DNA Circuits to Identify Cancer Cells
3:8:24 2019-12-03 729

Researchers from Duke University have developed a new DNA-based tool to identify cancer cells. Their system is a DNA circuit. DNA binding to specific cell markers produces a signal if and only if two specific proteins are present, helping to improve specificity and reduce false positives in cancer cell detection. The researchers also hope that one day their DNA circuits can be delivered to cancer patients and help signal to the immune system to destroy tagged cancer cells.

 

Cancer cell detection in the body is a complex challenge, because cancer cells express many different biochemical markers. Prior work detecting cancer can be prone to false alarms, whereby noncancerous cells are mistakenly identified as cancer cells. To address this challenge, the Duke researchers designed a DNA circuit that creates a signal only if a specific combination of cell markers are present.

 

The DNA circuit works as follows: first, DNA strands bind to the cancer cell surface markers. The marker-binding DNA strand binds a second strand of DNA that forms a hairpin. Adding a third “initiator” strand of DNA causes one of the hairpins to open, which in turn triggers a chain reaction until the last hairpin is opened and the circuit signals that the cell is cancerous.

Testing their microscopic device, the researchers found it can detect leukemia cells and identify them from other cancer cells within a matter of hours. The device can be adapted to detect other cell surface proteins, and one day, may help signal to the immune system to destroy tagged cancer cells.

Reality Of Islam

A Mathematical Approach to the Quran

10:52:33   2024-02-16  

mediation

2:36:46   2023-06-04  

what Allah hates the most

5:1:47   2023-06-01  

allahs fort

11:41:7   2023-05-30  

striving for success

2:35:47   2023-06-04  

Imam Ali Describes the Holy Quran

5:0:38   2023-06-01  

livelihood

11:40:13   2023-05-30  

silence about wisdom

3:36:19   2023-05-29  

MOST VIEWS

Importance of Media

9:3:43   2018-11-05

Illuminations

humanity

6:28:21   2022-12-20

belief cause cleanliness

10:47:11   2022-11-22

good people

11:34:48   2022-06-29

your path

12:10:56   2022-11-17

apologize when you are wrong

7:6:7   2022-03-21

remember who supported you

2:2:13   2022-10-08

logic

12:47:1   2022-12-20



IMmORTAL Words
LATEST Fasting Every Other Day May Be More Effective Than Daily Dieting, Research Finds Battery Breakthrough: Scientists Double Performance with Dry Electrodes New Discovery of Deep-Sea Spiders Is Unlike Anything We have Seen Before One Avocado a Day Could Help You Sleep Better, Says Groundbreaking Study Window-Sized Device from MIT Pulls Drinking Water from Thin Air, even in the Desert Emperor Penguins Disappearing Faster Than Worst Estimates, Study Finds Tips for Self-Accountability and Self-Discipline: Interpretation of Sura Hud - Verses 75-77 More Attention and Reliance upon Allah Can Taking Vitamins Fight Infection? Scientists Explain First Hybrid Betavoltaic Cell Promises Decades of Power Without Charging The Surprising Way Plants May Be Polluting the Air You Breathe