Biology Essay

Cancer and Genetic Engineering

Jirat Bhanpato (Junior) Class No. 5 M.6/331

Semester 1 Academic Year 2012/13

Biotechnology and Cancer

Genetic engineering (GE) is a branch of engineering that deals with the manipulation of life code to achieve specific outcomes in organisms. This includes combing genes of different animals together, such as putting human genes into sheep or vice versa. While the field is one of the most controversial branches of biology and engineering, its holds the power beyond our imagination. Scientists around the world are already researching the language of life to find new treatments, or even cures, for cancer. GE will allow us to find the ideal way to fight the worlds leading cause of death. Modern humans, or Homo sapiens, evolved from Hominid ancestors (Foley, 2010). However, humanity is becoming Homo evolutis, a species that deliberately control its evolution (Enriquez, 2009). This is vaguely playing God, but rather GE at work. By taking control of our own genes and inheritance, we now have the power to control the growth of present and future generation. Signs of this evolution are already in modern medical technologies such as stem cells research, T-cells cloning, and direct mobilization of the immune system (Fisher, 2009). Despite the brighter future, the tendency that our children may be a different species sound rather scary. This is in fact one of the reasons GE has been so controversial. An organization called Greenpeace is against the field because genetically modified species may mate with organic ones and permanently change the environment (http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/agriculture/problem/geneticengineering/). The unknown effects on our food sources also add to the debate whether it is

safe or not. In addition, although selective breedingthe earliest form of GE (Chin, 2009) has been around for a long time, religion often raises the question of whether it is ethically right for us to have control over life (Chin, 2009). This opposition from religion has always been the major hindrance for using this technology to treat diseases in humans. Dixon (2011) stated that gene is the universal language of life and therefore works on all life forms. This means that humans can take genes from anything: rice, cucumber, frogs, or snakes. Artificially altering genetic codes in order to provide plants and organisms with resistant abilities, better taste, more crop yield, and more nutrition already exists in the name Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). The controversies surrounding these benefits include potential human and environmental impacts, food monopolies, bio-piracy, ethical values, and domination of countries with the technology (http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml).

Using Genes to Fight Cancer

Shomon (2002) said that gene therapy is a newer and friendlier means of fighting cancer by replacing impaired or missing genes with healthy genes. It can pinpoint on malignant cells and destroy them and therefore eliminating cancer cells more efficiently than radiation therapy. Chemotherapy, one of the most common treatments of cancer, attacks all fast growing cells in the body. The treatment destroys healthy fast-multiplying cells along with cancerous ones (http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=21716).

One use of gene therapy is putting the missing, or defective, gene into a benign virus cell. This combination is then mixed with progenitor cellstem cells that do not indefinitely multiply (http://stemcell.childrenshospital.org/about-stem-cells/adult-somatic-stem-cells101/what-are-progenitor-cells/)of the patients bone marrow, and then injected back into the

patient to mobilize the immune system (Shomon, 2002). Inserting genes into the body to help fight diseases and removing mutated genes are also a type of gene therapy (http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/handbook/therapy/genetherapy). Dr. Steven Rosenberg had adopted this therapy and successfully treated two out of seventeen malignant melanoma victimsover 10% higher survival rates than what victims who received no gene therapy have. The bodys natural immunological surveillance system holds the limited ability to detect and destroy malignant cells before they multiply and cause cancer, but GE has the power to destroy them even after they have multiplied (Spiesel, 2006). Rosenberg had genetically manipulated his patients own immune system to fight cancerous cells. This innovative cancer treatment by Rosenberg is technically engineering the patients white cells to cause T-cells to multiply and attack specific tumor cells (in this case, malignant melanoma). The method worked because the killer T-cells (Spiesel, 2006) came from the patients own blood and would only target cells with corresponding antigens, producing no side effects. Further research into finding the precise killer T-cells for specific antigens may increase its success rate. With such precision, the method offered a way to target cancerous cells without harming healthy cells in the process (Spiesel, 2006). Gene therapy is essentially a form of cloning. When Dr. Rosenberg induced multiplication of T-cells, he was actually cloning them. Dr. Yee et al (2008) led a similar

research that involved cloninghe took out immune cells, cloned millions of copies, and then put them back into his patient. The result revealed that his patients tumor disappeared after two-months and the cloned cells were present for several months afterward. Professor Sikora (2008) added that cloning makes it possible for us to control both the immune system and cancer. In theory, it should work with any types of cancer and even AIDs, too (Spiesel, 2006).

Using DNA/RNA as Tools to Fight Cancer

Cloning and gene therapy may sound like the future cures of cancer, but they are far from being efficient. Xie (2009) stated that more than 90% of such cloned cells die upon reentering the body and less than 2% are capable of starting an immune response. To make the treatment more efficient, Mooney et al (2009) encapsulated GM-CSF (cytokine granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor) and CpG-ODN (cytosine-guanosine oligonucleotide) in PLG (macroporous poly-lactide-co-glycolide) matrix (Xie, 2009). By doing so, he created an implantable porous polymer (Xie, 2009) capsule that contained cancer antigens and cells that stimulate immune response. More than 90% of mice injected by melanoma cell survived after receiving this treatment according to researchers from Harvard University. What differentiates this polymeric biomaterial (Xie, 2009) method from gene therapy is that it attacks cancerous cells from within, not without. The capsule principle also plays an important role in another cancer treatment. Freeman (2012) mentioned DNA Origami as a tool to efficiently deliver anticancer drugs, a

method inspired by the Greeks Trojan Horse. Chemotherapy drugs often lack the capability to reach and act on resistant tumor cells (BioScientist, 2012). Beijing scientists solved this problem by folding DNA strand into a 3D structure and embedded doxorubicin chemotherapy drugin it. The Trojan Horse successfully treated breast-cancer cells that were already resistant to the drug, while at the same time increased its contents lethalness by altering pH inside the cells (PTI, 2012). Yan (2012) speculated that the cancer cells might not see the DNA-drug complex as a threat the way doxorubicin is.

