Double Helix Squared
Since the completion of the human genome project, researchers and doctors have made scientific discovery leading to better preventive care, clinical management, and personalized medication regimen. However, new information can lead to more questions, and possible new and 'more cost'.
On Jan. 20, 2013, scientists published their findings highlighting and discovery of the quadruple helix. This is an exciting new development, as it may lead to a new way of stopping cell division, or possibly rapidly progressing cancers. One thing to think about, is the competition with producers of chemotherapy drugs. Think about this on an economic level. Could this help reduce the cost and time of cancer treatment? What kinds of impacts on healthcare could this have? On a scientific level, what could be the potential 'harms' from inhibitors blocking DNA replications (i.e. side effects)?
HS320 Students,
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Thanks, Professor Chan
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ReplyDeleteEconomically, I think this is a great advantage to have been discovered. If we can stop the rapid growth of cancer cells earlier on, cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation would be more effective. We would have less cancer cells to destroy or maintain once cell division has stopped, therefore treatments would have a shorter time span for the patient. This would greatly reduce health care costs. Cancer is a chronic illness, and therefore the treatment is very costly and long-term.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cancer.org/treatment/findingandpayingfortreatment/managinginsuranceissues/the-cost-of-cancer-treatment
With this new discovery, the cost of treatment for both the patient and the health care provider is greatly reduced. I also don’t think that it would cause any bad competition between the new cancer treatment and other treatment such as chemo therapy companies because I believe that they would both be used together for a more effective treatment plan. This is very common already today with existing cancer treatments: many times, chemotherapy is used simultaneously with radiation therapy, etc.
Scientifically, it could possibly be harmful if other cells besides the cancer cells are affected and have their DNA replication stopped, just as chemotherapy and radiation are harmful to both the cancerous and non-cancerous cells that they affect. DNA replication and cell division are both essential for human life, and it may be very dangerous to affect these processes in healthy cells as a side-effect.
http://www.allaboutscience.org/dna-replication.htm
Humans are not perfect, and although this finding could be what saves the lives of millions of people suffering with different forms of cancer, I don’t think we should rush into it. I think it would be better to get a better understanding of what exactly this would do to both cancerous and non-cancerous cells, see the possible side-effects, and perfect methods of use. This way, we can treat people in the smartest, safest, and most effective manner possible
If and when the treatment makes it to further trials can true cost effectiveness be judged, however it is no surprise that these novel genetic treatments still have questionable long term effects. This is simply due to our models for solving immediate causes like oncogenes are outpacing our models for predicting what exactly we are tampering with, as noted in the article with "scattergun" treatments.
ReplyDeleteHealthcare will be more genetically based in the long term, that we know. However, healthcare law and ethical standards will have to be adapted to a new world of individualized care and treatment. Biostatistics show promising avenues in predicting possible side effects, but the fear many have is possible transfer of these effects to future generations. How will our bodies react in the long run, from decades to hundreds of years? We know how things like diet, environment and culture have changed people over time, but we still lack, even avoid, examining what bioaccumulation of recent chemicals we put in our bodies really do. Hormonal changes, DNA damage and organ damage, to name a few.
The quadruple helix is an interesting discovery, and if effective in halting rapidly replicating oncogenes, could have an impact on the economics of cancer treatment. The "scatter gun" approach that is generally practiced now through chemotherapy and radiation, although effective in some cancers, has painful short term effects such as vomiting, hair loss, a weakened immune system, and overwhelming fatigue. Furthermore, long term effects of this treatment can cause infertility, damaged organs and increased risk for a second cancer (1). It can also be more dangerous in children than adults. In that regard, if targeting the quadruple helix is found to be effective, it may eliminate the common side-effects of current cancer treatments, which is always a benefit in treatment and intervention.
ReplyDeleteHowever, just as Max mentioned, the discovery is still very new. It is naive to believe that altering our DNA processes can have no side effects, and thus further research needs to be done in order to asses the likelihood of success, as well as the potential risks associated with using such an intervention. It may be that the higher levels of quadruple helix DNA in oncogene replication have an affect other than what we assume, and as mentioned in the article, targeting them may cause a larger problem than anticipated.
Furthermore, the economic advantage of such a treatment will not be felt immediately. There may be shorter recovery time, and thus smaller hospital costs, or there may not be and hospital costs will remain the same. Because it is a very new treatment, it will not be widely available, which raises the cost of treatment. Pharmaceutical companies will also be quick to invest in and patent said interventions, which will also raise the cost of treatment, and shrink accessibility. It will also take years to really know the long term effects of having such an intervention, and thus it will also be years before the treatment becomes more popular.
In conclusion, the advances in DNA and cancer research, and the possibility for a well-targeted treatment hold enormous potential, but it may be years before any of the benefits can be seen in the population.
1. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/chemotherapy/MY00536/DSECTION=risks
Just as exists with any new therapy, the discovery of a quadruple helix leaves us with many unanswered questions. At one point, with every medication or treatment that has been discovered, outcomes could not be completely predicted. This is the basis of clinical trials and the reason that there are so many warnings on almost every drug. I think that simply because we don't have all the answers should not rule this out as a possibly effective treatment. If we did so, would we ever really make any medical advances? Science is unpredictable, and I think that anything that could possibly be effective in lessening the effects of one of the most deadly chronic illnesses deserves a chance to be tested. Obviously this doesn't mean we should jump in and start testing this therapy on humans right away - that's why there are so many guidelines on how clinical trials can progress from one stage to another. It would be a waste of knowledge to ignore this treatment before it was really considered.
ReplyDeleteAs others have said above, I agree that the economic impact of this new treatment would not be extremely hard hitting if it were successful. It is very likely that not every doctor or patient will adopt this new therapy, so many would still be receiving chemotherapy and/or radiation. As this article implies, people are often skeptical of new ideas, so it wouldn't be as though everyone with cancer suddenly switched to this newfound therapy. I also agree that many doctors will utilize both new and old therapy on their patients to have a greater combined effect. This will help to ease the initial economic burden. As for the long run, we'd need to assess the effectiveness of the treatment and its success in the medical marketplace. I would imagine that companies that produce cancer treatments used today would catch on to the new therapy and adopt their own versions of it. This, however, is not something that we can predict with accuracy right now. For now, I think the focus should be on testing this therapy and evaluating its safety and side-effects.
It seems as if this new treatment would greatly reduce the time needed for cancer treatment. By stopping the rapid growth of cancer cells it would reduce the amount of chemotherapy and radiation to treat the cancer by restricting the cancer to only affecting a small area of the body. However, reducing the cost may not be as easily discernible. How much would the treatment using the quadruple helixes actually cost for everyone involved? With it being such a new finding and no definite conclusions being made I would say there is potential for economic savings with less of a need for the typical and notoriously expensive cancer treatments but the added cost of the new treatment needs to be taken into account.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like the ideal way to treat cancer but it also leads to many unanswered questions. As stated in the article, it is unknown why or how they occur. Not knowing exactly where these quadruple helixes come from is a cause for concern. They could be benefiting DNA replication in areas of the body yet unknown. Thus, generally treating these helixes could cause more harm than good. They could be the product of evolution. If they are the product of evolution do they have the to potential to evolve and overcome these artificial inhibitors and still allow the cancer to replicate? The treatment definitely sounds promising but it is not something that should be rushed into until everything is understood more clearly, as is the norm with all possible treatments.
My initial feelings regarding this article are that there does seem to be great benefits to the discovery of the quadruple helix in nature. This could, in the future alter cancer treatments and drive down healthcare costs greatly. However, this article also raised several questions that I feel should be answered.
ReplyDeleteFrom an economic level, there certainly appears to be the possibility of lower costs and reduced time of cancer treatments. One question that comes to mind when exploring the possibility of treatment using synthetic molecules is how the quadruple helix will be identified. The article discusses identification of locations through the use of generated antibodies that were detected using fluorescence. When treating a patient with synthetic molecules, it would seem to me that it would be necessary to first detect the location of the quadruple helix using the same method, which adds additional time to the cancer treatment process. Further, there would be competition for this method to be cost effective compared to companies that currently produce chemotherapy drugs. If this is a new technique, how cost effective will this treatment be? There does not seem to be enough information as to how halting the replication of certain genes or segments of DNA would reduce the time of cancer treatment or reduce increasing healthcare costs.
From a scientific standpoint, the article only discusses the gains that could take place from this discovery, yet leaves several questions unanswered. First, there is no guarantee that it is possible to halt the “runaway cell proliferation at the root of cancer”, only that it may be possible to do this. In addition, there is no explanation of what other cells would be potentially halting the replication of. What do these cells control? Is it safe to halt the replication of these cells. Further, while there does seem to be a link between the intensity of quadruplexes and the development of cancer or tumor cells, this is not a guarantee that cancer will develop. The article describes this as “potentially damaging cellular activity,” but what if there is no risk in a given individual and it is unnecessary to halt replication. There seems to be the potential to affect the replication of other genes which could in term do more harm to an individual. It is also unclear as to the risks of treatment using synthetic molecules. What are the risks? It is also said that the reason for the evolution of quadruplexes remains unknown. This, to me, is one of the most crucial factors to be determined before advancing any further with treatments.
In conclusion, I feel that while this discovery of the quadruple helix is one of significance, there is also still a great deal of research left to be done on the topic before any action can be taken. The potential to cause harm needs to be determined as well as what implications this may have on the future of cancer treatments and the healthcare system overall. Before action can be taken, certain questions must be answered, although this discovery still holds a great deal of promise for the future of cancer treatment.
The major take away point from this article is that Quadruple Helix DNA has been found in human cells and is very active in cell division and rapidly dividing cells. The next point that is made is that this, potentially, down the line might with more research be able to lead to some sort of treatment that can stop cancer growth. This would be wonderful if somewhere down the line we could use this discovery to stop cancer growth of tumors and could save thousands of lives.
ReplyDeleteAnd now the down side. Many will probably jump up at this and say we have potentially found a cure for cancer. This is not the case. Finding a cure for cancer would be finding a way to prevent cancer from ever initially occurring in the first place. We right now, and may never, have the capabilities to control all our bodily cells on such a level to prevent the types of errors that occur in cell division that would cause cancer. Yes if we could develop some sort of treatment that stopped cancer growth out of this discovery it would be wonderful but this potential treatment they are proposing is not a cure.
On another bright note with a new discovery like this it will lead to more research. Research means jobs and assistance experience for others. This is just another sign that the science fields are growing and in an economy that needs employment and is arguably falling behind other major powers in the world each new discovery could inspire a bright young mind and interest others in the fields that we are falling behind in.
While the discovery of the quadruple helix and its implications in stopping cancer growth via the use of inhibitors to suppress cancer-creating oncogenes (quadruple helix structures) is a riveting discovery and giant step forward in both genomics and medicine, as Julie Sullivan mentioned in her post, there are still questions unanswered. With a new discovery of this magnitude, one that introduces an entirely new structure (the quadruplex) into the field of genomics, the biggest question that looms is "Can we apply the findings of this discovery to a medical interventions that work?" Assuming that the answer to this questions is "Yes", the next question to think about is "How much will it cost, and how will this service be distributed to patients who can benefit from it?"
ReplyDeleteWhen a new drug is created and cleared by the FDA, its patent is good for 20 years. The new drug is also granted something called exclusivity, which enables drug companies to be the exclusive producers of the drug for a set number of years (in the case of a New Chemical drug or NCE for inhibiting quadruplex oncogenes, 5 years). The first drug company to patent a chemotherapy drug of this kind will hold exclusive access to that drug for five years, and that means that they can charge whatever they want for the drug. Therefore, in the first five years after the creation of the drug, I predict that the drug will be available, but, it will be extremely expensive with much controversy over insurance coverage, co-pays, and the price of the drug as dictated by the producer of the drug. After the the five year exclusivity period, while one would predict naturally for the price to decrease due to competition among makers, the reality is that cancer drugs are extremely expensive: prices range from $35,000 to $100,000 per year for the current cancer drugs, and one that could potentially effectively stop cancer growth could bear a price tag even greater.
But, while cost of the cancer-stopping drug may be steep, one must note that the drug may not need to be taken for as long (i.e. years), if it is going to stop growth instead of slow it. Therefore, the net price in treating a bout of cancer may drop, as the drug may not need to be administered for as long- something that would decrease the overall price (hopefully) and duration of treatment. The implications for health care may be a higher turnover of cases, more cancer survivors, and the gradual phasing-out of current chemo therapies. There would be a greater reliance on drug manufacturers who will be holding the symbolic golden keys to health. On a scientific level, the potential harms or side effects of DNA inhibitors blocking DNA replications may include blocking the wrong replications - though these quadruple helix structures have been discovered in cancer cells, we do not yet know whether these structures are present in other processes occurring in the body, or if these inhibitors will block other processes that are vital to health. There is still much research to be done regarding these new structures, how they work, where they are located, and how they (and other bodily processes) react to the inhibitors intended to be used in a new chemotherapy drug.
Information about drug patents and exclusivity: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DevelopmentApprovalProcess/ucm079031.htm#How long is exclusivity granted for?
Information about the price of cancer drugs:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/opinion/incredible-prices-for-cancer-drugs.html?_r=0
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ReplyDeleteIn regards to scientific advances, I think this new finding is a huge stepping stone for society. I find it incredible just how much the understanding of DNA has evolved since 1963 and at the same time, how little we know about the complex human genome. Economically, my initial thoughts are that when the nature of the quadruple helix is fully discovered and understood and when that knowledge/information is used to treat cancer, that society will be greatly benefited. My predictions are that this method of identifying cancer cells will be much more cost-effective in the long run as doctors will be able to identify the cancer cells at an earlier stage. It seems as though it would be the obvious and primary route to take for doctors.
