AI-Based Liquid Biopsy for the Early Detection of Circulating Tumor DNA

Figure 1. The workflow of liquid biopsy using artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms for early detection and personalized treatments of cancer.


    Liquid biopsy, a minimally invasive and often blood-based test, detects circulating cancer-related genetic material such as tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), extracellular vesicles (EVs), tumor-educated platelets (TEPs), and circulating RNAs within body fluids. With the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms, liquid biopsy can become more sensitive and precise in its analysis. Liquid biopsy can ultimately improve early detection, predict prognosis, and monitor treatment response in different cancers. AI models help liquid biopsy accomplish this by distinguishing tumor-generated ctDNA from hematopoietic cells and other non-malignant tissues through the liquid biopsy's low signal-to-noise ratio. From there, AI employs multilayered analytical techniques, exploiting distinct molecular features that identify ctDNA from normal cfDNA. This consists of somatic mutation detection, differential DNA methylation patterns, and copy number alterations. It also has the ability to detect epigenetic biomarkers on the DNA, indicating which organ the cancer originated from. Additionally, the DNA fragmentation as a result of cell death is detected by AI as "genomic fingerprints” that are identified to catch cancer at Stage I.

    Liquid biopsy extends beyond diagnosis - it holds additional significance in its ability to generate prognostic insights, helping anticipate the likely trajectory of a patient’s disease. The non-invasive and repeatable nature of liquid biopsy permits long-term follow up, allowing clinicians to assess the disease evolution in real-time and appropriately respond to the therapy. Unlike a tissue biopsy that focuses on a specific area, a liquid biopsy focuses on the genetic material that represents the entire tumor heterogeneity, including sub-clonal mutations that can be missed by a tissue biopsy. Essentially, liquid biopsy provides a dynamic overview of tumor behavior. While its clinical application is constrained due to limited sensitivity, specificity, and a lack of standardization, liquid biopsy can be a significantly impactful tool to uncover genetic and molecular alterations that happen early in the development of cancer and provide circulating molecular tumor-derived material.



Links:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12839035/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13064412/

CRISPR Reprograms CAR T-Cells to Improve Cancer Treatments

Figure 1. A two-vector system is applied for in vivo CAR T-cell production, delivering CRISPR-Cas9 components that enable the engineered T-cells to target and destroy cancer cells.


     CRISPR, a gene-editing tool, has improved cancer immunotherapy by amplifying an immune cell’s ability to recognize tumors, effectively preventing them from further developing. With the use of CRISPR-Cas9 technology, T-cells (white blood cells produced in the thymus) were engineered to produce Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) -T cells, which target cancer cells. Usually, CAR-T therapy is performed in a laboratory setting, requiring immune cells to be removed from a patient, genetically modified, and then reinfused. Consequently, the therapy is time-consuming and expensive. However, researchers have found a way to genetically reprogram T-cells in vivo, allowing for direct immune cell modification within the patient to be done.

     A two-vector system was developed to “deliver CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoproteins and a DNA donor template via enveloped delivery transporters and adeno-associated viruses” (Nyberg et al., 2026). By incorporating a CAR transgene into a particular locus receptive towards T cells, therapeutic levels of CAR T-cells were produced in vivo. This procedure was tested with humanized mouse models of B-cell aplasia, carrying blood and solid tumors. The engineered T-cells successfully attacked both the blood and solid tumors in the mouse models. Ultimately, the articles revealed the possibility of faster and more accessible CAR-T cancer treatments through CRISPR gene editing.



Links:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10235-x
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13096480/

Biological Pathways and the Risk of Inheriting Cancer

     Researchers at Stanford Medicine studied different biological pathways that are associated with the chance of inheriting cancer. These researchers found less than 400 pathways that are functionally related to the risk of inheriting cancer. This research was the first large scale screening of DNA changes to determine which exact changes in nucleotide changes lead to cancer.  The study focused on the DNA sequences that existed after conception. This is referred to as a germ line genome because it is not the DNA changes that occur during the life of an individual. The study saw 380 variants that control the cancer associated gene expression. Major mutations in genes that have an association with the risk of inheriting cancer are the BCRA1 and BCRA2 genes; these genes indicate a higher risk of inheriting breast cancer. 