Figure 1 (http://www.tutorhelpdesk.com/homeworkhelp/Biology-/Structural-Levels-OfProtein-Assignment-Help.html)

The hydrogen bonding between the Adenine-Thymine and Cytosine-Guanine bases pairs made DNA origami possible by holding them together. Scientists put these DNA bases together in a single polynucleotide chain that can fold and twist using pair-attractions that forms tertiary or quaternary structures (Figure 1)(BioScientist, 2012). These structures can serve as containers for drug that can survive inside cells up to 48 hours (BioScientist, 2012). DNA origami might also be able to transfer robots, said Douglas et al (2012), researchers at Harvard Universitys Wyss Institute for Biologically inspired Engineering. Freeman (2012) mentioned that nanotechnology could be used in conjunction with GE in order to deliver nano-sized robots to cancerous cells. These robots would be able to locate and destroy bad cells in the body on their own (similar to the T-cells of Dr. Rosenberg). In order to detect the target cell and determine when to act, researchers would duplicate a cells receptor system and put it on their nanobots. Although this has not been tested in humans, researchers are considering the possibility to test it in mice (Freeman, 2012).

Figure 2 (http://www.cenix.com/sci_tec/rnai_mod/)

RNAi (RNA Interference) therapy inhibits the production of proteins in cells by production of RNA silencing base-pair induced by Dicer enzyme (Figure 2). One main target of the inhibition is the P-glycoprotein, a protein that misguidedly flushes drugs out of diseased cells. By getting rid of this protein, chemotherapy drugs may become more successful in reaching targetted tumors. Another application of RNAi is to reduce resistivity to drugs that diseased cells have developed (Lewis, 2005). Scientists at Imperial College

London had successfully proved the credential of this therapy by stopping lukemia cells from producing resistant protein (2004). Researching into RNAi may provide us with knowledge of which exact gene causes cancer, and develop preventions. However, before RNAi can replace other conventional cancer treatment, scientists must develop a way to prevent RNAi from targetting good genes. With the power to manipulate the language of life, genetic engineering might be the solution to a more efficient cancer treatment we currently employ. Gene therapy, T-cells engineering, immune cells cloning, immunity trigger capsule, drug and nanobot Trojan Horse, and RNAi are among applications of biotechnology being researched by scientists throughout the world. Despite the potential cure, most of these treatments are only at their infant stage due to controversies surrounding genetic engineering and the lack of proper knowledge regarding its side effects. The two oppositions must find a middle ground before we can fully use the potential of this technology. When that happens, cancerand several other diseases might disappear along with the emergence of Homo evolutis.

Works Cited
Chin, Debbi. "Genetic Engineering: Why so Controversial?" Web log post. Serendip Studio. 28 Sept. 2009. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/node/4935>. Dixon, Patrick. "Genetic Engineering: What Is Genetic Engineering?" GlobalChange. 21 June 2011. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://www.globalchange.com/geneticengin.htm>. "DNA Origami- Innovative Cancer Treatment?" Web log post. The Bioscientist. 19 Aug. 2012. Web. 04 Sept. 2012. <http://thebioscientist.blogspot.com/2012/08/dna-origamiinnovative-cancer-treatment.html>. Fisher, Ken. "We Are Becoming a New Species, We Are Becoming Homo Evolutis." Web log post. Ars Technica. 6 Feb. 2009. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://arstechnica.com/science/2009/02/we-are-becoming-a-new-species-we-arebecoming-homo-evolutis/>. Foley, Jim. "Hominid Species." Hominid Species. 30 Apr. 2010. Web. 01 Sept. 2012. <http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/homs/species.html>. Freeman, Kate. "DNA Origami Nanorobots Could Find and Destroy Cancer Cells." Mashable. 20 Feb. 2012. Web. 03 Sept. 2012. <http://mashable.com/2012/02/20/dna-origaminanorobots/>. "Genetically Modified Foods and Organisms." Human Genome Project Information. 17 May 2012. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/elsi/gmfood.shtml>.

Juan Enriquez: Will Our Kids Be a Different Species? Perf. Juan Enriquez. TED: Ideas worth Spreading. June 2012. Web. 01 Sept. 2012. <http://www.ted.com/talks/juan_enriquez_will_our_kids_be_a_different_species.ht ml>. Lewis, Susan K. "The RNAi Cure?" PBS. PBS, 01 July 2005. Web. 06 Sept. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/rnai-cure.html>. "New `Trojan Horse` Discovered to Treat Cancer." Zeenews. PTI, 19 Aug. 2012. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://zeenews.india.com/news/health/health-news/new-trojan-horsediscovered-to-treat-cancer_18405.html>. Shomon, Mary J. "Understanding the Immune System." About. 2002. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://thyroid.about.com/library/immune/blimm32.htm>. Spiesel, Sydney. "Killer T-Cells -- The Promise of Using Genetic Engineering to Treat Cancer." Slate Magazine. 11 Sept. 2006. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2006/09/kil ler_tcells.html>. Xie, Yun. "Revving up the Immune System to Fight Cancer." Web log post. Ars Technica. 27 Jan. 2009. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://arstechnica.com/science/2009/01/programming-cancer-vaccines-in-yourbody/>. Yee, Cassian, and Karol Sikora. "Clone Cell Cancer 'cure' Hailed." BBC News. BBC, 18 June 2008. Web. 02 Sept. 2012. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7460743.stm>.