ReplyDeleteHowever at this point, as the article describes, these hypotheses and hopes for early cancer prevention seem premature. From an economic standpoint, it would be impossible to say just how much money and time could be saved without knowing the effectiveness in which scientists will be able to stop cell division. Of course, the idea is intriguing, but one must still be skeptical when it comes to new findings such as this. It is even mentioned by Dr. Balasubramanian that we do not know the significance behind the quadruple helix. "Did they evolve for function?" Without knowing the true purpose behind the quadruple helix it will be difficult to propose a purpose they might serve in the future. I believe that with further research, information will be brought to light regarding these current unanswered questions.
The potential harm and known dangers of Radiation and Chemotherapy treatments will hopefully be cut down time-wise. I don't believe there is direct competition with producers of chemotherapy drugs (yet), but once more is understood about the quadruple helix and if research leads to the stopping of cell division at earlier stages of cancer, then I believe there may be more controversy surrounding the drug industry for chemotherapy.
It is important to note, however, that with any new finding will come benefits as well as potential adverse effects. At this early of a stage, it would be ignorant to glorify the possible benefits without fully understanding the possible downsides. Either way, in my opinion, it will take decades of examination and testing until we are able, if ever, to effectively use the quadruple helix to our advantage. I hope I didn't come off as pessimistic, because regardless, I truly believe that new findings always lead to other new findings and even the mere understanding of the quadruple helix will be a huge advancement in science/biology.
This is a comment test.
ReplyDeleteI first want to pose a few questions to get people thinking. Why is Cancer treated the way it is currently treated? Is it the best way? Can this discovery of the quadruple helix be a solution for treating cancer efficiently at a cheaper cost? And will the chemotherapy drug companies and organized medicine push these new treatments?
ReplyDeleteThe Reason I want to bring these questions up is because in order to look at the economics behind drug therapy, especially chemotherapy, it’s important to consider not only the economics of the health care system but also the economics that play a role in supporting the health care system and the health care industry. I agree with Max Gershenson who posted first on the blog, regarding the idea that this quadruple helix, if in fact is the root of cell proliferation, economically would allow for cheaper health care costs and shorter treatment times. Which I think, all would agree, is a good thing for patients well-being, and every bodies wallets.
However I’m not sure economically if the chemotherapy industry would be all for this quadruple helix therapy……I’ve included a brief link that talks about how sometimes Chemotherapy drugs influence doctors with economic benefits if their drugs are used. Allen Papazian before me commented on the competition between the potential new treatment and the chemotherapy drug industry. Depending upon the control these companies have over the doctors and the Medical industry economically will determine if these new treatments will even be allowed to take off.
http://medicineworld.org/cancer/lead/3-2006/the-economics-of-chemotherapy.html
Obviously if these new treatments work it is undeniable that people will push for this new therapy including the quadruple helix. But what I am suggesting is that the battle to get these new drugs approved and dispersed is not an easy one, and I’m afraid that there are more things at play than just curing people quicker from and cheaper from cancer. In fact years ago a Doctor by the name of Max Gerson came up with a way to treat and cure people from certain types of cancer. There is a book that I recommend to anyone interested in alternative ways of treating cancer. The book by S.J. Haught, titled, “Censured for Curing Cancer: The American Experience of Dr. Max Gerson” is a very interesting read. The connection is that sometimes if a treatment is not profitable economically it all of a sudden is not recognized as useful. This is just some food for thought to get all of us looking at the field of Public Health a bit differently.
Anyways looking at the science behind the inhibitors of DNA replication, I’m afraid that more research is needed to determine the extent to which the drug will inhibit DNA replication. Inhibiting cancer at the root of continuous proliferation is the goal, but I do think this could potentially cause problems if it inhibits other important processes or even if it inhibits healthy cells from replicating. I think with more research allowing for choice inhibition will be possible but I think there still is a lot of research to be done. And to tie it back in with what some of the previous commenters have said new findings lead to new research and more exploration, and there is nothing wrong with creating more jobs.
According to the CDC, over half a million Americans lose their lives to cancer each year, making it the second leading cause of death in the United States. In 2009, that resulted in about 1,555 people dying of cancer each day in the US. Considering these stats, the discovery that this quadruple helix might be the cure to cancer seems unfathomable. After many years of research and testing, the answer we have been looking for could be right around the corner. It could be easy to starting dreaming about a cancer free world, which would dramatically change health care as we know it but with this potential treatment also comes hundreds of questions that are still left to answer.
ReplyDeleteEconomically speaking, I’d assume the cost of this new treatment would be extremely high. Cancer is devastating enough as it is and patients and families are generally willing to try any new treatments to save their loved ones. Because it is a new treatment, there would be somewhat of a limited amount, compared to the chemotherapy and radiation treatments that are already being used, resulting in increased prices. Also this new treatment targeting the quadruple helices may or may not reduce the time for cancer treatment because the long term effects are not known. Ideally, being able to target cancer cells would result in treating the disease more efficiently, leading to less complications and lowering the chance that the cancer could come back. But as Julie Sullivan mentioned in an earlier post, science is unpredictable and medications don’t always work as well as planned. There are always side effects, which may lead to further complications and because it is a new treatment, long term effects aren’t known, so while initial cancer treatment time may be reduced, it may lead to more problems down the road.
The article talks about how the treatment works by targeting the quadruple helices, which are supposedly more likely to occur in cancer cells, and then using an inhibitor to block DNA replication so that the levels of quadruple helices decrease, lowering the number of cancer cells. Eishi Noguchi of Drexel University claims that “because DNA is a depository of genetic information, DNA replication and segregation must be achieved with extreme fidelity. Failure of these processes can cause mutations and chromosome rearrangements, leading to diseases or even death”. As many people who have already posted responses have stated, the real purpose of these quadruple helix is unknown so what’s to say that it is not necessary for another function in the human body? Disrupting that, while it may seem to treat cancer initially, could lead to a variety of other diseases and mutations which could end up being worse than cancer.
Despite the questions and concerns about the quadruple helix, I do believe that it may be a step in the right direction. While it definitely is not the cure to cancer yet, it does give us hope that there could be a viable treatment in the future. This discovery is already a huge accomplishment in science and health care but it is also the beginning of so much more that is to come. With more research, many of these unanswered questions can be discussed, leading to more findings, which then in turn could lead to a whole new era of medicine.
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/dcpc/data/types.htm
http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/the-dna-replication-checkpoint-and-preserving-genomic-14157692
The discovery of the quadruple helix is interesting and can cause potential benefits as well as risks. One major advantage is how can pinpoint a part of the DNA that is cancerous. This could potentially help with the length of cancer treatments. While chemotherapy also targets cancerous cells, it affects the entire body and causes unfortunate side effects along the way. Having said that, this new treatment could also have serious side effects and extensive testing should occur beforehand. While it is good that it stops cell division in the cancerous cells, it may also effect other normal and healthy cells in the body. Because cell division is essential for normal body growth and function, this could cause serious problems.
ReplyDeleteEconomically, I do not necessarily think using this will be any less expensive than using chemotherapy. In fact, it may be even more expensive because it is so new and targets such a specific part of the genome. In addition, health care providers would need to know how to use this technology very well, which could be an issue. Some health care providers may not be open to this treatment. In addition, the public's perception is a concern. If there is still such controversy around vaccines and their effectiveness and safety, I would guess this new treatment would cause even more skepticism.
The discovery of the quadruple helix is definitely an exciting new development since it does have the potential to lead to a new method of halting cell division and possibly progressing cancers, but my feelings about this discovery is the same as Michelle Mackie's; even though this discovery has the potential to change cancer treatments in the future, there are still a lot of other questions that are left unanswered. Its great that this quadruple helix has been discovered and people have discovered that "by targeting quadruplexes with synthetic molecules that trap and contain these DNA structures - preventing cells from replicating their DNA and consequently blocking cell division - scientists believe it may be possible to halt the runaway cell proliferation at the root of cancer." However, there is still a lot of unknown information about the quadruple helix. They don't know exactly what these quadruplex structures are, and why and how they form? "They might be a nuisance during DNA replication - like knots or tangles that form." They might actually have a function. If they didn't, then stabilizing them to halt cell division would be a good thing in order to stop the proliferation of cells in cancers. But if these quadruplex structures actually do have a function, we don't know what might be the result of it. We don't know what these structures exactly are, how they function, what are their purpose, what are the results of them if we do use an inhibitor on it, if we use other things on it, and there are many other questions that can be developed as people make more and more discoveries about these quadruplex structures.
ReplyDeleteOn an economic level, this would definitely help reduce the cost and time of cancer treatment for those with cancer, but no one knows how much it would cost the patient to this type of treatment involving these quadruplex structures. It might actually cost more than most cancer patients can afford. Chemotherapy drug producers might have competition with producers of this new quadruplex structure treatment, if it were to be developed. But at the same time, no one knows how much this treatment would cost compared to cost of chemotherapy. This new treatment of course would make a huge impact on healthcare, especially treating cancer patients faster and probably more effectively by stopping the proliferating cancer cells from replicating more and more and just stabilizing these cells to one smaller area. But there is still so much to learn about these quadruplex structures. We don't know enough about it yet, especially the potential "harms" it could cause if we use to use inhibitors to block DNA replications. Worst case scenario, this might cause a domino affect where if DNA replication stops for these quadruplex structures, it might cause DNA replication to stop all together for regular, health DNA, which might cause more mutations in a person's body. Also, this might cause other side effects, just like how chemotherapy causes side effects. Either way, there is still much to learn about the quadruple helix. And it will probably take many years to make those discoveries, and for a new treatment to be developed for cancer patients involving the quadruple helix, that might take even longer. This is definitely a great discovery, and it makes people hopeful, but at the same time, people have to come to terms that this might not actually help cancer patients, especially those in this generation because there is still so much unknown about this great discovery, for no one knows if it might actually harm us instead of helping us.
Chin Chu
ReplyDeleteThe discovery of the quadruple helix DNA provides hope in the battle against cancer but it also raises ethical and medical questions as well. The potential to inhibit DNA replication and ultimately prevent rapid cell division with quadruple helix DNA targeting molecules seems to be extremely promising. Despite how promising this research may be, I agree with the questions Merry Yuan poses, especially concerning knowing about what these quadruplex structures are, what their function is, and how they form. What if there are quadruplex structures that serve a beneficial or as a evolutionary purpose in humans including those that promote cancer? If we create drugs that target quadruplex structures as a form of cancer treatment, how do we know that the drugs aren't also damaging the beneficial quadruplex structures that support daily bodily functions? Perhaps the quadruplex structures serve not only as cancer promoters, but have importance in the maintenance of our well-being. The possibility of these drugs targeting the possibly beneficial quadruplex structures leads to the potential for side effects.
In addition to the side effects of quadruble helix DNA targeting molecules, how are these molecules going to be tested? Since not much is known about these quadruplex structures or the molecules that can target them, how can they be ethically tested? The potential for side effects must be weighed against the benefits as a treatment for cancers. Since its discovery is so recent, one thing is clear: more research needs to be done on the quadruple helix DNA and the molecules that can inhibit its replication.
Doctors and medical care providers may be even more skeptical about quadruplex structure-targeting drugs as a treatment for cancer. History has shown over and over that it takes decades maybe even centuries for doctors to change the way they practice medicine. Doctors may feel that it is safer to stick with chemotherapy as a treatment option, rather than risk it with a relatively new drug. Even if proven to be effective in the treatment of cancer, it will take a long time and a lot research, and a lots of advertisement for quadruplex structure-targeting drugs to enter the practice of applicable medicine.
On an economic level, quadruplex structure-targeting drugs may not necessarily lower the cost of cancer treatments. If proven to be extremely effective, even more so than chemotherapy, demand for this drug will increase which can increase the cost of providing drugs for treatment. Despite this, nothing is assured. More research on a biological, epidemiological, ethical, and medical level definitely needs to be done.
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ReplyDeleteAlexandra Kramer
ReplyDeleteIn the article ‘Quadruple helix’ DNA discovered in Human Cells, an important discovery is discussed regarding cancer cells and the possibility of being able to identify and prevent cancer from multiplying early on. This would greatly decrease the consequences of cancer for many people who have to deal with treatments such as chemotherapy. Although this is a wonderful discovery, there are a few things to think about before jumping right into finding ways to get this new treatment out to the public. Like many scientific discoveries, it seems that this one could get complicated in terms of the economy, ethically, and making sure there are no long term consequences later on.
I do, however, agree with others that it could be economically tricky. Because trapping these quadruplexes could be life saving, it needs to be accessible to the average person. We want to make sure that the health care system does not take advantage of this discovery and use it for any other means other than to save people.
It is also important that we know what the long term consequences of this could be. Although right now it seems that only positive things can come from this discovery, we have to be aware of the fact that not all effects happen right away. It would be unfortunate to find out thirty years down the line that stopping cancerous cell division is actually more harmful than beneficial.
It is important that these scientists have acknowledged that this is not only a scientific issue, but a philosophical one as well. This matter ties into medical ethics, and will force us figure out what the next appropriate step is in such a situation.
Erica Cuevas
ReplyDeleteI think that the thought of there being a more efficient way of identifying and stopping cell division is definitely exciting. The “Quadruple Helix” seems like a great discovery particularly to those already suffering from cancer, their families, and perhaps those who are at higher risks for getting cancer. On the other hand, it may be dangerous to bring this out into the public because like the article mentioned until recently, they knew that the Quadruple Helix formed inside tests tubes, but they did not know that they could actually form inside human DNA cells. This means that there is a lot more research to do on the Quadruple Helix in order to fully understand it and its consequences. I think that because we are speaking of Cancer, people may not be as apprehensive and will be willingly to try anything and everything to treat this disease who has both taken many lives and caused a lot of suffering to many.
Economically, I think that this will definitely reduce the time of cancer treatment since it seems to be more effective in that it tries to stop the cells from dividing. But, I am not sure if it will also reduce the cost. This treatment will surely be very expensive because it will be in high demand and it will be regarded as the most effective treatment. On the other hand, it might potentially reduce cost since the disease may not last as long and so money can be saved in that way. But, it all depends on what the cost of this treatment would be. This could have a huge impact in health care because it would bring in the question of should insurers cover it? And if they do, then premiums and deductibles will increase which might make health care even less accessible than what it already is. With that being said, the average person will be at a disadvantage, which is not fair.