Figure 1. Location of BCRA1 and BCRA2 Genes on Chromosomes

    In this article, the author mentioned that this research opens doors to being able to assess a persons lifetime risk of having cancer. This idea could be interpreted in two ways. A person might want to know what the chances of them having cancer in their lifetime can be to feel relieved, grateful, or even so they can make life decisions that can help their situation if they were to be diagnosed. However, on the other side of things, people can fixate on their determined risk of having cancer and never be able to relax because they feel impending doom. Ultimately, I believe this research is beneficial to learning more about cancer and how it is inherited but individuals might have mixed emotions about hearing their lifetime risk of cancer.

Source: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2025/02/dna-cancer-risk.html

Additional link from National Cancer Institute focusing on BRCA gene:

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/genetics/brca-fact-sheet

Could Cats lead us to a Deeper Understanding of Cancer

 A recent study found that the genes that cause cancer in cats are very similar to cancer causing genes in humans. Researchers analyzed tumors from 493 cats with multiple types of cancer. They discovered that many of the same mutations that cause cancer in cats cause cancer in humans. The study identified  cancer related genes such as TP53 and PIK3CA that appear in both humans and cats, showing that cancers in both species is developed in a similar manner. Due to the fact cats live in the same environments as humans, they are exposed to similar risk factors; which may help explain these similarities. Overall, the research suggests that studying cancer in cats could improve understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer in both animals and humans, potentially leading to more targeted therapies in the future.

https://www.avma.org/news/study-finds-similarities-genes-drive-cancer-cats-humans

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/cats-cancer-genes-show-striking-similarity-to-humans/

Identifying Rare Diseases at Birth

 Last month, a BBC article was published highlighting a baby that had its vision saved by genetic testing. This baby had a rare form of eye cancer called retinoblastoma, and it was only identified through the genetic testing and genetic code analysis of newborns, done through something called, "The Generation Study." The study involves taking blood from a newborn and using it to analyze their genetic code and look for rare and serious conditions that would otherwise take forever to diagnose. In this case, the doctors are very hopeful that because they were able to catch this disease so early, they will also be able to save his vision.

Studies like this are very important for the future of medicine. In the second article, it's states that the program used to test the genetic code of the babies only tests for diseases that both develop in early childhood and have effective treatment options. As modern medicine continues to improve, and scientists look tirelessly to treat more diseases, it' not farfetched to say that there exists a future where we can identify and treat all life-threatening diseases before they can cause harm, using this technology. If we are able to develop treatments for early developmental diseases like retinoblastoma that we don't currently have, then we can give everyone an equal chance at life from birth. If this study and technology is already yielding positive results so early in its lifespan, than there is reason to be optimistic towards a better life for everyone in the future.

 

Saliva Test May Turn Tide on Prostate Cancer, Scientist Claim

 A recent article by James Gallagher in BBC News discusses how scientists have developed a saliva test that could help remodel how prostate cancer screening is done. Around 12,000 men in the United Kingdom die each year from prostate cancer, and screenings have been growing more and more common since the Olympic Sir Chris Hoy announced his diagnosis.

The current blood tests available look for certain levels of prostate-specific antigens that cause many missing cases. This has caused a greater risk of harm than good. The saliva test does not look for signs of cancer, but 130 mutations could be found in DNA, increasing the risk of developing cancerous cells. This study was conducted on men ranging in ages 55 to 69 who are possibly at greater risk for this cancer. The overall outcome of the experiment showed that of 746 men, 187 were found to have prostate cancer, even saving 2 people's lives. The saliva test is on a transform trial while researchers discover the best way to screen people for prostate cancer.

15-Minute Gene Testing Will Aid Brain Cancer Surgery

 On February 26, 2025, an article was published by HealthDay U.S. News discussing how a more rapid version of an already existing gene test can be used to determine what cells are cancerous and how many are currently present in a certain tissue region. This test, known as the “Ultra-Rapid droplet digital PCR test”, has been evaluated for accuracy and scored the same as the standard droplet digital PCR test. The development of the Ultra-Rapid test was made possible by increasing the efficiency of the steps in the standard test like DNA extraction from tumor cells and sample treatment. As of right now this test is solely used for glioma tumors (a type of brain cancer), but with the hope of it being used for other types of cancers as well.

I believe that this has a really great potential for the future of cancer research and cancer removal surgery. The faster necessary data can get to surgeons and doctors, the more efficient operations can become. Though the Ultra-Rapid test still needs to go through more trials and refining before being more widely used, it creates hope for the future.

