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Diagnosis. Chemotherapy. Radiation. Slow painful
death. No more. A new era of cancer treatment
if dawning. Meet three scientists who are using the
revelations of the human genome project to reshape
medicine.
The bold prediction: in 10 years, suffering
and death due to cancer will be eliminated. Today's
trailblazing research and treatment of cancer is
fueled by a host of technologies that analyze and
manipulate genetic material at the molecular level.
This six-page article goes into greater detail but
here is a short version of the 5 latest tools for
fighting cancer:
DNA microarrays: for decades,
scientists were limited to studying just a few
genes in a given experiment. But microarrays, aka
gene chips, are changing all that. Using precision
robotics, tiny slides are dotted with thousands of
DNA samples representing different genes. The
stamp-sized chips allow researchers to observe the
complex interactions between hundreds (and possibly
thousands) of genes that are now linked to cancer.
The potential applications for microarrays range
from lifting cancer's genetic fingerprints to
predicting a patient's response to a drug
treatment.
Bioinformatics: The Human Genome
Project and the technologies that grew out of it
have produced an ocean of data. The goal of
bioinformatics is to mine that information for
meaning. The tools: artificial intelligence,
sophisticated search algorithms, and networked
databases. By combining genomic and proteomic data
from around the globe, researchers can identify
cancer markers and even predict survival
probabilities.
Proteomics: By cataloging the
half-million human proteins, researchers in
proteomics are seeking to understand their chemical
interactions. Long before a tumor forms, cancerous
cells produce minute traces of abnormal proteins.
A handful of biotech companies are racing to
build protein chips - microarrays that will
identify telltale cancer proteins, letting doctors
detect malignancies and monitor treatment with
simple, noninvasive tests. Ultimately, proteomics
could uncover new targets for protein-inhibiting
drugs.
RNA interference: Human cells
have a built-in mechanism that fights foreign
invaders and regulates gene expression. It's called
RNAi, and researchers have figured out how to
harness it to short-circuit genetic expression. The
DNA itself remains intact, but the cell is
unable to produce damaging proteins. The technique
has yet to yield any drugs, but it's already being
used in the lab as a cheaper, faster way to
deactivate particular genes in animals.
High-throughout X-ray
crystallography: By bombarding
crystallized proteins with X rays, researchers are
producing highly accurate 3-D models of proteins
that play a role in rampant cell division. Armed
with this intelligence, drug developers can design
precision inhibitors that bind to and deactivate
these pernicious proteins.
Source: Jennifer Hahn,
Wired, 8/2003
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