Looking at it in a more scientific way, again more research needs to be done, because the inhibition of DNA replication can have other long-term and maybe even short-term consequences. Our DNA still needs to replicate, so we kind of need to figure out to what extent DNA replication will be inhibited. I think that as of now, this is a very positive thing, but we are far from knowing the entire truth and a lot more work needs to be done around this issue so that we can find out of there are any negatives as well.
Jamie Shaw
ReplyDeleteThis article shows a very exciting breakthrough that has been made. But while it’s exciting, it also will take a lot of research to further develop. This breakthrough has both economic and ethical implications as well as questions about if it will even work to me.
First, the article discusses how the quadruple helix is found in normal cells as well as cancer cells which raises questions to me about whether or not sequestering this DNA replication will even work. I wonder if the treatment would also sequester the DNA replication of the normal cells with quadruple helixes and since we do not know their purpose yet in the human body, we cannot tell if we would be stopping a vital process. The article raises this question as well, and obviously it will be one that would be able to be solved with some research in the future.
Next, we have the economical and ethical implications which mostly has to do with who will be able to afford this treatment, and if it will be covered by insurance. Others above me have stated these points already, but to reiterate, these are the main problems I for-see arising with this treatment. If it is covered by insurance, we have ethical concerns. Will insurance make this treatment mandatory to those individuals who are predisposed to cancer? Will this become a treatment that everyone is required to undergo at birth, and (lets just say) every ten years after that? Are we creating a new race of humans who are immune to cancer? Obviously this is stretching the point a bit far, but it gets across the point.
However, like Connor stated above me, this will create new jobs!! This will need to be researched for many years to come to find out if it a viable treatment option in the future.
Elinor Dyer
ReplyDeleteI think that it is very interesting that the Quadruple Helix exists in the human genome. This discovery is very helpful for those who already have cancer or who have a greater chance of developing the disease due to genetics. The quadruple helix will definitely be useful in the progression of cancer treatments and chemotherapy in the future. Since the quadruple helix is efficient in suppressing the division of oncogenes, cancer treatment time could definitely be shortened by developing these new treatments. However, since this information is so recent, it will probably cost a significant amount of money in order to come up with such treatments and more research must be done to develop one that is both cost-effective and beneficial to patients.
Economically, I think that once these quadruple helix treatments are developed, tested, and approved competition will arise between patients and families seeking this treatment, and therefore it will be more expensive than regular chemotherapy. I also think that since this is such a new discovery, health insurance companies will be reluctant to cover this form of treatment and maybe even deem it to be "unnecessary." I agree that trapping the quadruplexes needs to be accessible to the average patient and that the healthcare system should only use the discovery for the good of the patients. I don't think that this will drastically impact the healthcare system because patients who are skeptical or uninterested about this new technology will still receive regular chemotherapy and/or radiation. Also, it may take time for doctors to warm up to the idea of this new treatment.
There are also a few negative side effects of inhibitors blocking DNA replication. For example, the wrong cells could be blocked or even worse, healthy cells might be destroyed along with the cancerous cells. These are similar to the harms that already come from chemotherapy and radiation because they are harmful to non-cancerous cells as well. I think that further research needs to be completed to better understand the negative side effects and the benefits of this new discovery. However, this discovery is definitely a huge advancement in this field.
Genomics Blog
ReplyDeleteHowever, new information can lead to more questions, and possible new and 'more cost'.
development, as it may lead to a new way of stopping cell division, or possibly rapidly progressing cancers. One thing to think about, is the competition with producers of chemotherapy drugs.
Could this help reduce the cost and time of cancer treatment? What kinds of impacts on healthcare could this have? On a scientific level, what could be the potential 'harms' from inhibitors blocking DNA replications (i.e. side effects)?
The G-quadruplex is mostly found in the S-phase, when a cell copies it DNA prior to dividing; inhibiting this function would allow highly specific targeting of cells to prevent unregulated cell division (Amos). Studies have shown that use of pyridostatin inhibits replication of breast cancer cells as well as their migration within the body (Rodriquez). The implication of this and similar studies is the potential for early state cancer intervention. Assuming healthy cells do not have similar G-quadruplexes, inhibiting the DNA replication and cell division of cancerous cells through a highly isolated targeting mechanism would minimize complications of the treatment. Fewer complications would result in lower costs of subsequent treatment. Early stage medical intervention is typically a more effective treatment than late stage, once the cancer has spread and begun pirating the bodies resources. It could potentially lower medical costs astronomically.
The potential harms lie in the specifics; the exact mechanism of action of the pryidostatin is unknown and the clinical trials have only been performed in vitro (Rodriquez). The G-quadruplex forms in telomeres and chromosomes and interaction with these structures always has a high risk of complications, however the degradation of telomeres that occurs with aging could potentially be tied to the G-quadruplex’s mechanism to increased cancer rates that coincide with aging (Coghlan). The competition with chemotherapy drugs would be very distant; the testing of quadruple helix intervention is only in its early stages and a long way away from human clinical trials. Its intervention properties would not be available to the market in the near future. Further more the early stages of introduction to the market will have a limited consumer demographic due to high costs limiting widespread access. Treatment would also need to be available to the patients to have already developed cancer, therefore the preventive treatment in combination with the later stage treatment (for those who have already developed cancer) for those would yield the best outcomes.
Amos, Jonathan. "'Quadruple Helix' DNA Seen in Human Cells." BBC News. BBC, 20 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2013
Rodriguez, R., KM Miller, and JV Forment. "Result Filters." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 5 Feb. 2012. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.
Coghlan, Andy. "Quadruple Helix DNA Discovered in Human Cells." - Health. NewScientist, 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2013.
I think the Quadruple Helix is a very fascinating discovery and very exciting for potential cancer therapy. While there are cancer therapies that already exist, such as chemotherapy, the Quadruple Helix is different since it can differentiate the part of DNA which is cancerous. Chemotherapy attacks all of the cells in the body, even the good ones, which is why it produces such adverse effects. However, wile this new breakthrough gives much promise, it is still ways away from actually being used as successful cancer therapy.
ReplyDeleteOne main aspect to consider is the cost of this research and therapy. While chemotherapy can be expensive, it is still affordable and even covered by most health insurance companies. There is no guarantee that if the Quadruple Helix could be used as therapy, how cost-efficient it would be. A high cost might draw patients away from this type of treatment, even if it is better than chemo.
Another thing worth mentioning is the ethical aspect of how this will be further tested. Currently, it is evident that the Quadruple Helix may block DNA replication. However, it is quite far from being considered "cancer therapy" since side effects, doses, and actual results in cancer patients need to be factored. This will take extensive testing and some ethical issues may rise as to how exactly this testing will be done. While it can not be considered a therapy for cancer just yet, the Quadruple Helix may change a lot about medicine if it can be used to treat one of the most deadly diseases.
This is a pretty exciting discovery for the science world because it shows how much we really have to learn. It is clear that this is a major advancement in both the understanding of the human genome and the search of a cure against cancer. I believe that this will eventually be a revolutionary treatment once it is further understood and developed. Although it might take some time to develop, the money invested is certainly worth is.
ReplyDeleteEconomically, I feel that this will lower the cost of cancer treatment. Currently chemotherapy is just a general treatment attacking all cells, but the quadruple helix has a specific target, the cancer itself. This could reduce treatment symptoms for patients and lower costs for insurance companies because it will cost less than chemotherapy. The current economic impact of cancer is $226 Billion. This is both direct and indirect costs which can be lowered with a more efficient/effective treatment such as the quadruple helix.
Although there is no guarantee that the quadruple helix will work or lower costs, but I think everyone from the patient, to the doctors, to the insurance companies have an interest in developing and investing in this technology. There are obviously hurdles, but the benefits out weighs the cost of such a potentially life changing treatment.
I have to agree with my fellow classmates when saying that the discovery of the quadruple helix is riveting yet still foreign to society and to scientists. Such articles say that it might be possible to engineer pharmaceuticals in order to target these quadruplex structures, which could be useful in order to develop cancer treatment drugs. However, this is nothing of substance on its own. It is difficult to say at this point if and what the implications of this finding may actually be. We cannot necessarily tell if this new information can be put to any use beyond simply expanding our knowledge. It is another piece to the puzzle that may lead to more future findings and cancer treatments. But do we necessarily know that? Only time and more research will give us insight into whether or not this discovery can benefit the health of society and possibly the economy.
ReplyDeleteIf this discovery leads to a new way of stopping cell division, specifically those involved with cancer cells, this may reduce the cost for patients and health care providers. It may also reduce the amount of harmful radiation and chemotherapy needed to treat cancer today. However, how do we know that the new treatment will not be more expensive and therefore more of an economical burden? With this new finding there is potential to save economically but the added costs are not known and must be taken into account. The possibly side affects must also be considered. As Liz said above, with every new treatment, the complications and long-term effects are not known. I agree that cancer treatment time may be reduced but it may have more long-term damaging effects. According to the articles, there is not much known about the origin or the ways in which theses quadruple helixes function. More research needs to be done in order to answer such questions and to assess the potential harm and benefits of this new discovery.
http://beforeitsnews.com/environment/2013/01/quadruple-helix-dna-observed-in-human-cells-for-first-time-could-be-related-to-cancer-2459440.html
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja711213s
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ReplyDeleteI think one potential issue with blocking DNA replication would be that DNA replication may be stopped on healthy cells as well. The article mentions that there is still work to be done to be sure that that only cancer cells would be blocked. Until this is potential issue is studied further, it would be risky to try to use this as treatment.
ReplyDeleteIf stopping DNA replication among cancer cells is able be done, then this will certainly effect the producers of chemotherapy drugs. Although we do not know what the potential side effects may be of this new treatment, it may have vastly better side effects then chemotherapy, and also possible more effective. If that ends up being the case chemotherapy drugs may become a thing of the past.
This discovery could certainly revolutionize the healthcare system; patients may not have to come in for chemotherapy treatments like they do today. If this idea can be perfected as a potential cancer treatment, it may become less expensive than chemotherapy. Additionally this will change the way doctors treat cancer patients and can give patients with cancer a better hope, especially if chemotherapy did not help them.
As cancer is a disease that affects so much of the population, it seems that any new discovery or treatment idea is valuable. Any study or new discovery which involves DNA or the human Genome is applicable to every person. There are many ideas in the article that seem interesting and noteworthy. Having the ability to target the Quadruplex DNA structures that exist within regions of our DNA with synthetic molecules to try and slow the cell division process is very likely to be a new, and possibly successful form of cancer treatment.
ReplyDeleteCancer treatments such as surgeries and chemotherapy are extremely invasive and very expensive. Other treatments such as radiology and medications may be more manageable. It seems that most individuals who find cancer will want to go through any necessary treatment that their doctor tells them to do, and they try to avoid the more invasive procedures if possible.
I do not have the scientific background to understand how doctors will be able to target and trap the quadruplex DNA from replicating, however I find it fascinating that Watson and Crick were able to see that the quadruplex’s occur more frequently in cancer cells that are already dividing very rapidly. I think that for cancer patients to be on board with this new possibly treatment, the doctors will need to figure out the least expensive, and the least invasive procedure. Watson and Crick have hopefully thought this out, as well as the unresolved isse of how to identify the quadruplex DNA within tumors.
I am in agreement with both the article and other students who have noted that the identification of the quadruple helix is ground-breaking. With the discovery that quadruple helices are found in rapidly dividing cells like cancer cells, there is potential for a plethora of new drugs, therapies and treatments in addition to an open door for further findings in regard to DNA. Because this discovery is so new and still unfamiliar, much more research will need to be conducted in order to determine the exact role of the quadruple helix and the ability of treatments to stop cell division with this knowledge. The stopping of the division of cancer cells is undoubtedly going to benefit those in cancer treatment as well as though who may enter treatment in the future. It seems that this discovery could lead to shorter cancer treatments and hopefully better prognosis for the disease, but this all still remains unknown. As many students have stated, as with most things, there will undoubtedly be side effects that come with the development of new drugs/treatments and this must be taken into consideration by society.
ReplyDeleteAn underlying aspect that is of interest to me is the affordability and access to new drugs/treatments that may come from this discovery. Questions relating to affordability and access arise from this, which include who will have access, what will the cost of obtaining these treatments be, and will insurance companies cover treatment. Once further research has been conducted and if treatment is found on the basis of this discovery, these issues will unquestionably need to be considered.
The discovery of the ‘quadruple helix’ is a great advancement for the field of science. There is no doubt about that. While the prospect of using this discovery to change the way cancer is treated is profound and hopefully useful in the future, it is all very hypothetical still. This article expresses the hopes for future uses of the ‘quadruple helix’, but there is no definitive answer for the purpose of this ‘quadruple helix’ given in the article. This is still a very new discovery for science and saying that this is the likely answer for solving cancer treatment is a little premature. That is not to say that the discovery of the ‘quadruple helix’ will not be beneficial, but there is still a great deal of work that is yet to be done.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, even with current cancer treatments, the long-term effects of chemotherapy and radiation are still uncertain. As the article stated, current cancer treatments are more of a scattergun approach. Scientists need to do further research to figure out how to target these ‘quadruple helixes’ without disrupting neighboring cells. There is more to learn about the ’quadruple helix’ from a scientific level, treatments to be created, and clinical trials to be conducted. There is still so much to learn about the human genome. It took 60 years for scientists to progress from the discovery of the ‘double helix’ to the discovery of the ‘quadruple helix’.
Furthermore, from an economic standpoint, there are both pros and cons to this discovery. Yes, there will be new treatments developed and this will drive competition to create these new treatments. Perhaps, these new treatments will help drive down costs for current cancer treatments, since it is unlikely that these treatments will be fading from use anytime in the near future. However, if new treatments can be formed to stop the replication and consequent cell division of these ‘quadruple helixes’, then the issue of the high cost of these new treatments is raised. Say that this is the future of curing cancer, how will it affect people with cancer? Will there now be levels of successful treatments available to patients based on what they can afford?
