Science Illustrated

Magnetic sperm cell kills cancer

In the future, doctors will be able to steer cancer-killing sperm cells to cancer tumours by means of a magnet.

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The sperm cells are placed in a liquid with

chemo drugs such as Doxorubici­n, which kills cancer cells, but not sperm cells. The drugs enter the sperm cells.

The sperm cell is "dressed" in a microscopi­c

"suit", which is lined with metal. The suit is attached to the sperm cell's head and has four arms, which function as a type of antennas, registerin­g when the sperm cell hits the cancer tumour. The sperm cells are injected into the woman and start to swim forwards. The doctor uses a magnet outside the body to steer the sperm cell towards the tumour. When the sperm cell collides with the tumour, the four arms at the front of the suit move aside, letting go of the sperm cell. The sperm cell moves in between the cancer cells, and its cancer drugs begin to combat the cancer tumour.

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