's bloodstream, attacking�tumours�and scouring blocked arteries.

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Nanotechnologists in Europe and America are confident that within a year they'll have built prototypes of�microscopic 'submarines' and 'helicopters'�to perform the tasks.

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In the US, a Utah State University team�is developing a tiny sub to be�carried around the body by bacteria.

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The team says that normally potentially deadly microrganisms, such as Salmonella and E. coli, could make perfect 'motors'. The microsubs will hitch a ride on the injected bacteria as it swims through the bloodstream to its target.

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Another American team, at Cornell University,�is developing biomotors,�tiny machines�that harness power from the body. A chemical called ATP, the body's natural fuel, turns the metal rotors of the microscopic machines�to send�them on�their way.

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In Duisburg, Germany, researchers from a company called MicroTEC are also developing a mini submarine, powered around the body by an external magnetic field.

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Over the last five years, huge leaps have been made in the field of nanotechnology, which measures devices in nanometres, a millionth of a millimetre.

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The micro machines have yet to be tested within the living body, and it could�be many years before�they are routinely used.

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Would you let surgeons inject�a 'mini submarines'�into your body if it became a standard medical procedure �Is this science gone too far Tell The AnswerBank what you think. Click here to join the discussion.