There are many questions, concerns, and hopes raised by the discovery of the ‘quadruple helix’. At its most basic level, this is a great achievement that will hopefully benefit cancer patients. However, the main concern now is how to make the future treatments available and affordable to patients who need them. This discovery is only the beginning; there will still be a long wait before this discovery can be put in action in the general public.
In addition to my fellow classmates, I also believe that the discovery of this quadruple helix is exciting and has great potential. However, there are many other factors to take into consideration. First, with any existing or novel discovery one has to take into account that there will be shortcomings. Of course it would be riveting to believe that this could be a potential cure to one of the most deadly diseases, but the scientific data isn't conclusive enough just yet.
ReplyDeleteUsing fluorescent biomarkers, the researchers found the link between the concentration of four stranded quadriplexes, which doesn't only connect to cell division but also production. although the scientists used synthetic molecules to prevent replication (stopping cell division) there is a chance that the innovative techniques will also hinder cell production. Since DNA replication and production is essential for human life, tampering with the process could potentially have the ability to harm all cells not just cancer ones.Therefore it is difficult to conclude that this discovery will lead to a substantial change in the way cancer is being treated or prevented. The potential issue with using DNA inhibitors to prevent replication can ultimately block different receptors and could not only harm other cells but create new problems in the long run. That goes to say that since these researchers do not know where these quadruple helixes evolved, they are still not in the know of whether these exist for a particular reason and if targeting them could/will contribute to the disruption that is caused.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/23/quadruple-helix-dna_n_2527882.html
However, just like many other students have stated I do believe that if this discovery did in fact halt the spread of cancer it would be both economically beneficial and would work a long with chemo therapy (not against, or compete with it). This is because if this treatment, or therapy ends up being beneficial to prevent cancer, it would decrease the cohort of people who are diagnosed. Which would in turn decrease health care and chemo costs. And because, like previously stated, not all treatments cause a preferred outcome, the individuals who still get diagnosed will still have the option of chemotherapy. It is also unknown how available this treatment will be; and if Shankar Balasubramanian is successful in his attempt to work with the pharmaceutical companies, one can only assume the cost will skyrocket.
http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/01/21/doubling-down-four-stranded-quadruple-helix-dna-discovered/
The increased research and testing of this treatment will further enhance the knowledge and acceptance of this discovery. It is however, a step in the right direction and if used correctly it could lead to a brighter future for many. Although, it will take more than just a few studies to conclude the success.
This article reflects one of the aspects of science I have always loved—that is, that so many great minds are involved in scientific research and helping human beings and that new discoveries are constantly being made. We are always learning new things about the way humans work and utilizing this information in amazing ways. Our constant search for understanding and mastery of human biology makes the impossible, possible.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am excited to learn of this new discovery, I am more interested in what further research into this quadruplex DNA will lead to in terms of its relationship with DNA replication and the spread of cancer. As the article said, we do not yet know for certain whether the formation of the quadruple helices help or inhibit replication. Perhaps further investigation will give us a greater advantage in battling cancer at its root or will lead to other important discoveries. As others have discussed, it is difficult to say whether this will have a positive impact on the high costs of cancer treatment. Research has not yet put us at a point where we know that attacking the quadruplex DNA in individuals with cancer is reasonable or feasible, and we do not know what the cost of doing this as a treatment will be. It would be exciting to look at this as a less unpleasant treatment alternative to chemotherapy and radiation, but really before I get excited about that I want to see what further research brings. Once research and trial examination of using this as a treatment for cancer gets through and is approved, it will be interesting to see what impact this has in the healthcare world. But certainly, as the article states, this confirmation of its existence is a “real landmark.”
There could be potential harm from inhibiting DNA replications by attacking the quadruplex DNA. We may not know of another role these portions of DNA have in bodily functions, one that has not been exhibited in examinations thus far, that may play a role in system functioning. Further study into the function of quadruplex DNA will be very telling and potentially very important for the world of healthcare.
My first thoughts about the discovery of the Quadruple Helix is that it could potentially have great benefits for those who have cancer. This new discovery would most likely be received warmly with the public if it is proven to be effective since so many people know someone who has or had some type of cancer. At first glance this seems like a great solution to a horrible disease, but the side effects of this needs to be considered carefully. More research is necessary to completely understand how the human body would react to this treatment. Current cancer treatments like chemotherapy is designed to kill cancer cells but it unfortunately can also kill healthy cells. More information is need on the possiblity of this new treatment and its ability to target only cancer cells.
ReplyDeleteAlong with considereing the side effects of this drug, the cost of this treatment is important to consider. Like many others I am concerned about the high cost of a new cancer treatment. I think at this point in time it is difficult to utlimately tell if this new treatment would be economically benefical. This new treatment could possibly reduce the frequency and duration that a person would have to receive chemo saving the patient and health provider money. Current treatments like chemotherapy are very expensive but the cost is covered by insurance companies. One question of concern for many people was would this treatment be covered by insurance companies. According to a 2003 law any cancer drug that is approved by the FDA must be covered by Medicare. Most states mandate that private incurance companies do the same (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/15/opinion/a-hospital-says-no-to-an-11000-a-month-cancer-drug.html). If this new treatment was approved by the FDA most people who have insurance would have this treatment covered.
Although it was said that the G-quadruplexes are present when there is huge DNA replication, as shown during cancer, did the researchers check to see if the G-quadruplexes are actually present in patients with cancer? That could possibly be a way for them to further their research, since it appears that thus far, they have mostly found them in vivo. There can be a huge difference in the presence of these quadruplexes in healthy humans and humans with cancer. I think that can help to fully confirm if the G-quadruplexes are actually linked with the rapid cell replication during cancer and if halting their replication would truly be a cutting-edge treatment. It will definitely require a lot of funding but it may be more helpful as well, since they can check the direct link between the two.
ReplyDeleteIt seems as if the G-quadruplexes have only recently been discovered, which is pretty shocking. Maybe it was an evolutionary change that has led to their presence. If further research on the actual cancer therapy does work out, many lives can be saved, along with the incredible costs of cancer. One thing that has to be considered, however, is whether stopping the replication of the G-quadruplexes would work in everyone. We all have different genotypes, and one form of therapy might not necessarily help someone with a different genotype. This can be risky, because if these treatments do not work, the presence of cancer cells will only increase.
I do believe, like everyone else, that this is an enormous step in cancer research. Some possible problems that can arise with this research would include funding, and mainly the ethics. Trying to stop the replication of cancer cells is needed, but actually trying this probable treatment on patients with cancer might be too risky at this point. Although the findings need to be further researched, it is extremely helpful to finally have a path to focus on.
In the article presented in the blog post researchers talk about quadruple helix DNA. This discovery may be instrumental in future cancer treatment and research. Like most who have responded to the blog post I find this information to be very exciting. Developing improved ways to treat cancer is very important since most current treatments can often cause the patient harm as well as treating them. Of course further research about the quadruple helix DNA is needed to learn more about it and also learn what consequences also come along with the possible new cancer treatments.
ReplyDeleteThough the article and this new discovery are incredibly interesting I feel that there is undoubtedly still a long way to go before this new research leads to a useful new cancer treatment. The article left me wondering about the other functions of the quadruple helix if any. We also need more information on the cost and side effects of this possible new treatment.
In all I think the new research is exciting and will hopefully lead to great things. Hopefully this discovery will be instrumental in creating less invasive yet more successful cancer treatment.
After reading this article I became slightly skeptical. Yes, this is a good step to finding more about cancer, but we cannot get too excited. The professor leading the experiment, Balasubramian says they have only found a “link” in locating quadruple helixes and cell division. This is purely a discovery; they have not explicitly stated how they will stop quadruple helixes from forming in cells to prevent cancer. However, if scientists can capitalize on this new finding and stop the problem at the DNA level instead of destroying cells later on, costs could lower and more people could be saved.
ReplyDeleteComparable to other posts on this blog, I think this new technology would be of great economic benefit. Analogous to the human genome project, where sequencing DNA took many years and over a million dollars to complete, and now, companies make it fast and affordable to patients. The same logic could be used for cancer treatments using quadruple helix therapy, whatever that may be. After reading a newspaper article on the skyrocketing chemotherapy costs and drugs affiliated with cancer treatment, alternatives should be made available. One year of cancer treatment with the drug inhibitor Avastin could cost $90,000 a year. (1) That is almost double the cost of tuition at BU!
With new a new form of therapy, healthcare could be completely transformed in the future. Instead of radiation, sometimes used on cancer patients, quadruple helix therapy may be less invasive and cost less. If insurance companies found cheaper alternatives (that were found to be safe) for cancer treatment then resources can be allocated to other places in healthcare- i.e. AIDS, chronic heart disease. Cancer is one of the top killers in the U.S. and it would be amazing to see people living longer if they receive a diagnosis.
However, since this technology is still fairly new, new treatments could be problematic. The discovery of DNA is only sixty years old, and there is still a lot to be learned. Inhibiting DNA replication may cause consequences in non-target genes as well and could cause unwanted side effects. Much still needs to be explored in this area, but the possibility of better cancer treatments is very promising.
(1) http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/24/3549634/prices-soar-as-hospitals-dominate.html
I think this is really great news especially when it comes to cancer research. This could mean that the painful side effects of chemotherapy may become a thing of the past and that there may be a less invasive procedure for cancer treatment. Although this is definitely a huge step in science and has the capacity for positive advancement in cancer research, I agree with what a few of my classmates have said in that this is fairly new and should be researched further to ensure it's success rate against cancer. However if proven to be a reliable method, it should definitely be given some consideration as a treatment option.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who witnessed a cancer patient endure chemotherapy, I'm sure that many cancer patients would prefer this over radiation. However, as one of my fellow classmates mentioned, chemotherapy (or at least some of it) is covered by insurance. If the cost of quadruple helix is more than what insurance is willing to cover, the patient will most likely choose chemotherapy over the other method. For now and for the next twenty years, I predict that the quadruple helix will be very expensive and that only the wealthy will be able to afford it and everyone else will have to continue to endure the pains of chemotherapy.
Despite the detrimental side effects of cancer, the medical world must determine which conditions to use the quadruple helix. In the time it will take the science community to run multiple tests on the procedure, some ethical and moral issues must be developed. If this procedure becomes more economical and highly attainable, would just cancer patients or people with less severe health problems like prone to a cold (an exaggeration) be able to receive the treatment?
Detection by researchers of a quadruple helix in the human genome is definitely exciting, but should be dealt with patiently. Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that a more effective cancer treatment will result immediately from this discovery, simply because it is all rather new. Scientists have just realized that the quadruple helix is created in human DNA, which upholds the fact that they are relatively unfamiliar and just beginning to gain an understanding with the subject.
ReplyDeleteAs is known about the world of science, discoveries are made every day, but these discoveries take years of prior research, which of course requires large amounts of financial funding. Although the cost and time of research is high, the possibility of finding effective cancer treatments is of the greatest importance. If proven effective, this treatment could lessen both the cost and time of cancer treatments, since action can be taken early on before progression into advanced stages, ultimately lessening the amount of treatment required and thus decreasing the cost as well.
Using inhibitors to block DNA replications of cancer cells could affect the health care system either negatively or positively, if at all. The use of cancer treatments and chemotherapy would lessen since fewer people would have cancer or advanced stages of cancer. However, costs may rise depending on the charge per treatment and just how much insurance may cover. Due to the research findings being very new, making a prediction about the effects of treatments on the health care system is currently difficult.
Actually having inhibitors block DNA replication could lead to harmful side effects, thus going against the objective. Researchers and Doctors need to be certain that using such treatments will inhibit only the intended receptor and weaken only the intended cells before they decide to go ahead with use on patients. Further research should be done to improve understanding of the quadruple helix, before any treatments are done on individuals with cancer, simply because the outcomes of treatment could possibly be reverse of that which was anticipated, and could ultimately worsen the state of the patient beyond restore.
While the G-quadruplexes are an exciting discovery, the researchers – and fellow students in this class – recognize the need to proceed with caution. The research suggests that the quadruplexes are likely to occur in rapidly dividing cells, like cancer cells. The role of the quadruplex structures in cancer is somewhat speculated, as one researcher admits “there is a lot we don’t know yet”. Targeting quadruplex structures may help stabilize rapidly dividing, cancerous cells, but there is still more to learn about the impact such targeting may have on non-cancerous cells, particularly rapidly dividing ones as skin cells as well.
ReplyDeleteBeing able to intervene in the growth of cancer at an earlier stage (such as that of DNA replication) is likely to be a more effective and efficient way of treating cancer, rather than having the cancer progress and require very aggressive forms of treatment; perhaps the use of quadruplex-inhibitors, once specifically tailored to cancerous cells, will be less invasive than chemotherapy and radiation. Further research may even be able to intervene at earlier stages, such as the mutation of oncogenes.
Patients – as consumers in health care – appreciate the availability of options. It would also be healthy to be able to provide various forms of treatment for different people, depending on what their particular health needs are and how their bodies respond. Economically speaking, and for the sake of competition, the availability of different options could help cap other treatments’ costs, as well as expenditures for maintaining facilities (e.g. outpatient chemotherapy).
The confirmation of the quadruplex’s existence in human cells is an incredible accomplishment for modern day science. The first question that came to my mind is why more people haven’t heard of this discovery. We are constantly hearing about how people are trying to find a cure for cancer, but never any actual progress. The media often portrays science in the news, but for some reason this new discovery has not been very prominent.
ReplyDeleteWhile this is an amazing accomplishment, it is hard to know the kind of impact this treatment could have on economics, health care, and patients. Economically, it seems as if this new treatment would be initially more expensive, however, if it works more efficiently, it could lower total health care costs. I don’t foresee there being any serious competition from producers of chemotherapy drugs if this new treatment is seen as a cure. It would be completely unethical for chemotherapy companies to push their treatment, which sometimes works, over a cure. I also don’t believe any one would object for funds to be used towards a new possible cure.
