X-Message-Number: 12862
From: 
Date: Sat, 27 Nov 1999 17:03:58 EST
Subject: Re: Rhoades' immunology question

Re Phil Rhoades question:

<< Does anyone have any idea how these nano-bots made out of carbon and iron
 etc will be treated by the body's immunological defenses? Will they cause
 allergic reactions? If they are attacked and coated by biological
 molecules - will they be able to clean themselves or just rely on their
 numbers to get the job done?
  >>

  If there is an immunological response to one's nanomachines, it would be 
relatively easy to target the specific clones of T cells which respond to 
that particular nanomachine and kill them off with toxin-tagged antigen. 
(Remember, you have millions of different immune system cell genomes 
(developed through genetic rearrangement), but each cell can only respond to 
one antigen. Well, maybe a couple similar antigens.) This sort of thing is 
already done; a treatment for autoimmune arthritis might eventually be done 
this way. As long as the nanomachines didn't have too many types of antigen 
site, you wouldn't be poking too many holes in your antibody defenses. -- 
Bill Walker

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