Download 3 - University of Pittsburgh

Bursic 3:00
R18
Disclaimer—This paper partially fulfills a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the
University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. This paper is a student, not a professional, paper. This paper is
based on publicly available information and may not provide complete analyses of all relevant data. If this paper is used for
any purpose other than these authors’ partial fulfillment of a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering
students at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, the user does so at his or her own risk.
USING NANOMEDICINE TO TREAT CANCER PATIENTS
Allison Heffley ([email protected])
A SOLVABLE PROBLEM: CANCER
When I was 14 years old, my grandfather died of
cancer. He was on the waiting list to test a new way of
targeting and destroying prostate cancer cells, but died
before he could receive treatment. A year later, the new
treatment he could have tried was available. This
personalized drug was on a trial basis, and it involved
using nanotechnology to target the source of his cancer
and eradicate it.
Ever since my grandfather’s death my desire has
been to assist in the research and to be part of the
process that finds a treatment and cure for cancer. There
are already therapies to rid a body of cancerous cells,
and although these methods can often help patients or
even cure them, they can be extremely debilitating as
well. Some patients simply cannot tolerate the side
effects of these therapies.
Therapies found to be detrimental to the long-term
health of a cancer patient are Chemotherapy and
radiation [1]. Chemotherapy specifically can ruin a
patient’s sensory cues. An example of this is the
inability to taste certain foods. I remember after my
grandfather had his chemotherapy treatments, he was
never hungry because he could not taste anything. He
also had an immune reaction to one of the treatments
given to him. Rather than keeping the same medical
practices, scientists and doctors are beginning to study
the effectiveness of personalized medicine, which has
less long-term health risks and complications than other
therapies.
Personalized medicine is described as the use of
drug-delivery systems (i.e. nanotechnology) to target
parts of a patient’s genetic code to battle, and hopefully
annihilate any signs of illness [2]. Personalized
medicine is guided by strict guidelines on what trials
and processes are allowed [3]. This keeps the
distribution and application of personal medicine more
ethical. I strongly support the administration of
personalized medicine not only because my grandfather
could have had a greater chance of survival, but also
because it will benefit the millions of patients diagnosed
with cancer every year.
University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1
11/01/2016
Nanomedicine, another name for personalized
medicine, is a relatively novel discovery. Researchers
have been testing carbon nanotubes, made by engineers,
on mice recently. Carbon nanotubes are a great
innovation because they are made of graphene, which is
the thinnest and strongest material ever discovered [4].
Graphene is also extremely flexible. Its entire makeup
and the endless possibilities for how it, and other forms
of nanotechnology, can be used to deliver drugs to
damaged cells has given the medical community hope
that a feasible cure for cancer is near.
HOW HAS NANOMEDICINE BEEN
IMPLIMENTED?
A serious problem faced by physicians is the
inability to sufficiently target cancerous tumors and
lesions in the body [2]. Research and engineering have
helped implement chemotherapy and radiation
treatments, but sometimes these methods do not work as
they should. When they don’t eradicate the cancerous
cells, there is not much physicians can do.
The issue with diagnosis and treatment of cancer is
that there is a lack of a method to collect massive
amounts of individual data. This is a serious problem
because it makes it harder for clinicians to isolate the
diseased areas of a patient’s body and give definite
diagnoses. A patient with a rare form of cancer could
have a greater chance of survival if nanomedicine was
commonly used for treatment because it individualizes
medicine and detects irregularities faster and more
precisely than the technologies we have now. Sadly,
there are many obstacles inhibiting physicians from
putting nanomedicine to use.
An issue physicians and researchers alike are
unsure how to solve as innovation of more sustainable
technology continues is the ethics of nanotechnology
[2]. I would hope that a cancer patient would allow me
to treat them if they had an imminent risk of death, but
many people will be against having their genetic
makeup probed for flaws. It is important for patients and
physicians to realize that providing and entrusting DNA
samples to the wrong person can lead to malpractice and
possible manipulation of genes.