The impact on health care is definitely a complex matter. It could lower costs by changing long term cancer patients into a more quickly treated patients, and oncologists would definitely have a different, but still important job description. Another effect is that it could continue to increase the lifespan of many individuals, which tends to lead to more treatment for other chronic, old age, conditions.
Finally, the issue of testing and potentially harmful side effects will be an ethical hot topic. The ethics of animal and human testing is a very controversial area of medicine, however it is clear that more testing needs to be done before this drug can be useful and safe. While the article states that cancer cells are more vulnerable to interference than normal cells, there is still a chance that normal cells could be affected and stop replicating, resulting in serious side effects. Once more testing is done and we find out if this treatment can be safe and useful, this could be a huge breakthrough in modern medicine.
As many of my classmates have stated, this discovery is groundbreaking and will prove influential in the development of cancer treatment and the way we think about cancer. The treatments for cancer now are expensive, have many negative side effects, and do not always work. If there were to be a method to target the division of cancer cells, this discovery would radically change how we treat cancer. It would also mean that there would be more hope for those diagnosed with cancer. Now, a patient’s prognosis is highly dependent on the type of cancer they have and the stage at which it is discovered. A treatment like the one described here, that targets the quadruple helix, seems like it would work on all types of cancer, at many different stages.
ReplyDeleteI think that this discovery would cause the current cancer drug researchers, specifically those who make the chemotherapy drugs used today, quite concerned. I would expect the companies that produce the chemotherapy drugs to make it difficult for a treatment like this to be approved. It would likely take years before it was able to go to a clinical trial and be approved by the FDA. While in this stage of production, the quadruple helix treatment would likely cost millions of dollars to be created and fine tuned before it was ever allowed to be used in a patient. Once it was available for wide spread use, I believe this treatment would save money, but cutting down both the time and cost associated with treatment. With less side effects, there would be less medical resources that would have to be used to treat a patient with cancer. A discovery like this, if it can continue to be developed and used to help people, could have a huge impact on the healthcare industry and change the way society views cancer.
Of course, there is a long way to go. Scientifically, more research must be done on how this knowledge can be used to help patients and how a treatment can be created that would be economical. However, with more research I do believe that this can drastically improve cancer treatment.
As many have previously said, despite the fact that the quadruple helix opens the door for opportunities in cancer treatment, it also leaves many questions unanswered. Until all of the benefits of the double helix can become known, we will not be able to take full advantage of the benefits the quadruple helix can provide.
ReplyDeleteThe current process of treating cancer often causes adverse effects and a lot of times involves experimental therapies. After the human genome project was completed in 2005, I think it would be interesting to see what direct impacts it uncovered in terms of cancer treatment. The discovery of the quadruple helix mentions that it may lead to a new way of stopping cell division, but how can this be guaranteed? I think the media hasn’t broadcasted this discovery because of how new this development is and the benefits are still unknown. Because scientists are still working to uncover the advantages of the double helix, it is hard to say when they will be able to maximize on the benefits of this new breakthrough.
In terms of cost, I think that in the future it may offer cheaper methods, but for now even experimental treatments are expensive. Current costs average to around one hundred thousand dollars for one year of treatment. It seems that nowadays as cancer treatments make progress, costs rise. However, just like genetic testing, the price will reduce as new discoveries are made. Arguably the people that can’t afford treatment are often the ones who need it the most.
Originally, in order to form this strand, it had to be manipulated. Now that it is found in living organisms, it is still unknown to scientists what exactly is happening when DNA is found in the quadruple helix form. Manipulation through synthetics may lead to other issues as well despite the advantages that may come about. With every great discovery there are side effects. Some of these may be beneficial while others may be consequential. There is also no concrete evidence that this discovery will aid in cancer research despite its potential. However, it may give us more information on how or why cells divide.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/06/06/137006007/as-cancer-treatments-advance-so-do-costs
http://www.nature.com.ezproxy.bu.edu/nrg/journal/v13/n11/full/nrg3296.html
Caitlin Taylor
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that this is a very exciting discovery. Any innovation in terms of treating cancer which is still taking so many people’s lives is a step forward in science. I do worry about the cost of this potential treatment and side effects, which cannot be determined until there has been time for further development.
I do think that this alternative treatment can be developed and effective. In the immediate future, I think this treatment will be very expensive and not accessible to everyone but with more time and research could change the economic market for cancer treatments.
I will be curious to see if this treatment can target strictly cancerous cells. I worry about the side effects that could affect our healthy cells, as this is the biggest problem with our current treatment options of chemotherapy and radiation.
While this discovery is indeed exciting, it is also important to remember that it is still in the very early phases. At this point we can hope that this will develop into an effective cancer treatment, but no one can truly predict that.
Like many other students in the sciences, I cannot help but to be excited about this finding. I feel as though most of us were taught that DNA is a double helix and nothing more. We’ve learned of mutations and polymorphisms, with regards to base-pairings and sequences, not that other forms of the helix exist. Beyond the fact that there is such a thing as a quadruple helix, scientists are saying it may even aid in the fight against cancer and other diseases! This discovery is becoming more and more amazing.
ReplyDeleteTaking a step back and thinking a bit more critically, I believe the blog post by Gina Mucciardi said it best: “While the discovery of the quadruple helix and its implications in stopping cancer growth via the use of inhibitors to suppress cancer-creating oncogenes (quadruple helix structures) is a riveting discovery and giant step forward in both genomics and medicine […] there are still questions unanswered.” Where did these gram-negative quadruplexes come from? Yes, the link to cancer is a thrilling prospect, but what is being done to further this possible relationship? How much would a cancer treatment involving this structure actually cost?
Economically, I feel that the development of a cancer treatment that uses the quadruple helix would cut costs dramatically over time. In the article, researchers from the Cambridge Research Institute said how “many current cancer treatments attack DNA, but it's not clear what the rules are. We don't even know where in the genome some of them react -- it can be a scattergun approach.” This both worries me, and makes me wonder if not having a specific target is the reason why current treatments take so long. It will take a lot of time and money to develop a treatment; however, having a cure that attacks at the correct spot of the genome could both cut the time necessary to heal, as well as the costs. This would also impact the future of healthcare dramatically.
What makes me nervous is that with a simple Google Search, there are already hundreds of websites and networks, like FOX News and BBC, which have begun notifying the public. The average readers’ reaction will be that similar to my first paragraph; also, many people will have their hopes up for an end to cancer. Though it is exciting to dream of a stop to such a disease, it is important to remember that everything is still just a possibility. One must realize that even if the quadruplexes are linked to cancer cessation, it will undoubtedly take years for the actual development of a treatment. There will be trials, side effects, modifications, etc. before an end is ever near. The discovery of the ‘Quadruple Helix’ DNA in human cells is, nonetheless, a step in the right direction.
The discovery of the quadruple helix is very exciting. At face value, scientists believe that it is capable of slowing the replication of DNA. This can be especially useful in rapid dividing cells, specifically oncogenes that have mutated. At this point there is not much more that can be said about why the quadruple helix slows replication without further research. The role of DNA in current cancer treatments is also unclear. Even speculating about the effectiveness of the discovery in driving down cost of cancer treatment drugs is difficult because there is still a great deal of uncertainty without further evidence.
ReplyDeleteIf it turns out that the quadruple helix is able to be used in cancer treatment drugs in the future, it is likely that, even if in the short term, costs will increase. The current treatments will need to be reconstructed which is costly for drug companies. However, as the algorithm for using the quadruple helix in cancer treatments becomes more readily available, more drug companies will be able to have access to the information. Once the information is shared and more commonly accepted, more companies can adopt the treatment. It is at this point the competition between them will drive costs down in the long run. These costs may not be much different from those of existing cancer drugs until new drug companies enter the market.
I enjoyed the post but while reading, remained quite skeptical about the implications this article alluded to. Although this is an important discovery that will certainly change the field of molecular biology, the article projects a correlation between the presence of the quadruple helix structure and identifying cancerous cells. In the original study, submitted in 2012 to the journal, Nature Chemistry, the findings indicated, "the quadruple helix may arise when a cell is unstable or in a dysfunctional state (like one that leads to cancer). We still need to prove that; but if that is the case, targeting them with synthetic molecules could be an interesting way of selectively targeting those cells that have this dysfunction," (Biffi, Tannahill, McCafferty & Balasubramanian, 2012).
ReplyDeletePerhaps 10 years from now after more studies have been completed, we might hope to see some conclusive material supporting a positive correlation between the presence of the structure in mutagenesis. I think this article extrapolates a great deal from the original study to draw the reader to assume this budding discovery may lead to such a lofty conclusion. The article posted is meant to loosely inform the individual and does not emphasize the speculative nature of these findings. It was a great reminder to me to always retain a certain degree of skepticism, read critically, and always look directly at the original source for disambiguation.
Biffi, G., Tannahill, D., McCafferty, J., & Balasubramanian, S. (2012). Quantitative visualization of dna g-quadruplex structures in human cells. .
At first glance the discovery of the quadruple helix seems very promising and something that most of my classmates would probably agree, needs further research. With that being said this would be a large breakthrough in ways that would “halt the runaway cell proliferation at the root of cancer”. What better way of beating cancer by preventative measure? Like any other new developments, the beginning steps are necessary and I believe this article is an example of the just the beginning. There are still questionable ways as to how treatment would work however. New possible treatment and drugs can be developed from this discovery, without first involving a lot of different trial runs and time.
ReplyDeleteAlthough initially expensive, if it can prevent cells from dividing out of control and can reduce cost of treatment for cancer in the long run then that is something to look into. If this new treatment proves more beneficial with less side effects than chemotherapy drugs then it will either rule out those drugs or make them much cheaper than the better alternative. As discussed in class, DNA mapping costs thousands of dollars and many weeks to get the results but what NIH is proposing is to make it more affordable (in the hundreds) and have the results in a couple of days! So with time and progress the new treatment or drugs that may come out of this discovery may have the same ending results of making it more affordable for consumers and having a quicker prognosis and treatment than it is currently. If this discovery of the quadruple helix and it’s intentional outcome to stop cancer is optimistic, I do think it’s much better to find ways to improve the way we treat cancer now as stated in the article as a scattergun approach. Currently treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy may cause negative side effects. Which is a potential harm from inhibitors blocking DNA replication because it can inhibit non-cancerous cells that also divide rapidly such as hair follicle cells or cells that line our stomach. This can cause side effects like hair loss and an upset stomach.
http://cancer.about.com/od/treatmentoptions/a/options.htm
As stated in the article “there is a lot we don't know yet” therefore its not necessarily top news for curing cancer as of yet. I agree with Kim who said “The media often portrays science in the news, but for some reason this new discovery has not been very prominent.” This must be that there are a lot of unanswered questions as to how to translate what they’ve got into a definitive treatment that would work and has been tested to do so. If that was the case, I think it could really help science, cancer patients, and impact health care positively. It would provide people with options and the ability to live longer, science to do future research on “how to target them in tumor cells”, and healthcare in adding a different form of treatment that will hopefully be more beneficial than before.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/23/quadruple-helix-dna_n_2527882.ht
The amazing research done to link G-quadruplexes with cell division provides us with hope. Once able to target quadruple helices in tumor cells, scientists and doctors will be even closer to curing cancer. The structure, formed by four guanine bases in a square, is present more abundently in cells that are about to divide (in S-phase). In order to prevent cell division, the research team exposed cells to pyridostatin, a molecule that traps quadruple helices. According to http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23093-quadruple-dna-helix-discovered-in-human-cells.html, G-quadruplexes are also present in telomeres. Telomeres protect the ends of chromosomes and overtime, telomeres shorten because of cell division. Since cancer consists of nonstop cell division, the discovery of the links between G-quadruplexes and cancer research is considered a 'landmark.'
ReplyDeleteEconomically, I believe this remedy will end up saving money for healthcare systems. If it is used along with chemotherapy, radiation, or any other cancer treatment, it will at least lower the cost and time necessary of each. If the researchers of the quadruple helix method work together with producers of chemotherapy drugs, they could figure out the most effective way possible to beat cancer that is best for the patient.
There is one statement in the article, "Maybe by targetting them [quadruplex structures] we are contributing to the disruption they cause." This shows a potential harm, but it just means there is a lot that is still unknown and more research is being done. The research done by Cancer Research UK is very systematic and has great potential. Scientifically, inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells would not harm normal cells but only if scientists are sure they are specifically targeting tumor cells. They must understand the differences in G-quadruplexes in cancer cells and G-quadruples in normal cells in order to exclusively trap the cancer cells to prevent replication of tumor cells, but continue normal cell division which is physiologically necessary.
Where this treatment could be very beneficial and rewarding, there are a few side factors that need to be thought about – the patient, health care cost, and economics. The most important thing that stuck out to me was the cost and side effects of the new treatment. I worry about the unknown side affects that could occur from this treatment such as further damaging healthy cells. As one of the students mentioned earlier, chemo is highly expensive but is covered by insurance. As for this new treatment, there is no guarantee that if was used how cost-efficient it would be.
ReplyDeleteMy main concern is to do more research on this new treatment. Once more research and testing is done there will be more answers and results to finding out if this new treatment can in fact be useful as well as safe.
In stride with my fellow classmates and their posts above, I am extremely excited by this discovery! I believe my excitement stems from the culmination of three different factors, my scientific curiosity, public health passion and personal experiences.
ReplyDeleteOn a scientific level, I am astonished and curious, but cannot help feeling frustrated that I do not have the level of scientific acumen required to understand the intricacies of such a discovery. When trying to comprehend this discovery, I conjure up many questions and try to fill in the gaps of my scientific knowledge. For example, I wonder why this quadruple helix is found in guanine and not the other chemical bases? What about the guanine base chemical structure is conducive to the formation quadruplex DNA? I also would love to know the manner in which synthetic synthetic molecules would be engineered to trap and contain these DNA structure in a cell.