Bats Don't Get Cancer, and Scientists Are Closer to Understanding Why

 

One of the worlds most under looked animals has it own super powers. Bats have the ability to avoid cancer and handle infections which would devastate others. The key to understanding these abilities is found in their genetic make up.

In a recent study conducted by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, analyzing bat genomes and comparing them to other mammals have allowed anticancer and antiviral genes to be found. The hopes of these findings is to in a way translate it into helping humans. 

Bats are extraordinary animals. They are known for having a long life spans, strong immune systems, and have low cancer rates. There immune systems are so resilient that they have allowed them to become a vector species as they can tolerate viruses without being effected by them. This has given them a bad reputation in the eyes of society. 

In this study 2 types of bat species genomes were sequenced. The Jamaican Fruit Bat and the Mesoamerican Mustache bat. Next comprehensive comparative genomic analysis was conducted comparing these genomes to other bats and mammals. The results were shocking. Noted were specific adaptations in six DNA repair-related proteins and 46 cancer-suppression proteins in bats. In comparing these genomes to other mammals bats were found to have twice as many cancer related genes. 

The hopes of this study is to further understand the bats cancer resistant genes linking to immunity and their immune system resilience. The goal is to help prevent cross-species disease jumps from animals to people by using bat immune system findings and to better understand the link between cancer and immune systems and possibly find a way to prevent it. 

I find this truly amazing. I personally have always loved bats and felt bad for the bad reputation they get for being vector species. But learning more and looking further into just why the make such good vector species and how they may help humans in the future I hope it will change society view about them. 

Links:

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-09-20/bats-dont-get-cancer-and-scientists-are-closer-to-understanding-why

https://www.science.org/content/article/how-bats-have-outsmarted-viruses-including-coronaviruses-65-million-years

Gene Therapy: Effectiveness on Rare Brain Disease in Boys

Gene therapy was studied on a range of genetic diseases and were followed up later in life. One of those, a rare brain disease “Cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy,” results in a loss of neurological function and early death which happens in children in “the prime of their childhood development.” There were 77 boys which received “eli-cel” (elivaldogene autotemcel) therapy six years ago. The therapy places a healthy ABCD1 gene onto a Lenti-D lentivirus which replaces the malfunctioning ABCD1 gene. Today most of the boys are free of disability and show no decline in brain function. In another study, 6 of 35 similar patients developed blood cancers associated with the therapy but is considered a better situation compared to the imminent death most of the boys faced before the therapy. The researchers are trying to figure out where and how this problem arises in their therapy process to hopefully further improve its effectiveness.

Other studies show similar effectiveness in eli-cel gene therapy. 94% of 32, 3-13 year old boys, showed no loss of neurological function and 80% were disability free. In another trial containing 35 similarly aged boys, 6 of the boys ended up with a blood cancer again. 5 of them have myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), where blood cells are improperly formed, and 1 has AML, where too many white blood cells are produced.

These studies are great because they show that gene therapy is increasing in its effectiveness and can be used more often to treat these various genetic diseases. I believe that receiving a cancer is better than living with severe disability and imminent death. I hope that these studies continue, and the researchers can discover a way to either improve or adjust the therapy in a way which the chances of side effects like cancer are severely reduced. Maybe they can get it to the point where there are 0 side effects and expand the therapy to other types of genetic diseases.

Links

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-10-10/boys-treated-with-gene-therapy-for-rare-brain-disease-doing-well-6-years-later

https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/cellular-gene-therapy-products/what-gene-therapy

Using Genetics to Predict a Patient's Risk for Major Diseases

 

  

    In a recent article written by Dennis Thompson, written in the U.S. News and World Report, he describes a recent study undertaken by researchers at Harvard and MIT that utilized genetic testing to predict a patient's risk for 10 major medical conditions. These conditions included: atrial fibrillation, breast cancer, kidney disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, prostate cancer, asthma, type 1 and type 2 diabetes and obesity.

    The study was able to predict people's risk by assigning a risk score calculated by analyzing genes associated with the conditions in a diverse group of 2,500 people. Researches also used data from a federally funded research program known as All of Us. This dataset included over 1 million people including a sizeable percentage of people from backgrounds other than European. Due to the success of this study, the tests are now being used to evaluate the risk of 25,000 patients in 10 academic medical centers across the United States. These academic medical centers are all a part of the Electronic Medical Records and Genetics network, meaning that the data they gather will be share across the scientific community in order to further advance the fields of genetics and medicine.

