Breakthrough in Medicine Archives - Medical Structure

The application of genetic engineering

Yolanda Fraditko — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:01:00 +0000

Human insulin (humulin) obtained through recombinant DNA is already in active use. Cloned human insulin genes were injected into a bacterial cell, where it began synthesizing a hormone that natural microbial strains never synthesized. Since 1982, companies in the U.S., Japan, Great Britain, and other countries have been producing genetically engineered insulin.

In addition, several hundred new diagnostic drugs have already been introduced into medical practice. Among the drugs in clinical trials are drugs potentially treating arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cancer and AIDS. Among the several hundred genetically engineered companies, 60% are involved in the development and production of drugs and diagnostics.

"In medicine today, among the achievements of genetic engineering we can highlight cancer therapy, as well as other pharmacological innovations - stem cell research, new antibiotics that target bacteria, treatment of diabetes. It is true that all this is still at the research stage, but the results are promising,"

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Liquid biopsy

Angelica Storowa — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 21:47:05 +0000

An important element of cancer diagnosis in Germany is the taking of a tissue sample from the tumor (biopsy) with its subsequent histopathological examination. Moreover, in order to determine the specific biological characteristics of already diagnosed cancer, a molecular pathological analysis of the biopsy specimen is performed, which enables the selection of the optimal treatment for the individual patient.

In recent years, however, a new method of analysis, liquid biopsy, based on the analysis of nucleic acids in the blood to detect tumor cells or tumor DNA in the blood, has made a furor in medicine. However, it is worth noting that in terms of pathology, the term “liquid biopsy” is inaccurate because it refers exclusively to a molecular analytic method and not to a biopsy in the pathological sense. The method is based on the fact that tumor cells also release genetic information into the blood, which can be examined for changes that occur in the blood only in very small quantities. Therefore, their detection has only become possible due to the development of new methods for highly sensitive nucleic acid detection, such as “digital drop PCR” or “next/next generation sequencing” (NGS). In addition to peripheral blood, namely plasma, urine, stool, pleural or cerebrospinal fluid can be used as liquid biopsy material.

The liquid biopsy method is used in oncology for purposes such as screening, early cancer diagnosis or assessment of metastatic risks. An important area of use of liquid biopsy is also the identification of target structures for therapy, mechanisms of resistance, and tumor monitoring in general.

Tumor monitoring by liquid biopsy is particularly interesting because it allows both the detection of potentially developing recurrent tumors at a very early stage and the deciphering of their possible altered molecular profile. Thus, if resistance mutations occur during first-line therapy, patient survival could theoretically be significantly increased by switching the targeted therapy.

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Nanomedicine: achievements and prospects for the development of the latest technologies in diagnosis and treatment.

Angelica Storowa — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 11:51:00 +0000

The term “nanotechnology” is derived from the word “nanometer” or millimicron, a unit of measure that is 1 billionth of a meter (10-9 m). This size is very important because at such scales the quantum-mechanical properties of electrons and photons, as well as the interaction of atoms within matter, play a major role. In this case, nanometer-sized structures can control the fundamental properties of materials without changing their chemical properties. According to the recommendation of the 7th International Conference on Nanotechnology (Wiesbaden, 2004) the following types of nanomaterials are defined: nanoporous structures, nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanofibers, nanodispersions (colloids), nanostructured surfaces and films, nanocrystals and nanoclusters.

A nanoparticle with a diameter of 5-100 nm consists of 103-106 atoms. Threadlike and film-like particles may contain considerably more atoms and have even two linear sizes, but their properties remain characteristic of a substance having a nanocrystalline structure. The ratio of linear sizes of nanoparticles allows them to be viewed as one-, two- or three-dimensional (1D-, 2D- and 3D-nanoparticles, respectively). They are usually referred to as nanostructures.

Nanomaterials can be made up of inorganic compounds (metals, carbon derivatives and others) and organic, including natural compounds (proteins, fatty acids, nucleic acids). The latter constitute one of the sections of nanotechnology – nanobiotechnology or biomolecular nanotechnology.

The medical additions of nanotechnology have contributed to the emergence of a new scientific field: nanomedicine. It encompasses such sections as tracking, repairing, constructing and controlling human biological systems at the molecular level with the help of engineered nanodevices and nanomaterials, enabling operations from diagnostics and monitoring to the destruction of pathogenic microorganisms, restoration of damaged organs, supplying necessary substances to the body.

According to the forecasts of the American association National Science Foundation, the market volume of goods and services using nanotechnology may amount to 1 trillion U.S. dollars in the next 10-15 years. The global market for nanodevices will grow by an average of 28% per year.

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