When discussing the economic implications, or feasibility, of this discovery for cancer treatment, I wish I had a more advanced understanding of the chemical engineering process, with which I could base my opinion. I am a huge proponent of scientific inquiry and therefore would argue that it would be wise to invest in further research, but cannot form an opinion yet as to the long-term economic benefits. I am intrigued by comments made by classmate Christopher Szala’s regarding the potential long term economic benefits. He states that the “scattergun” approach used today is costly and that a genetically targeted approach could be cost-saving in the long run despite initial investments.
From a public health perspective, it is a bit harder to argue for a large monetary investment in such a discovery when there is such a great monetary need for other disease research and public health initiatives. However, a genetically targeted treatment for cancer would hopefully improve quality of cancer treatment, reduce patient suffering and overall benefit the population. Personally, I have had many family members suffer from cancer and would appreciate a treatment that took less of a toll on the patient physical and mentally.
In conclusion, I am extremely intrigued by this discovery and look forward to following developments in the future! Best, Eva O'Brien
This particular scientific breakthrough is probably the most interesting and promising one I have come across recently. Economically speaking, I think this new discovery can potentially reduce treatment costs in the long run provided that it can effectively stop cancerous cells from dividing at an early stage. This way, treatment will be short-term and therefore less of a financial and physical burden to the patient. I agree that it is important to consider how this treatment method may create competition with producers of chemotherapy drugs. However, these methods can possibly be used in tandem with one another, as is common today with cancer treatment regimens.
ReplyDeleteOn a scientific level, I think it is vital to understand our own nature before we combat some of the harmful effects it has on us. This quote from the article really stuck out: "Many current cancer treatments attack DNA, but it's not clear what the rules are. We don't even know where in the genome some of them react -- it can be a scattergun approach." Cancer treatment is difficult because its broad spectrum approach: it kills what doesn't need to be killed along with cancer cells. This may also be the case if this new discovery is used as treatment. How do we only stop cancer cells from dividing and not healthy cells? Future research should focus on a more selective approach to treat cancer.
Lastly, if continued research does yield more breakthroughs on the subject of quadruple helix DNA and its connection to cell division, I wonder how long it will be before it's adopted into practice. It often takes years before key scientific discoveries are finally used to benefit society.
Briana Zinsmeyer
ReplyDeleteThe development of the quadruple helix is yet another astonishing accomplishment of modern day science. If the quadruple helix proves to help cure cancer, it could be one of the most successful scientific findings to the day. These days, cancer affects almost everyone, directly or indirectly. The findings of the quadruple helix would help restore the faith of many in science and healthcare. Although this phenomenon is still quite new, further research will have to be conducted, which could be take a while before it is used for the general population. Personally, I have not yet heard of the quadruple helix until this article. It posed many questions; have they seen this work on a human cancer cell? Does the quadruple helix only affect cancer cells, or could it harm other parts? How costly could this be and would health insurance cover the costs?
Chemotherapy and surgeries are very expensive and not always successful. It is important to weigh the cost and benefits of the quadruple helix as a way to kill cancer cells or stop the growth of the cells. If this new discovery proves to be more beneficial than chemotherapy, surgeries and medications, then most will turn to this. It then turns to a question of whether health insurance will cover any treatment which has to do with the quadruple helix. The competition with chemotherapy is inevitable. To this day, chemotherapy seems to be the most effective way to treat cancer, and therefore is very popular among those diagnosed with cancer. With the quadruple helix, the competition with chemotherapy drugs is inevitable. If the quadruple helix procedures are quick and more cost effective, then the need for chemotherapy drugs will obviously diminish. If this new way is more effect, then there will be less treatments, and in turn should eventually be more cost effective. It is difficult to say what this revolution may do economically, since it is so new. In my opinion, it may be very costly at first then eventually plateau, but who knows how long that could take. In the meantime, I see chemotherapy sticking around for quite a while. Eventually, I think this could lower the cost of cancer treatment, as it may prove to be more effective, but as is with many new treatments, it will be outrageously expensive in the beginning.
On healthcare, I think this discovery could be a huge turning point in cancer care. At first though, I believe it will be hard to convince health insurance to cover this type of cost. Since it will most likely be pricey at first, health insurance companies will be reluctant to cover it, especially since there is no way of knowing possible long term effects right away. Hopefully, in time this will prove to be an effective treatment and insurance will cover it as it may soon be seen as a necessity. Although I do not have medical training, I would say some possible poor side effects may be the possibility that healthy cells may also be attacked, leading to an even larger problem. This is why further research is necessary to show that the benefits outweigh the costs and that it is a more effective treatment than chemotherapy. This discovery could revolutionize the treatment of cancer, how exciting!
http://thepositive.com/dna-cancer-research-cure/
http://www.enstarz.com/articles/12029/20130122/quadruple-helix-dna-found-cure-fighting-cancer.htm
From an economic standpoint, if the producers of chemo therapy and other cancer treatment drugs were to form a business partnership to whomever would be producing the possible quadruple helix then the effectiveness and timeliness of preventative cancer treatments could be greatly improved. As far as healthcare costs are concerned, since the best treatment for chronic illnesses is early prevention as opposed to costly procedures forced to deal with advanced stages of the illness, if the quadruple helix treatments were able to be developed cheaper than standard cancer treatments than it has great potential to greatly reduce healthcare costs.
ReplyDeleteAs with any new scientific discovery, caution must be weighed with potential benefits. We would not want to start gene therapy and start to tamper with the quadruple helix structures if they had any possibility of also slowing the cell division of healthy cells that we need to divide. Would it be feasible for us to be able to assume we could very accurately target ONLY cancerous cells? If the answer is yes then this new discovery shows great promise to be a breakthrough in the way in which we go about treatment of diseases with harmful tissue growth such as cancer.
After 10 years of investigation it is a great step for scientist to identify the quadruple helix in living cells. At first glance it seems like a great idea use synthetic molecules to prevent cells from replicating and cell division, since this could lead to a possible cure or at least slow down the effects of cancer. The article raises the important question about these quadruple helices, "Did they evolve for a function? It's a philosophical question as to whether they are there by design or not -- but they exist and nature has to deal with them. Maybe by targeting them we are contributing to the disruption they cause." The cancer treatment that could follow this discovery could potentially cause more harm than good. We do not know enough yet to assume that just by targeting these quadruple helices we will be able to stop cell replication. Attempting to target the harmful cells could possibly have adverse reactions and cause faster replication or one side effect could be stopping the cell division and replication in normal, healthy cells. This discovery is great for science but further and more extensive investigation needs to be done to limit the possibility of incorrect or misuse.
ReplyDeleteThis article reaffirms the notion that we are still slowly learning about how the body works. More and more discoveries have been made over the years and more will continue to be uncovered. It took the scientists more than 10 years just to prove that these quadruplexes are present in human cells. Drugs that could target the quadruplexes sounds like the ideal cancer treatment but the research, development, and trials of these drugs are far off. In the mean time I think scientists should still pay close attention to advancements that can be done in chemotherapy and other current treatments. These treatments can be implemented more rapidly because they are already widely used and accepted treatments.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s a good thing that this discovery hasn’t been in the news too much. My reason being there is already pressure for researchers to come up with the latest and greatest cancer treatment. Ample time is needed to test the efficacy of such treatments and potential side effects that come along with a new treatment. If the public were to put pressure on doctors, who in turn put pressure on researchers, to get the best treatment…well, it could be a recipe for disaster with such a new discovery.
Blocking the division of cancer cells is a great treatment idea. In theory, this would stop the cancer cells from multiplying but would not remove the cancerous tumor. Would such a synthetic molecule that they describe stop cancer cell division completely? Would you have to take a drug for the rest of your life so the cancer doesn’t come back or spread? Could it affect other cells in the body? These are a few of the countless questions that will have to be answered as research continues. Could identifying quadruplexes not only be a treatment for cancer but a screening method in the future? We already screen for breast cancer, colon cancer, ect. I’m sure that in the beginning this would be ridiculously expensive, but maybe identifying areas with high levels of cell division may, one day, become routine in annual physicals…who knows.
Anthony Ciccone
ReplyDeleteWhen reading this article I was very intrigued and excited about the findings by these scientists. It is mind blowing that after 60 years of the discovery of the DNA double helix that we are still finding out more information everyday. What make genomics and the scientific studies like these so interesting is that we are always finding new information and that our body is so complex.
Knowing personally many people who have suffered from cancer, it gives me a very positive feeling that maybe one day there will be a cure for cancer. With that said, I know that it is going to take much more research and investigating of the quadruple helix DNA. When reading the article I still found myself wanting more information on this quadruple helix DNA. Is this treatment going to be extremely expensive? Is it going to be able to cure all cancers? Will all insurances cove this procedure? Questions can be a good thing because it will always drive scientists in the genomics and cancer therapy world to provide answers. I have to agree with Elinor Dyer post on the negative side of finding this new DNA. What if this new treatment has negative side effects and causes more harm then good? Understanding the negative side effects is just as important as understanding the positive side of the treatment.
Even if this quadruple helix DNA discover isn’t fully understood for another 10 years it still will have a positive effect on people, especially among the cancer community. It can give them some sort of hope and for some people that is the most effective treatment. This could also open up more jobs in the medical field, as more research must be done on the quadruple helix DNA. I am very intrigued as to what the future holds for cancer therapy.
In previous comments my fellow peers have mentioned the economical benefit of this new quadruple helix therapy because some treatments for cancer can be very expensive. I do agree that as researchers we do need to keep improving the data and gain more knowledge on the actual benefits of working with fluorescent biomarkers and targeting the quadruplexes. I am very intrigued with the idea that, with further research, there might be potential to track and target tumor cells. In reality, there will need to be a lot more substantial evidence to gain a movement towards more quadruple helix therapy because as Eva mentioned before there are tons of other research projects that want to be funded and brought into the light. From another public health approach I believe that good research is always better than a lot of research and good research includes further investigation. As many of my peers have mentioned, "It's been sixty years since its structure was solved.." and they are correct that this type of discovery is fairly recent to be expecting a miracle therapy. I am glad that there is talk and discussion about the potential effects of this type of therapy because although, not as invasive as radiation, there is still potential for genetic problems. Once more research arises it might be easier to work on health care policy in order to further this type of therapy as a screening for human cells in order to target four-stranded DNA.
ReplyDeleteI am very intrigued with the fact that it has been shown with this new type of treatment scientists will be able to stabilize the quadruplex structures which have significance in regards to rapid DNA replication by oncogenes. I am very supportive of preventive measures to decrease the long-term effects of any type of deadly illness or disease. This seems to be a push for screening cancer in its early stages and will help make the push for more preventive measures available. This will, in the long-run, highly reduce health care costs if kept as a screening. We do live in a capitalist country so, the chances of this becoming something of a private company is highly possible. Although these efforts may conclude in this manner this discovery should not be taken lightly and is of great insight to further research.
I think it is very important to keep in mind how recent this discovery is. Quadruple helix DNA had only been seen in test tubes before, so it will take a lot more time and research before this translates to use in the health care system. That said this could be a huge step in fighting cancer. If they do improve their knowledge on using fluorescent biomarkers to target the DNA in cancerous cells it could become an alternative to radiation. This could become especially beneficial if they are able to use it in preventative care against cancer. I am excited for the research, discoveries and treatments that this discovery leads to!
ReplyDeleteJonathan Greenbaum
ReplyDeleteFrom both a medical and public health perspective any advances that are made in cancer research are obviously a step in the right direction. The ability of scientists to actually be able to find the areas of the human genome that are correlated with cancer makes me optimistic that it is possible for a cure to be found in the near future.
While the quadruple helix project sounds both promising and intriguing I am skeptical like many of my colleagues. I feel that interfering with DNA replication could have important and severe ramifications on healthy cells. We are definitely not sure of the side effects people may get from this treatment and none of this can be known until a treatment actually enters the testing phase.
However, with that said, it is inevitable that future medical treatments will center around genetics as more and more discoveries are made. Chemotherapy treatments have long been discussed for their harsh side effects and ridiculous cost to patients. Although the companies who produce these medications will not be welcoming to alternative treatments, it is important to broaden the horizons and develop methods than can eventually lead to curing cancer. These methods are absolutely rooted in genetics and it will be extremely interesting to see how policy will need to adapt in order to deal with the myriad of ethical issues that surround genetic treatments.
Although this is an incredible scientific discovery, I'm skeptical of the possible translatability of this discovery into treatment for cancers (and possibly other genetic diseases) and how quickly this will occur. Chemotherapy took years to develop and is still an imperfect technique (loss of hair, ineffectiveness, etc.). We're looking at several more years of research to understand the structure and purpose of the quadruple helix and then years to (hopefully) develop that into some form of treatment. Then there would be animal testing and small clinical trials before large-scale trials could even occur. And this is without mentioning the competition from big pharm and the possibility that the hypothetical treatment would not even be affordable/available to the masses. This is definitely great news, but it should be taken with a grain of salt. There are hundreds of labs just in the US that are searching for a cure or effective treatments for cancer, and this news should be considered another possible route for eradicating the cancer altogether.
ReplyDeleteIf this did prove to be the first breakthrough to finding a cure for cancer, the health care system would be fundamentally changed. Even more emphasis would be placed on treatment of disease, as opposed to preventing disease. My fear is that if a cure were found, people would continue to make poor behavioral choices (like smoking) that would continue to cause cancer, and the great strides in preventive measures (anti-smoking campaigns) would be reversed. A paradigmatic shift could be a good thing or it could be a bad thing. However, I don't think that any shift will occur for at least ten years.
http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/four-stranded-quadruple-helix-dna-structure-proven-to-exist-in-human-cells/
The discovery of these G-quadruplexes is a great illustration of the constantly evolving nature of science and the limitless potential for discovery. I am excited to see the implications for cancer treatment. However, what could the potential consequences be for people who take a new drug that blocks DNA replication? Unfortunately almost every prescription drug has unwanted side effects, regardless of its potential for treating disease. The article mentioned that the G-quadruplexes are more likely to occur in genes of rapidly-dividing cells. Perhaps this could mean that a drug that targets these quadruple-helices could also have negative effects on skin cells, which also rapidly replenish. Regardless of potential side effects, I’m optimistic about the production of synthetic molecules that could specifically target G-quadruplexes, since researchers are unsure of where certain current cancer drugs that target DNA alter the genome. I’m also curious to see if certain people with a genetic makeup consisting of higher regions of guanine would benefit more from new anti-cancer drugs, since the quadruplexes are found in regions of high guanine density. Perhaps people will react differently based on their genetic make-up.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, this research might have implications for cells that have stopped replication but need to be renewed into the cell cycle. Research on the actions and function of G-quadruplexes in DNA replication could also lead to advances in research on reversing nerve damage and growing cells that were previously thought dead, such as damaged brain cells. Only time will tell what the benefits of this discovery may lead to!
