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Technology: Changing the fight against Cancer
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Curing cancer is certainly one of the big challenges of the 21st century. In the UK alone, every two minutes someone is diagnosed with cancer and, according to Cancer Research UK, there are more than 166,000 cancer deaths in the UK every year, that's more than 450 every day.
Our knowledge of cancer has greatly improved in the last two decades and the development of new technology in cancer treatment is helping more and more people effectively treat their cancer and live longer, fuller, healthier lives than ever before.
We now know that huge variability can be found not only in different types of cancer but also between patients with the same type of cancer. It seems increasingly evident that there won’t be a single ‘cure’. Rather, each patient will be treated accordingly to their specific needs.
For personalised medicine to become a reality, we need a range of therapies wide enough to cover the whole spectrum of cancer. Fortunately, there has been a surge of new technologies - which we explore in detail below - which could make a big difference in the way we treat cancer, taking us closer to being able to ‘cure’ this disease.
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People Who Change The World | Dr Rajesh Jena
A powerful video message about how AI is helping the fight against cancer
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The National Cancer Institute: The Tech Revolutionizing Cancer Research and Care
What once seemed impossible in cancer research is now a reality thanks to a number of technological innovations that have led to breakthroughs in the ways we find, visualize, understand, and treat cancer.
As The US National Cancer Institute sets out, continuing to explore and use these technologies can open the door to accelerating progress against this disease.
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CRISPR: Revolutionizing gene editing
Researchers never imagined being able to quickly and easily change the genetic code of living cells. But now that’s possible with CRISPR, which works like a pair of scissors that can precisely delete, insert, or edit specific bits of DNA inside cells. While it is a game-changer, CRISPR still has its limitations and debate continues around the ethics of gene editing. But one thing is clear—CRISPR is a powerful tool that could help make significant progress, in cancer research and beyond.
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Artificial Intelligence: Computer programming used to improve cancer diagnosis, drug development, and precision medicine
What if a computer simulation could create a virtual model of you, a “digital twin” that physicians could use to “explore” treatments and predict possible outcomes before presenting you with personalized care options? It’s no longer science fiction, thanks to advances in artificial intelligence (AI). AI is great at finding patterns in large amounts of data, which is particularly helpful in scientific research. AI has the potential to truly transform cancer care.
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Telehealth: Bringing cancer care, treatment, and clinical trials to the patient
Providing cancer care and running clinical trials are necessities, even during a pandemic. Hospitals and clinics are maximizing safety and convenience for both patients and providers by using telehealth for remote health monitoring, video visits, and even in-home chemotherapy. Telehealth also makes access to clinical trials and cancer care easier for more diverse groups of patients across wider geographical areas. Ensuring that remote health care technology is used equitably comes with challenges, but researchers are working to address them.
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Cryo-EM : Generating high-resolution images of how molecules behave to help inform cancer treatment
Cryo-EM captures images of molecules that are ten-thousandths the width of a human hair, at resolutions so high they were unheard of just a decade ago. For cancer, this means better understanding how cancer cells survive, grow, and interact with therapies and other cells. Just recently at the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, cryo-EM showed how a drug for chronic myeloid leukemia interacts with ribosomes (a molecular machine inside cells) and in the process developed the most detailed view of a human ribosome to date—an achievement that could inform the creation of treatments for cancer and other diseases.
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Infinium Assay: Providing important insights into how genetic variations relate to cancer
Used by companies like 23andMe and Ancestry, the Infinium Assay, developed by Illumina, is a process and set of tools that analyzes millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms, or SNPs, the most common type of genetic variation. SNPs can help map genes that cause cancer and provide insight into cancer risk, progression, and development. Initially met with skepticism about whether this technology was technically feasible, the assay was created with support from NCI’s Small Business Innovation Research program and is a compelling instance of taxpayer-funded innovation.
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Robotic Surgery: Using robotic arms to perform precise, minimally invasive surgeries to remove cancer
A speedier recovery and quicker return to normal life—that’s what robotic surgery can make possible. Robotic surgery involves less blood loss and pain, and a patient could leave the hospital as soon as the day after surgery. While the robotic arms may look straight out of a futuristic movie, in a setting where just millimeters could stand between removing all cancerous tissue and potentially injuring healthy tissue, their fine, precise motions can make a world of difference.
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And Finally, Vaccines to Treat Cancer: Researchers are looking at vaccines as a possible treatment for cancer.
In the same way that vaccines work against diseases, the vaccines are made to recognise proteins that are on particular cancer cells.
An antigen is a substance that triggers the immune system to respond against it. For example, a virus has antigens on its surface which triggers the immune system to attack it. Body cells and cancer cells also have antigens on them.
Tumour associated antigens are proteins found in cancer cells. Normal cells either don’t have these antigens, or if they do, they have a much smaller amount. Cancer treatment vaccines aim to help your immune system recognise these antigens. And to attack and destroy the cancer cells that have them.
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Challenge Investing
Within our universe, we have a significant number of companies that are helping to profitably address this significant global challenge. If you’d like to invest in some of the most promising growth companies based on top research then please don't hesitate to get in touch.
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