Would you like to help in some research on the regulation of what future AI-driven nanomedicines should look like? If so, researchers at the University of Bristol are looking for volunteers to discuss ethical and regulatory issues of using AI driven cancer therapies with swarm behaviour through a series of interviews. | |
The research is part of the SWARM study – Small robots With collective behaviour as AI-driven cancer therapies; building Regulations for future nanoMedicines. | |
The researchers are looking for: | |
|
|
Volunteers must be over the age of 18 years old to take part. We would love to hear from you. You can find out more about the study on our SWARM study webpage or by contacting Matimba Swana at matimba.swana@bristol.ac.uk. | |
If you would like to take part please complete this Expression of Interest Form. | |
About the SWARM study |
Cancer occurs when abnormal cells divide in an uncontrolled way. Many cancers can be cured. But in some people cancer can return. Cancer drugs, such as chemotherapy, need to be able to kill all the cancer cells, but this means they can also kill healthy cells. | |
Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology which works on tiny scales called ‘nanometres’ (one-billionth of a metre). Nanoparticles are nanosized particles that can assist the delivery of chemotherapy drugs to cancer cells. Scientists and Engineers can use simulations for selecting nanoparticles so drugs can more effectively reach the tumour while avoiding side effects. | |
Nanoswarms | |
Using simulations, scientists and engineers are working on adding swarm behaviour (present in social animals such as birds, ants, fish and termites) to nanoparticles and tiny robots (nanobots). Nanoswarms are multiple nanoparticles or nanobots that can interact with each other or their environment to achieve a task (e.g. deliver chemotherapy to a tumour without killing healthy cells), exhibiting collective behaviour inspired by swarm behaviour. | |
SWARM study – aim & research question | |
This project is investigating the ethics and regulations of the first in-human clinical trial of nanoswarms. We will be using interviews initially and focus groups in the next phase to explore the attitudes of stakeholders towards this swarm technology in healthcare, combined with ethical/legal analysis to consider how swarm medicine should be regulated in clinical trials. | |
The aim is to explore how nanoswarm medicine should be regulated once this technology is available for first-in human clinical trials. | |
Researchers | |
This study is being organised by Matimba Swana, PhD student in the Trustworthy Autonomous Systems in Functionality Node and Academic Supervisors; Dr. Sabine Hauert, Reader (Associate Professor) in Swarm Engineering and Prof. Jonathan Ives, Professor of Empirical Bioethics & Deputy Director of Centre for Ethics in Medicine. | |
Would you like to participate? |
|
If you are aged 18 or over, we would love to hear from you. For the interviews we are looking for oncology healthcare professionals or oncology patients or those working in drug delivery regulation or in nanomedicine research. You do not need to have any previous knowledge of nanoswarms to participate as we will show you case studies to introduce you to the technologies. | |
Your contribution would be very helpful! For more details please contact Matimba Swana at matimba.swana@bristol.ac.uk OR complete this Expression of Interest form for interviews. | |
We are still in the first phase of this study, so will not start interviews until later in the year, but please complete the Expression of Interest form for interviews and we will be in touch to schedule an interview. We will start recruiting for focus groups in early 2023. | |
Five fun facts |
|
|
|
The SWARM study is part of a larger UKRI-funded PhD which is part of the Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Node in Functionality research programme, which is a multidisciplinary collaboration between ethicists, sociologists, computer scientists and engineers working together to produce guidelines for the development of trustworthy autonomous systems with evolving functionality. | |
Research Ethics Approval |
|
This project has been reviewed and approved by the University of Bristol Faculty of Engineering Research Ethics Committee (Ref: 11141). | |
Find out more before participating from these PDFs: | |
SWARM study summary | |
SWARM flyer Interviews | |
Participant Information Sheet for Interviews | |
SWARM flyer focus groups | |
Participant Information for Focus Groups (will be live once interviews are completed) | |
Expression of Interest for Focus Groups (will be live once interviews are completed) |
News
Common Medication Could Save Half a Million Lives Each Year – So Why Isn’t It?