    I believe that this article is important because it highlights new advancements in predicting major medical conditions. Although not all of these medical conditions are deadly, many of them can be life threatening which is why it is important to catch them early. By catching these conditions before they arise it is easier to prevent them and treat them effectively, providing patients with the best possible care.

Lung cancer cells' 'memories' suggest new strategy for improving treatment

A common type of cell lung cancer that is mutated by the KRAS gene is called lung adenocarcinoma and researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center have found new strategies for improving the treatment for it. Tuomas Tammela who is a cancer scientist who led the study found alveolar type 1 (AT1) cells which have a "memory" of their beginning as healthy cells. Also known as "AT1-like" cells which are cancer cells that remain while the KRAS inhibitor treatment is going on. The cell's presence is a negative thing since it leads to treatment resistance and can aid in the cancer coming back. The second article also supports the findings from the Science Daily article. 

The results from this study hope to help scientists come up with new improved strategies for lung cancer treatments and find a solution against the resistance of KRAS inhibitors. I believe that if they do more research and spend more time understanding the movements and functions of the AT1 cells they will find more meaningful discoveries which would help with the treatments. The researchers also plan to identify which surface proteins are different from AT1 cells and then create a therapeutic treatment that will bind both of them and kill them. 

Links 

- Lung cancer cells' 'memories' suggest new strategy for improving treatment | ScienceDaily

- Lung cancer cells' 'memories' suggest new strategy for improving treatment (medicalxpress.com)

Cancers Protect Themselves From Their Own Mutations

 

A new study has shown how it is possible that cancerous tumors accumulate thousands of damaging mutations over time while yet being able to continue to thrive. Genes that minimize the misfolding of proteins are up-regulated by tumors with a large number of mutations which is why they are protected from their own mutations. Research was conducted on the gene expression on over 10,300 human tumors across 33 cancer types. It was found that there was a consistent up-regulation of chaperone proteins and proteasome which degrade misfolded proteins. Researchers validated their findings by using cell line data which showed higher mutational load in correlation with lower cell viability, which suggests that gene upregulation protects tumors. This finding shows that there is a weakness in tumors that could be exploited and possibly could lead to new therapeutic opportunities. 

A precision drug for prostate cancer may slow the disease’s spread

 

Links:
Article: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/prostate-cancer-drug-olaparib-slow-spread
Related Article: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/health-49877843


Recently, researchers have discovered that a drug used to treat breast and ovarian cancers is also tied to certain genetic mutations that may help combat some of the most severe cases of prostate cancer.
Researchers tested the drug, called olaparib, in a randomized clinical trial of nearly 400 men with advanced prostate cancer and a mutation in one of several genes involved in repairing damaged DNA, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2. 
Overall in men given olaparib, the disease progressed more slowly compared with those on standard treatment drugs that deprive cancer cells of the male hormone testosterone. After a year, about 22 percent of men taking olaparib had no signs that their cancer was progressing, compared with 13.5 percent of men on the standard treatments, the researchers reported September 30 in Barcelona at the European Society of Medical Oncology meeting.

This was a very interesting article to read. Although it is too early to say how the drug will impact overall survival , this new treatment looks promising so far, potentially buying some patients a few more months 

CRISPR is Entering its First Human Trials

Genetic diseases are generally inevitable, but are they really? Thanks to a gene editing technology, known as the "molecular scissors" CRISPR/Cas9, we may be able to cut out genes that are causing certain diseases. CRISPR has been used in animals to cure diseases, but now the first human trials are just starting up now. These "molecular scissors" don't just cut anything and everything. CRISPR is a short piece of genetic RNA material, and Cas9 is an enzyme that leads the CRISPR to the piece of DNA that needs to be cut. In the first human trials, scientists are attempting to fight cancer, blood disorders and inherited blindness. In the blood and cancer trials, scientists take cells from the patients bodies and place them in a petri dish, and CRISPR/Cas9 is injected into the cells and the DNA is then edited. Scientists have a way of determining whether the right DNA was edited or not. Then, these edited cells are injected back into the patient. I find CRISPR to be extremely interesting, and I think it could be a truly remarkable discovery if it does in fact prove to be successful. It would help millions upon millions of people. Part of it scares me because if it edits the wrong genes, it could be deadly.