DNA is known to being its generic 2 stranded form, but scientists have found that DNA can also be found in a 4 stranded or quadruple helix. This variant conformation is not a healthy structure and it is assumed to be linked with cancer, where cells multiply uncontrollably. This kind of finding is going to be instrumental to genetic testing and future treatment of cancer. These quadruplexes that are pivotal to cell division and can be isolated from the genome and blocked from replicating. Because we can trap certain sequences in DNA and stop cell division cancer can be managed at the genetic level. If this variant DNA can be isolated and managed we can then find ways of treating and even preventing cancer.
ReplyDeleteOn Phys.org, the discovery of the new dimensions of DNA will revolutionize personalized medicine in the future. Synthetic drugs have been manufacture that target the abnormal DNA and prevents proliferation. If the location of the genome that is responsible for different cancers can be identified the future of cancer treatment will change drastically. The goal of the research is to find a drug that effectively targets the correct part of the genome and prevent cancer. Unfortunately, these drugs do not always target the right portion of DNA and do not work on all. “There are a significant number of drugs today that work by targeting DNA,” said Balasubramanian, “but we don’t actually know exactly which parts of the genome they target, and how this may vary between cells or patients. Our approach could be applied to give a better understanding of why certain drugs work, or don’t work, in different patients.” We still have a long way to go.
http://phys.org/news/2012-05-dimension-dna-personalized-medicine-future.html#nRlv
With the emergence of this new method for cancer treatment, chemotherapy, I believe, will still play an active role in the world of cancer treatment. Chemotherapy can act as a supplement or an alternative form of treatment if the synthetic molecules for the new method are too expensive to produce on a consumer basis. I believe that chemotherapy can be used as a supplement because this new method can only target certain cells with the quadruple helix, whereas chemotherapy is used to prevent any replication of the cells. Due to lack of information, chemotherapy might even affect these quadruple helixes for the same purposes the new method would, to prevent cell replication.
ReplyDeleteEconomically speaking, this new method may or may not be more cost efficient since there is no price tag listed on these "synthetic molecules." Producing these at a consumer level could be more costly than chemotherapy options. Our capital has been invested to produce chemotherapy drugs, creating a new option may take years of addition investments and capital before it can become a cancer treatment option available for average consumers. In regards to time, the new treatment would be more efficient. Since these quadruple helixes have been stated to occur in more rapidly replicating cells, cancer cells would be more susceptible to the new method of treatment. This is more desirable from chemotherapy since chemotherapy is an intravenous treatment and affects the entire body rather than targeting specific cells. The new method of cancer treatment would become even more desirable to those worried about hair loss due to chemotherapy.
I feel that there are still many missing pieces to this potentially revolutionary method of cancer treatment. However, this is a giant step into further understanding cancer cells. Like the article states, these quadruple helixes are still a mystery in regards to function, this inhibition may cause drastic side effects that will sway consumers away and the entire project will be dropped as a whole. Inhibition may even cause early aging which can lead to other cancers since cells become more susceptible to cancer as they age.
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ReplyDeleteAs previously stated by many students, the quadruple helix and its implications of being able to slow the spread of cancer is an exciting discovery worthy of being further explored. However, people should refrain from thinking this could be a magic bullet cure. While it may be true that targeting the quadruple helix and using molecules to halt division could slow the spread of cancerous DNA, there is too much left to the unknown.
ReplyDeleteWith the minimum knowledge that we've acquired thus far, it is far too obvious that the human genome is incredibly intricate and there is no telling how interfering with one's genetic code would affect the DNA sequence and the resulting protein production. As stated in the article, they are not sure if the quadruple helix is causing the damages, if it has an alternative purpose that should not be interfered with in general, or if the interference alone is enough to cause damage. Therefore, while this finding is an exciting new avenue for disease treatment, there is far more to be learned.
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ReplyDeleteThe discovery of the “Quadruple Helix”is a profound one for numerous reasons. One main reason is the progress it shows in furthering our understanding of the Human Genome beyond what we already know. The 'Human Genome Project' gave us a baseline understanding of DNA and genes in our body however as time continues, mutations are occurring and new genes and schema are developing thus it is important to continue research in the field for these reasons. Another importance to this discovery is the clinical application to cancer research. According to the article the G-Quadruplexes play an important role in the progression of cancer because they are predominantly found in cancer cells. Initially cancer treatments such as chemo-therapy applies radiation to malignant growths found on a person. However some areas in a persons body may still be cancerous even without the production of a tumor, thus it is hard to determine exactly where to focus treatment. If research is continued on these complexes, it can give clinicians a more accurate ways to map out and treat cancer patients less harmfully.
ReplyDeleteFor this research to be taken to the next level, I hope we would be able to use G-Quadruplexes as a form of prevention and screening. As of now it was only explained in the article that scientists know which areas are more prone to the formation of the Quadruple Helixes, areas with a high concentration of guanine, however what causes that high concentration of guanine to begin with? If we knew this we could begin to screen and find cancer patients in extremely early phases to begin treatment increasing life expectancies. Also, if we were able to find a way to stop the formation of excess guanine we could prevent cancer all together in some patients. This article just shows that this discovery can be applied to so many ways in both treatment and prevention; as well as the importance of gene and DNA research. The human genome project was only step one, there is still so much more to discover.
In a scientific article released by the Nature International Journal of Science, it lists the future of genomics and gene research. It states, “Our ability to explore genome function is increasing in specificity as each subsequent genome is sequenced.” This remains back then in 2003 and today the human genome completion gave us a starting point for further important genomic research. Some goals as listed include, “Developing robust strategies for identifying the genetic contributions to disease and drug response ,” and “Developig policy options for the uses of genomics in medical and non-medical settings.” All of the goals ranged from policy to improving the health status for all people which in many cases people never associate with gene research.
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v422/n6934/full/nature01626.html
Without a doubt, this discovery of a quadruple helix is definitely exciting news to hear. I would like to reiterate what some of my classmates have mentioned, that this discovery has potential but we should not look towards the quadruple helix as if it can beat cancer. In the article, the author quotes, “the research indicates that quadruplexes are more likely to occur in genes of cells that are rapidly dividing, such as cancer cells” and, “this research further highlights the potential for exploiting these unusual DNA structures to beat cancer.” Both of these quotes cite cancer cells as examples – not implying that the quadruple helix definitely can defeat cancer cells. To think about this on an economic level would mean that the quadruple helix is believed to beat cancerous cells.
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, much more investment, whether time, money or effort, should be poured into research about the quadruple helix. Before people can base their hopes on the quadruple helix’s potential, we need to understand all of its potentials in all aspects and then move on to experimenting with it.
If this quadruple helix does turn out to help beat cancer cells from developing, initially this would definitely reduce the time of cancer treatment but not the cost. Since it would be a fairly recent discovery as use, it may cost a lot of money because the process of getting quadruple helix and transporting them to areas of cancerous cells could be expensive. Further down the road, as this will become a quicker and easier process, the cost and time of cancer treatment will be lowered.
This is is the first time I have heard of such a discovery. I had very minimal knowledge prior to taking this course and still have a lot to learn. It is quite an interesting article because it provides a different approach to a disease that is so prevalent and devastating in our society today. Although still in it's early research phase, the further study and development of the quadruple helix findings can have a tremendous impact on the treatment of cancer.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the issue presented by producers of chemotherapy drugs if this finding is further developed into an effective treatment it can pose as a threat to the cancer pharmaceutical industry. There still has to be a lot of testing done to refine the possibility of this treatment to actually be a safe cancer intervention. At an economic level it benefits the the those administering the treatment more because the cost will probably will be very steep if it is discovered to be an effective treatment.
It is still too early to tell whether it can actually reduce the cost and time of cancer treatment. It is also unknown what kind of effect it will have with cancer patients. Current chemotherapy treatments can be intense and it is unknown whether this treatment will produce similar side effects to health and physical well-being. Looking at it from the health care perspective it can be noted that it will have a shift towards the molecular level of treatment for cancer. The block of DNA-replication can have serious effects on the presence of mutations and inhibit other important DNA functions. This focus can either be a very successful approach or can cause complications in terms of the broader preventative approach for public health concerns. Regardless of all the issues, the findings of this paper I believe can prove to be a step in the right direction.
I absolutely agree that these discoveries regarding the quadruple helix are extremely important and can lead to huge breakthroughs in cancer treatment. I believe that as our technology advances the time and money we spend to target the quadruple helices will gradually decrease much like several other applications of genomics that we have seen in medicine. I also believe that having another form of treatment for cancer will encourage advancement due to competition between healthcare providers. I believe that this is a great discovery because it gives us a fresh approach on the cure for cancer. Instead of taking a shot in the dark with chemotherapy, we hopefully will be able to attribute and pinpoint the cancer to specific genes.
ReplyDeleteAlthough these are significant breakthroughs, we must understand that this information is very new and unpredictable. Before this new possibility for a treatment can be used it must go through several trials and studies. Even though, on paper, this discovery looks very promising we still know very little about the negative effects it may or may not have on people. For example, I think that inhibiting DNA replication can be risky because if we were not able to pinpoint exactly which parts we wanted to inhibit, we could stop the replication of DNA that we want to be copied.
Like Mary Dawson said above, this is an exciting discovery to expand upon our knowledge of DNA, which is a concept many people in the world are familiar with. While it has interesting potential, I believe that it has to be researched further to see what applications it really has in cancer treatment or other therapies. In the article it is stated that many cancer treatments have a scattergun approach, not knowing what the treatment specifically does, so if researchers can make sure that it attacks the right portions of DNA to stop replication in cancer cells, then this will be a very effective cancer treatment. But I do believe that this is a step in the right direction if we can create treatments on the molecular level so that it is very specific for the individual.
ReplyDeleteBut we can also wonder if this can be used somehow to accelerate DNA replication which would be useful for processes like PCR for example.
As in all research, new discoveries are only the beginning of a long journey toward introducing therapeutic drugs to society. The discovery of quadruple helix, and its connection to DNA replication opens the door to possible effects it may have on cell division and production with regards to cancer. Although this breakthrough is remarkable, it is merely a solid foundation that will hopefully lead to the implementation of a new drug therapy for cancer patients. This is due to the fact that in research, one of the most important challenges in creating new drugs is first fully understanding the newly discovered entity at hand, as well as its affects and relationships to all physiological functions. Although targeting the quadruple helix can result in cancerous tumor suppression, it may also interfere with vital functions of the human body or lead to undesirable side effects. Current cancer therapies, such as chemo and radiation, have many negative side effects that hinder a patient’s quality of life. This is because chemo drugs are very strong and tend to kill any cell that is growing at a fast rate, even if it’s a healthy cell. Since this tentative therapeutic treatment involved targeting quadruple helices with DNA inhibitors to prevent replication (and thus effecting DNA replication, cell division and production), there is a chance that it could possibly damage healthy cells in addition to cancerous ones. This is the case with many current cancer treatments that account for the intolerable side effects experienced by cancer patients in therapy. Therefore, it is too early to conclude that this discovery will lead to a different outcome in practice of cancer treatment and prevention for humans.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to its economical impact, I would have to agree that a new drug therapy could be economically stimulating. The addition of a new drug may increase competition amongst pharmaceutical companies, thus increasing the quality and decreasing the price of cancer therapies on the market. This, of course, is if there is no patent on the drug. Realistically speaking, new cancer medications tend to be extremely expensive due to the high demand for an effective treatment. Medicines being developed to treat cancer act narrowly, that is, on specific types of cancer. These drugs tend to be needed by a small group of patients, therefore, prices for these treatments can be extremely expensive. However, the prices will tend to decrease as new discoveries and drugs are made. If this new discovery leads to a treatment that can stop the general growth of many different types of cancer cells in their earlier stages, healthcare costs will be drastically reduced. This is because, cancer is a chronic illness and treatment is usually required over a long period of time. Thus, if it is controlled in its early stages, the amount of medical resources needed will be consequently decreased (similar to the effects of preventative medicine health care costs).
Although, there is no concrete evidence that this discovery will definitely provide a noninvasive treatment for cancer, it creates a foundation for a more solid understanding of cell replication and growth in the future.
http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/chemotherapy/whatitishowithelps/chemo-what-it-is-chemo-side-effects
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/577452
My knowledge of DNA and the functions and processes that express it's code are pretty basic but the discovery of the quadruplexes seem extremely promising regarding cancer research. Given the time, hard work and monetary efforts that have been given to cancer research this seems like a huge step forward. In the article, Professor Shankar Balasubramanian states, "we are seeing links between trapping the quadruplexes with molecules and the ability to stop cells dividing". If they are using a technique that traps the quadruplexes with molecules, is this a technique that has already been used on cancer cells? If not, and if they are finding the technique effective in "trapping" quadruplexes and stopping the helixes from dividing then it seems logical that the technique could work on existing cancer cells in patients. This discovery of the quadruplexes is just a scratch on the surface for cancer research but any break through is a step forward.
