 |
| Test Mice |
 |
| Glioblastoma multiforme |
A new experimental drug has been found to turn off a gene
that is connected to an aggressive and incurable type of brain cancer in mice. Glioblastoma
multiforme is a brain cancer that is responsible for 13,000 American deaths a
year. The new experimental is uses nanotechnology, which is small enough to advance
through the blood-brain barrier to make contract with the brain tumors. This
nanotechnology will target the cancer causing gene in the cells and shut them
off; this means that the cancer causing genes were silenced.
 |
| Gene Silencing |
According
to the study in, Science Translational
Medicine, the mice that were used in these experiments were given the new
drug intravenously. The results showed that the mice lived 20 percent longer
and their tumors shrank three to four times in size. This had shown amazing
progression towards ending this terrible disease. This opens up many doors to
different therapy resistances. Many experimental drugs that are used against
Glioblastoma fail in clinical trials. The next step is to test this experimental
drug in clinical trials, though many results in animal studies are different
when used in human studies. Hopefully, silencing these genes and eliminating
them from the scenario will allow more treatments to be effective.
This
disease is the source of thousands of people yearly. I find it amazing that we
have come up with such technology that allows us to shut down cancer causing
genes. By shutting down these genes, we give ourselves the time to do more
research on the cancer itself to see if there are ways to eliminate it
completely. This can also open up more research into silencing other genes for
other diseases. Nanotechnology can be the beginning of a new era of disease
control.
This is extremely fascinating. I really wonder how they composed this drug. Sure, it silences the genes that causes cancer, but the interaction must be so complex. This molecule probably needs a tag to deliver it straight to the brain. Furthermore, it has to stay unreactive until it reaches the brain. I also agree with your point on how technology has dramatically grown. Nanotechnology can be the solution to gene and disease control.
ReplyDelete