Original Article: https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/crispr-enters-its-first-human-trials
Supporting Article: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-11-doctors-crispr-gene-cancer-1st.html

Genetic Tests Cost a Pretty Penny for Cancer Patients

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2019-11-01/many-cancer-docs-dont-discuss-costs-of-pricey-gene-tests
https://www.webmd.com/health-insurance/news/20191101/many-cancer-docs-dont-discuss-costs-of-pricey-gene-tests?src=rss_public

Genomic tests ran on people who have cancer can really define the best tests and treatments that these patients should undergo. These tests are very expensive and many of them are not covered by insurance companies. In this post, data was collected from over a thousand oncologists about how to go about testing these patients should get for the best interest of themselves but their pockets as well. Over fifty percent of doctors go over costs with their patients so they are aware, but over twenty five percent do not. I understand why the cost might not be brought up because any amount of money is less important than the cost of your life, and if they test were to save your life who cares how much money it would cost.  Cancer treatment costs are rising and so are the genomic testing prices, it’s a real shame innocent people have to go through this. As if having cancer was not enough, the medical bills start to pile up. 

The topic of genomic testing for cancer patients hits close to home due to my sister having to get her genetics ran this past January when she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. This journey was hard and long, but the doctors were brilliant, and the doctors told her to obtain this testing to see if she had the genes breast cancer codes for or was this just an environmental cause. This process could become very frustrating because there are no answers to why someone has cancer, and having a test done costing so much money is a waste of money that these people do not have to spare.

A New Approach to Detecting Cancer Earlier From Blood Tests

        Dr. Daniel De Carvalho an immunologist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre located in Toronto, Ontario, has had scientists working hard to use "liquid biopsy's", such as blood tests, for epigenetic alterations to detect cancer in its earliest stages, enabling early treatment.  Dr. Carvalho describes that they are able to detect cancer at its earliest stages allowing patients easier treatment and no suffering.  This is done by profiling epigenetic alterations instead of its mutations.  This allowed the scientists to discover thousands of modifications specific to each type of cancer there is.  The scientists then used machine learning to be able to identify DNA present in cancer.  It is then able to use the blood sample to determine what cancer type is prevalent.  

          

  

            The scientists used 300 patients tumor samples and tracked the origin of their cancers and compared them to "samples from healthy donors with the analysis of cel-free DNA circulating in the blood plasma.  In every sample, the "floating" plasma DNA matched the tumor DNA.  The team has since expanded the research and has now profiled and successfully matched more than 700 tour and blood samples from more cancer types."  (University Health Network)  Some cancer types include lung, pancreatic, colorectal, breast, leukemia, bladder, and kidney cancer.  

             To further the study and expand their horizons they want to use a large populations blood samples that have been collected for months before they could detect it with cancer.  This will advance their abilities in cancer screening.  The biggest issue has been finding a way to detect cancer early enough, so that it can be treated quickly without further symptoms occurring, and hopefully this is the answer to all of our problems.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/11/181114132000.htm

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/in-depth/cancer-diagnosis/art-20046459

What's the Likelihood That CRISPR Will Cure Cancer?

        As you may know, after taking biology courses in high school and college, DNA is an extremely important aspect in everything living.  DNA is subject to change, and go through transformations after being exposed to environmental and genetic factors.  Sometimes after DNA is exposed to different influences, its sequence changes, and new genetic codes are created, which sometimes can result in diseases and disorders, one being cancer. 

        CRISPR, or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat, is new technology that has the ability to edit and modify genes.  Even though there are multiple gene editing tools, CRISPR is the most precise and practical one, because it has the ability to edit the DNA at the specific spots effected.  With this new technology scientists are able to modify genes and correct DNA sequences at specific locations permanently, and cut out the DNA code.  Our hope is that one day scientists can "be able to easily correct the errors that can crop up in our genetic code, leading to advanced cures for genetic diseases and cancer." (Howley, 2018)

       After research, and using CRISPR, doctor's have been able to alter embryonic DNA to eradicate genetic diseases in DNA sequences.  Experts know that CRISPR has the capabilitiy to change DNA to "cure" someone from a disease, the only thing is that the genetic edits must be made to each and every single cell that's involved in that disease process, which is a difficult thing to accomplish, considering there are millions.  Hopefully, as CRISPR continues to develop and flourish we can develop a way to treat cancer.  Since cancer has the ability to spread and develop all over the body CRISPR would have to change the genetic mutation that caused the cells around a persons entire  body to become cancerous, back to normal.  Dr. Alan B. Copperman, from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, has his own approach to use the technology in cancer gene editing, and is already being used to try and treat those with leukemia and lymphoma.  For example, his idea "involves removing some of a patient's own immune cells (T cells), re-programming them using CRISPR and then infusing these cells back into the patient to fight the cancer.  This personalized immunotherapy approach should help in fighting off many different types of cancers." (Howley, 2018)