Bursic 3:00
R18
Nanomedicine is also a complication for the
medical community and the economy. The United
States is not fiscally prepared for the enormous amount
of money it would take to implement and create more
advanced personalized medicine [2]. Economically, the
process of integrating nanomedicine into society is not
feasible because of how much it costs to simply help
one patient, let alone millions.
Enabling nanomedicine to be used in hospitals
throughout the country allows for a broad change in the
oncologic field. Doctors would need more resources in
every hospital to determine the dosage needed per each
individual patient with a major illness. The dosages
would also be specific to each person’s DNA sequence.
The process of filtering through thousands of patients’
genetic codes, which consist of millions of
combinations of DNA-RNA sequences is challenging
and time consuming. Moreover, studies have shown that
some patients are likely to exhibit drug toxicity sideeffects to this form of therapy because it is so new [5].
Drug toxicity is life threatening and something
patients must be warned about and take into
consideration before undergoing personalized medical
treatment. It has detrimental side effects such as: low
white blood cell counts, heart failure, and tissue damage
[5]. I would assume that the patients seeking treatment
would be on their last leg of life and toxicity would be
the least of their concerns, but it is still a serious issue
that must be improved upon.
Despite these issues and risks, there are more longterm benefits that outweigh them. The nanotechnology
that was tested on samples of sickly mice showed that
nanotechnology aided their ability to stay immune to
similar strands of diseases [6]. Furthermore, researchers
could pinpoint the source of each mouse’s ailment and
eliminate it [7]. These trials on mice have led
researchers to begin experimenting more with
nanomedicine and how human test-subjects react to it.
Recently, nanotechnology has improved regarding
the search for precancerous and malignant lesions in the
body. The researchers and engineers working on this
created a nanoparticle that helped target the exact area
that needed chemotherapy, which has led me to believe
that if advances like this continue, nanotechnology will
become more reliable [8].
Notably, there is a new RNA-DNA hybrid
antitumor agent that can “enhance the cytotoxicity of
targeted cells” while curtailing collateral damage to
non-targeted cells [1]. This agent is specific to prostate
cancer, and is continually being improved upon. A
version of this nanotechnology that was implemented
years ago had the risk of causing hypersensitivity and
toxicity reactions, and now the probability of those
reactions occurring is negligible [9]. The fact that a
significant impact has been made on patients who were
part of this trial gives me hope that the medical
community is on the right track to finding a cure for
prostate cancer.
Other recent trials focused on cancer patients who
have had immune responses to nanomedicine have
begun. Researchers are beginning to figure out ways to
test whether the drug delivery will affect the livelihood
of their test subjects. This is done by understanding the
physiochemical properties of nanoparticles and the way
individual immune systems could respond to those
properties [8].
The University of California Los Angeles has been
researching and engineering nanotechnology drugdelivery systems and created a nanodiamond that mixes
well with drugs. A nanodiamond has characteristics that
permits drugs to bind to its surface. This allows for a
way of treating patients by mixing a correct amount of
needed medications with nanoparticles that can target
cancerous areas of the body. The head researcher of this
study said, “This study has the capacity to turn drug
development, nano or non-nano, upside-down” [10]. His
reasoning is that what they have discovered can
optimize any form of nano-drug combination and lead
to the treatment of almost any disease.
Researchers described the correct pairing of
chemicals with the exact genetic makeup of an
individual as being reminiscent of solving a complex
puzzle. I can see why they have said that, because it has
taken fifteen years to merely understand why people
have immune responses to these treatments [8]. The
process of finding a cure by implementing
nanotechnology is by no means an easy one.
Nevertheless, this invention and the increasing benefits
of using it are allowing engineers, physicians, and
researchers alike agree that nanomedicine is the most
plausible route toward eliminating cancer from society.
NANOMEDICINE: A MEDICAL
MIRACLE
I spend a large portion of my free time imagining
what the world of medicine would be like without
innovations made by engineers and medical researchers.
Most of my thoughts gravitate toward how I would
never have a way to improve my skills as a physician,
but also to the enormous number of patients who would
die because the cure they needed was not created.