A recent study conducted by scientists at the University of Southern California sheds light on the reasons why children are not receiving an affordable and effective diarrhea treatment. Medical professionals in developing nations are [...]
X Marks the Spot: AI’s Treasure Maps Lead to Early Disease Detection
Medical diagnostics expert, doctor’s assistant, and cartographer are all fair titles for an artificial intelligence model developed by researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Their new model accurately identifies tumors [...]
Scientists Discover Method To Identify Alzheimer’s Disease Before It Progresses to Dementia
Researchers at Aarhus University have discovered a method to identify Alzheimer’s disease before it progresses to dementia, potentially opening up new avenues for treatment. A groundbreaking study could pave the way for early detection [...]
Startling Discovery: COVID-19 Virus Can Stay in the Body More Than a Year After Infection
The COVID-19 virus can persist in the blood and tissue of patients for more than a year after the acute phase of the illness has ended, according to new research from UC San Francisco that offers potential [...]
New bioengineered protein design shows promise in fighting COVID-19
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have been racing to develop effective treatments and preventatives against the virus. A recent scientific breakthrough has emerged from the work of researchers aiming to combat [...]
Sugar-coated gold nanoparticles can quickly eliminate bacterial infections, no antibiotics required
If left to their own devices, bacteria on our teeth or wounded skin can encase themselves in a slimy scaffolding, turning into what is called biofilm. These bacteria wreak havoc on our tissue and, [...]
Liquid Lightning: Nanotechnology Unlocks New Energy
EPFL researchers have discovered that nanoscale devices harnessing the hydroelectric effect can harvest electricity from the evaporation of fluids with higher ion concentrations than purified water, revealing a vast untapped energy potential. Evaporation is a natural [...]
Unmasking the Illusion: AI-Generated Faces Challenge Perceptions
Research shows survey participants duped by AI-generated images nearly 40 percent of the time. If you recently had trouble figuring out if an image of a person is real or generated through artificial intelligence [...]
New Discovery Reveals How Cells Defend Themselves During Stressful Situations
Stress granules play a crucial role in the stress response, arising from the aggregation of non-translating mRNAs and proteins. Although significant knowledge exists about stress granules, the mechanisms behind their mRNA localization remain partially [...]
Scientists use a new type of nanoparticle that can both deliver vaccines and act as an adjuvant
Many vaccines, including vaccines for hepatitis B and whooping cough, consist of fragments of viral or bacterial proteins. These vaccines often include other molecules called adjuvants, which help to boost the immune system's response [...]
Not Science Fiction: How Optical Neural Networks Are Revolutionizing AI
A novel architecture for optical neural networks utilizes wavefront shaping to precisely manipulate the travel of ultrashort pulses through multimode fibers, enabling nonlinear optical computation. Present-day artificial intelligence systems rely on billions of adjustable [...]
Turning skin cells into limb cells sets the stage for regenerative therapy
In a collaborative study, researchers from Kyushu University and Harvard Medical School have identified proteins that can turn or “reprogram” fibroblasts — the most commonly found cells in skin and connective tissue — into [...]
AI reveals prostate cancer is not just one disease
Artificial Intelligence has helped scientists reveal a new form of aggressive prostate cancer, which could revolutionise how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future. A Cancer Research UK-funded study, published in Cell Genomics, has revealed [...]
New Study Finds That Persistent COVID-19 Infections Are Surprisingly Common
Recent research conducted by the University of Oxford has found that a high proportion of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the general population lead to persistent infections lasting a month or more. The findings have been published in the journal Nature. [...]
Innovative nanosheet method revolutionizes brain imaging for multi-scale and long-term studies
The human brain has billions of neurons. Working together, they enable higher-order brain functions such as cognition and complex behaviors. To study these higher-order brain functions, it is important to understand how neural activity [...]
Scientists Have Discovered a Potential Universal Antivenom
Scientists at Scripps Research identified antibodies that protect against a host of lethal snake venoms. Scripps Research scientists have developed an antibody that can block the effects of lethal toxins in the venoms of [...]