      CRISPR has a long way to go, and doctor's around the world are working hard to change the lives of those in need, and give patients the opportunity to receive treatment. 

https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/articles/2018-09-12/whats-the-likelihood-that-crispr-will-cure-cancer

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/genomicresearch/genomeediting

Scientists discover enzyme that supports brain tumor growth

        A group of researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Center in Houston has discovered an enzyme that is found to assist in the growth of brain tumors. This finding can possibly be a big help to scientists trying to come up with new potential tumor treatment approaches. The observation here was that a specific enzyme - acetyl CoA synthetase 2 (ACSS2) is responsible for providing tumors with a route to survive. The ACSS2 allows production of cellular structures which aid tumor development.

        The head researcher, Zhimin Lu, Ph.D., (professor of neuro-oncology) and his colleagues used a gene editing tool called CRISPR to see what ACSS2 does in histone acetylation by generating acetyl CoA from acetate inside the nucleus of the cell. Just to clarify, "histones," are proteins that act as "spools" for DNA to wind around and are vital for gene regulation. Histone modification using a metabolic enzyme was found to be significant for cells to remain stable and for the development of tumors. 

    In the words of Dr. Lu, "These findings elucidate an instrumental interplay between reprogramming of metabolism and gene expression in cancer cells. Inhibition of both ACSS2's nuclear function and the metabolic pathway, known as glycolysis, which converts glucose to tumor-feeding energy, appears to be an efficient approach for cancer treatment." 

        This research and the enzyme discovery provides new information regarding nuclear translocation. It is very important and an exciting finding because it shows how ACSS2 can potentially be a player in new therapeutic approaches for treating cancer. With each new discovery, we are getting closer to finding the cure for cancer, making every single finding another step in the right direction! 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317654.php?sr

http://neurosciencenews.com/acss2-enzyme-brain-cancer-6775/

Smart Protein Molecule

To begin, I chose this article because it makes me happy that we are close to the idea that we are extremely near finding the cure to cancer. Researchers specifically, bioengineering professors at the University of California have created a "smart" protein that is able to tell white blood cells to become better cancer fighters. What the protein actually does is that it tells cells to ignore self destructing signals. Cancer cells use the mechanism in that they make the cells attack and self destruct, spreading to more of the body. They have called this smart molecule protein "iSnap." They have inserted into a macrophage which is a white blood cell. They then discovered that it made the cells react and engulf and divide cancer cells.


Personally, I really enjoyed this article because I love to hear when medicine is advancing with technology.  Perfecting this new finding will most definitely lead to immune cells being able to fight cancer cells leading to a cure to cancer. Realistically, this mechanism will also be able to fight diseases which will help the medicine field. The study was also done on rapidly dividing cancer cells and its success foreshadows a cure to even the toughest of cancers.



Reference: University of California - San Diego. (2017, September 28). Smart molecules trigger white blood cells to become better cancer-eating machines. ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 9, 2017 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170928142121.htm
Picture : https://fthmb.tqn.com/5ry863qfeVyF7xsdP1u66r1muo4=/768x0/filters:no_upscale()/h20-58e655f93df78c5162ea0a1f.jpg

Infinite sunscreen made from DNA.

A news article from Popular Science gives credit to a group of scientist in discovering a transforming way to stop skin cancer. Their report is featured in Science Reports and found that DNA crystals helps in absorbing heavy amounts of UV light. This finding could open eyes towards the skincare culture and also the prevention of skin cancer. When DNA film is coated on to the skin, it hydrates skin cells for a very long time by slowing the cell's water evaporation. The sun has exposed human skin to great amounts of carcinogen for awhile which unfortunately leads to massive amounts of skin cancer patients . But Popular Science suggest maybe a sunscreen could be created after all of this. The report give due to the DNA's "optical, novel electrical, and biosensing properties". Could the ending of skin cancer be coming soon? Hopefully a revolutionary sunscreen could be hitting stores in the near future.