Personalized medicine gives struggling patients a
chance to change their fate. Of course, it is not a set-instone method to rid the body of cancerous cells, but
nanomedicine has a greater chance of working than
other methods. I believe that this innovation will
completely change the functionality and frame of
reference of medicine. In a few decades, after extensive
research and trials, I hope I can say that one of my
2
Bursic 3:00
R18
[4] A. Ossola. “Carbon Nanotube Implants Could Help
Diagnose Medical Conditions.” Popular Science.
08.24.2015.
Accessed
10.28.2016.
http://www.popsci.com/special-carbon-nanotubescould-help-diagnose-medical-conditions.
[5] D. Ho. “Fighting Cancer with Nanomedicine.” The
Scientist.
04.01.2014.
Accessed
10.28.2016.
http://www.thescientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/39488/title/Fighti
ng-Cancer-with-Nanomedicine/.
[6] A. Omlor, et. al. “Nanotechnology in respiratory
medicine.”
05.29.2015.
Accessed
10.28.2016.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC445605
4/?tool=pmcentrez.
[7] J. Fischman. “Nanomedicine is inventing new ways
to fight cancer, heal wounds and pilot drugs into cells.”
Scientific American. Vol 312 Issue 4, 04.26.2015.
Accessed 10.28.2016. p.42-43.
[8] Sanna. V, et. al. “Targeted therapy using
nanotechnology: focus on cancer.” US National Library
of Medicine National Institutes of Health. 01.15.2014.
Accessed
10.28.2016.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24531078/.
[9] Sanna. V, et. al. “Nanoparticle therapeutics for
prostate cancer treatment.” US National Library of
Medicine National Institutes of Health. 09.08.2012.
Accessed
10.30.2016.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22640911.
[10] B. Aldrich. “Cutting-edge technology optimizes
cancer therapy with nanomedicine drug combinations.”
UCLA Newsroom. 02.24.2015. Accessed 10.30.2016.
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/cutting-edgetechnology-optimizes-cancer-therapy-withnanomedicine-drugcombinations#.WBdvRzUiCDE.email.
patients fought cancer and won because of this
innovation.
For this creation to continue impacting society, it
needs to undergo a few changes. For example, now that
nanotechnology is advanced enough to target specific
areas and rid them of cancerous molecules, engineers
and researchers should improve upon what they have
created. There is reason to believe that nanotechnology
paired with doses of drugs/antibiotics specified for
definite forms of cancer could help cure a patient faster
than nanoparticles could alone [2]. If this prediction is
correct, treatments can gradually advance, which would
improve the likelihood of a patient’s survival.
Improving the composition of nanoparticles to
better navigate through the human body would also
help. Although newer technologies such as carbon
nanotubes made of graphene are working well, there is
always room for improvement. Sensors that detect
cancerous parts of the body need to get better at sending
signals from the target areas so physicians know exactly
where to pinpoint drug dosage and treat their patients.
When these improvements have been made, I am
sure that the United States will allow the
implementation of nanomedicine into hospitals. This
technology is the future of medicine, and I hope to see
exactly how future physicians like myself can use it in
our lifetime.
SOURCES
[1] J. Leach, et al. “A RNA-DNA Hybrid Aptamer for
Nanoparticle-Based Prostate Tumor Targeted Drug
Delivery.” US National Library of Medicine National
Institutes of Health. 03.14.2016. Accessed 10.28.2016.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26985893.
[2] “Engineer Better Medicines.” National Academy of
Engineering.
Accessed
10.28.2016.
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/challenges/medic
ines.aspx.
[3] “The Challenge.” Nanomedicine European
Technology
Platform.
07.01.2013.
Accessed
10.29.2016.
http://www.etpnanomedicine.eu/public/about/objectives-mission.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank Ms. Beth Newborg, the girls
in the Forbes floor 3 lounge, and my mom for helping
me better understand how to write the paper. They all
motivated me to write about my profound interest in
medicine and research a topic that is of personal
importance. I appreciate all the help I was provided.
3
Bursic 3:00
R18
4
Bursic 3:00
R18
5