Rise of the nanomachine: the evolution of a revolution in medicine

Abstract

Although the current array of nanomachines mostly comprises simple devices (at least from a mechanical viewpoint), the underlying physical and chemical interactions that play key roles in the 'assembly' of these machines have required decades of research to ascertain a fundamental understanding of how such processes can be manipulated at the nanoscale. In this review, we wish to convey a realistic picture of the current developments in the design and implementation of nanomachines, with an emphasis on how these developments are leading to practical applications in medicine, including a sense of how such simple devices are rapidly becoming the building blocks for assembling the nanorobots of tomorrow.