ReplyDeleteThe discovery of g-quadruplexes will hopefully bring about new advances in cancer treatment. I feel this discovery has the potential to be more economically adventageous than current cancer treatments. Given that researchers have blocked cell division by blocking quadruplexes with molecules, this means that drugs could be formulated to block these quadruplexes. These drug treatments have the potential to aid in lower costs for cancer treatment and would hopefully aid in replacing current , more damaging treatments ( such as chemotherapy and radiation). Chemotherapy drug companies should not be weary of these advancements. Instead, they should take the opportunity to aid in formulating new drug compounds that will work with quadruplexes in inhibiting the cell division of tumor cells.
ReplyDeleteThe issue is that researchers need to finely tune blocking quadruplexes in tumor cells. Since quadruplexes are found throughout the entire human genome, there is further research needed otherwise attempting to inhibit these quadruplexes may affect normal non-cancerous cells. I think with more research, however, more concrete advances will be made.
This practice would benefit healthcare vastly. This research gives hope that personalized cancer treatment will become available on a genetic level. If successful in inhibiting tumor growth, this technology would also force insurance companies to structure payment options around this area of testing and treatment.
On an economic level, stopping cell division, or possibly rapidly progressing cancers would clearly benefit patients. They could be in remission faster and not have to deal with the adverse effects of chemotherapy drugs. They could go back to work and lead normal lives again. Testing this treatment would cost a lot of money. Clinical trails, patents, and research needed to make sure it worked would be tremendous. After it was approved, then it would take a few years to phase chemotherapy out of the healthcare system and turn to this new solution.
ReplyDeleteOn a scientific level, the potential “harms” from inhibitors blocking DNA replication could affect a patient’s reproductive system. He or she may be come infertile from such treatments. Genetic markers could change and cells would not replicate like they should if someone is injured.
Although I, too, am excited about the potential of such a discovery I am weary about the application of such findings to the tampering of human DNA with the purpose of hand selecting and hand creating desired traits in human beings. Given that this research is applied solely to halt the proliferation of cells resulting in cancer, I believe this is a tremendous breakthrough in the field of cancer research. A part of the article that was most intriguing to me reads "The study showed that if an inhibitor is used to block DNA replication, quadruplex levels go down -- proving the idea that DNA is dynamic, with structures constantly being formed and unformed." This statement sparks curiosities as to the permanence of our double helix DNA strands. While my knowledge about advanced genomics is limited, I would be interested to learn more about what the discovery of the quadruple helix DNA means to other aspects of genomics outside of treatment of disease.
ReplyDeleteI think that the finding of the quadruple helix is incredible. Since the human genome project, it's crazy to me how much time scientists patiently spent to learn about our genetic makeup. From taking bio classes and my general knowledge on the research, I felt like scientists already knew the majority of what there is to know about the human genome. Of course, there is always more that scientists learn but the discovery of the quadruple helix really shocks me because it is such a huge discovery. This starts a new chapter in history for scientists and researchers.
ReplyDeleteOn an economic level, I think that this new finding would decrease the time of cancer treatment but the cost of it will increase. Cancer treatment will decrease because they with their new knowledge, they can find out ways to manipulate DNA and hinder cancer from growing or stop it altogether. Because this is a new breakthrough and something that would be in high demand, I think the treatment would initially be extremely expensive. However, as competition grows, there will be cheaper versions/alternatives as different companies develop different types of treatment. After all, this discovery is so new and they are all learning more and probaby producing treatments with more variation just to test it out. Therefore, as far as side effects, there could be very harmful side effects in the future. In other words, what seems to make sense and solve their mystery to cancer now could lead to disaster in the long run. After all, messing with the human genome doesn't sound like an easy/smart thing to do anyway without extensive knowledge. As time goes on, I think the drug will only become more expensive as scientists spend more money doing research and treatment becomes better. They'll be able to address more side effects as they learn more. Ultimately, the tradeoff would be a great improvement in healthcare.
I used this website to do some more reading and get more understanding on the subject. It's very brief and an easy reading.
http://planetsave.com/2013/01/21/quadruple-helix-dna-observed-in-human-cells-for-first-time-could-be-related-to-cancer/
I forgot to add this site, which was helpful to me to.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130120150033.htm
"'Did they evolve for a function? It's a philosophical question as to whether they are there by design or not -- but they exist and nature has to deal with them. Maybe by targeting them we are contributing to the disruption they cause.'"
-a quote from the article that was thought-provoking to me
Like most scientific breakthroughs, the discovery of the quadruple helix is exciting and hopeful but comes with its own new set of risks, challenges, and unknown effects. It is hard at this stage to truly asses what the actual cost of treatment would be surrounding this quadruple helix oncogene targeting approach because there has yet to be an actual drug treatment created. Also, one must factor in the costs not only of creating the drug, but also all of the clinical trials and testing that takes place before its approval.
ReplyDeleteI think what many of the prior comments fail to highlight is the fact that radiation and chemotherapy are already expensive treatments, and while using the quadruple helix approach in combination with the other two may reduce the amount of the latter used, in some cases it may not offset the costs but rather increase them. This treatment may not work in combination with chemotherapy or may not work for each individual patient in combination with other drugs. Another possibility is that the helical treatment may cost more than radiation and chemotherapy combined, or it could produce side effects that require longer hospital stays, which also adds to overall costs. Therefore, in my opinion, it is too difficult to gauge at this infantile stage how the actual economic costs will add up.
As far as competing with other cancer drugs, I think that is also a delicate question. For example, this helical drug may work better for specific types of cancer and chemotherapy/radiation may fare better for other kinds or even other types of patients (i.e. children versus adults). If this treatment is developed I honestly think doctors will have employ their best judgement to render a treatment plan that is most effective. If chemotherapy works more effectively than DNA based therapy than obviously the latter will be phased out, I think it all just depends on efficacy and results.
Logically, it does seem as though a genetic based treatment would help reduce the time (not necessarily the cost) of treatment. It seems to be the most upstream approach possible, treatment at the source really. If this in fact is a plausible option, it would seem that the cancer would not have the chance to progress to later stages where other treatments are then necessary. It strikes me as a nip it in the bud approach which, as far as treatment is concerned, may cost less time later on.
Scientifically, like Danny Breegi said in an earlier comment, we as humans need to be aware of the long standing impacts of the chemicals we pump into our bodies and the bioaccumulation that causes for further generations. We may not see the impacts of this for years, possibly not even in our lifetime. However, altering our genes could cause some serious mutations or even polymorphisms that may lead to even worse diseases in the future. Basically discoveries that require the alteration of our genome make me feel a bit like were playing Russian roulette with our bodies, it feels much like a game of trial and error with potentially far-reaching consequences, none of which we can accurately predict. We as a scientific community are trying to mitigate the disease we have been faced with, cancer for example, but we need to be conscious of the fact that what we are doing to our bodies now, especially with regard to genetic alteration, would produce long sustaining affects.
The discovery of the quadruple helix can potentially lead to a more effective treatment for cancer by targeting cancerous cells and stopping their division. The problem is that as far as right now this is probably going to be used in a distant future since it is a recent discovery. On an economic stand point the treatment of cancer with this new found technology will probably be more expensive than the current standard of care at the beginning just because it is new. But once it becomes more used and less costly it is probable that chemotherapy drug producers will reduce the cost of the drugs in order to remain competitive. Finally on a scientific level, the potential harms from the use of inhibitors blocking DNA replication as a treatment for cancer is that there may be harmful consequences for other cells that are not cancerous.
ReplyDeleteCancer is a horrifying disease that takes the life of far too many people. This discovery, if rigorously tested, could be exactly what is needed. This procedure has not been proven and will take a large amount of funding to do so. Like most medical treatments it will be costly at first but after a while the price will decrease. Although side effects are always a concern when dealing with any new treatment, cancer would kill the patient as has the chemotherapy treatment or side effects from medications related to treatment. Treatment is hard both physically and mentally for the patient so reducing the time would be hugely beneficial. Until this treatment is out of the test stages, there is no way to tell what the impact on the health care system will be as well as any economic impact on chemotherapy drug companies. Any impact on the chemotherapy companies can be made up in other places as it should be about the quality of care to the patient.
ReplyDeleteThis article brings an exciting hope that some day we may be able to effectively prevent or stop cancer from progressing, which is undoubtedly amazing. The presence of a quadruple-helix, and our understanding of its role in DNA replication and cell division could provide a less-expensive, more accurate and successful treatment for cancer. However, because it is so new, a lot more research must be done in order to provide safe treatment strategies and options. Professor Shankar Balasubramanian's question about whether targeting the quadruple-helixes would contribute to the disruption they cause is an important one, and only one of many we have to ask as research continues. We simply don't know enough about the nature of the quadruple-helix yet.
ReplyDeleteSomething else that struck me was the idea that DNA is dynamic. I hadn't realized that DNA was so responsive to inhibitors when they are administered, but this is promising in that the inhibitors reduced the level of the quadruple-helixes. But, that being said, we may not be able to anticipate all of the effects or consequences of reducing these quadruple-helixes. The reduced numbers may precent cell division, or slow it, but in the long run there might be more damaging consequences that we have yet to discover.
Economically, I think it will be a while before any sort of treatment is developed and marketed from this research. Companies will not invest in something as new as this without it being tested rigorously, and the tests themselves will be expensive and lengthy. In the long run, however, if this becomes a viable treatment option, I could see this becoming a cheaper, less aggressive (hopefully) option compared to chemotherapy and other treatments we use today. Reducing the number of people developing cancer, and therefore reducing the number of those needing expensive treatments would be a huge economic relief on our healthcare system. The ability to prevent cancer from developing would be an unbelievably valuable asset to humanity, and would free up funds to be used elsewhere in healthcare.
In relation to the competition with producers of chemotherapy drugs, the human genome project might have actually helped them in their industry by letting them know who is more sensitive to chemotherapy so that they know how to make their treatments for effective. (http://esciencenews.com/articles/2011/05/05/gene.expression.predicts.chemotherapy.sensitivity.triple.negative.breast.cancer).
ReplyDeleteIn this case, the discovery of the quadruple helix may not really harm the chemotherapy industry as much as expected. Reiterating Ashley Frankino's post, chemotherapy treatments are already very expensive. This new treatment with the quadruple helix is expected to be even more expensive because only a certain number of experts are available since it is in its beginning phase. However in the market, the two competitors may eventually end up being around the same price according to demand and success rate. It can impact the health care system especially with health insurance where people who have cancer could be in a dilemma between a plan that covers only chemotherapy drugs or covers only the new treatment.
On an economic level, this new treatment (if successful) will reduce the time of cancer treatment and may reduce the cost depending on the market forces, demand, or price ceilings by the government. For example, if the success rate of the new treatment is high, and it is the new cure to cancer, then the government might want to increase the access of this treatment for the better health of the population. On a scientific level, the potential harms from inhibitors blocking DNA replications can include inhibitor failures or inhibiting the wrong part which can lead to doing more harm than good. There can also be long term side effects from the treatment and we may not know what they are until the researchers continue with the treatment and follow their subjects for many years.
The new discovery and findings surrounding the “quadruple helix” DNA structure present remarkable prospects for cancer research. Though it seems that much more information and experimentation is necessary for conclusivity, the advancements brought fourth by the identification of 4-stranded DNA G-quadruplexes and its influence on DNA replication is significant.
ReplyDeleteThe incredible targeting approach turns an innovative page in genomics as it utilizes fundamental techniques, such as florescence, toward new ends. Targeting with florescent staining allowed researchers to highlight S-phase as a pivotal marker for quadruplex activity. In doing so, it propelled the quest to identify, sequester and stabilize quadruplexes with synthetic molecules in the hopes that eventually, it might successfully cease cell division of cancer cells.
With acknowledgment to the great lengths achieved through this landmark, and recognition of the vast unknowns, I have many inquiries regarding the future of these findings. In relation to the public, I am interested to know how these new cancer targeting techniques will be introduced and even provided to the public in time. I imagine cost and access to be up for discussion, especially since they remain problems of our current healthcare system today. In class, we’ve discussed the dramatic decreases in costs of genetic testing from the origins of the Human Genome Project to present day. In time, history suggests that similar expense decreases will be provided for these cancer targets as technology continues to develop and improve. Further, I am interested to understand its role and implementation in healthcare. Will it be a part of preventive screenings and early detection or will it primarily aid patients already suffering from the disease; or both?
While this discovery is extremely exciting and definitely has potential for future use in cancer treatment, it is important to remember that this is still a very new and undeveloped finding. The recent study published by scientists at the University of Cambridge describes the detection of four-stranded quadruple helix DNA in human cells. “G-quadruplexes,” as described by researchers, form in regions of DNA that have high concentrations of guanine, and appear to be linked to cell division and DNA replication. It is because of this that scientists believe the G-quadruplexes may play a role in the development of cancer. At this point, however, there is no definitive evidence that targeting these complexes will be the solution to curing cancer. Therefore, we should not be overly optimistic that the cure for cancer has been found.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that the discovery of the quadruple helix is a huge scientific breakthrough, but in order for this finding to be useful to us, it will likely take years of further research. Yet the study by scientists at Cambridge definitely illustrates progress; the quadruplex DNA is now known to be able to form in the DNA of human cells, whereas before this study it was only known to form in vitro. It is still too early to tell if and when this finding will be useful in cancer treatment, but with the knowledge obtained this far, the future looks promising.
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ReplyDeleteThe discovery of these quadruple helix human DNA structures is revolutionary. Most simply, it is proof of the importance in funding for research; because, just when we think we know all there is to know, a discovery like this can force us to rewrite the textbooks. This discovery will lead to a better understanding of how exactly DNA processes work and it also holds great importance in the medical field, for these quadruple helix structures are more likely to be found in rapidly dividing genes and more vulnerable to interference than normal cells. By targeting these quadruplexes and “trapping” them, runaway cell proliferation, a common characteristic of cancer, could be prevented. This could be the precursor to discovering a less harmful form of cancer treatment than chemotherapy. Because chemotherapy targets any cell that is rapidly dividing, it has the potential to cause harm to the healthy cells that divide rapidly, such as: skin, blood, stomach, and intestinal cells. Having the ability to target quadruplexes in oncogenes could reduce the extent of time needed for treatment to be completed and could decrease or eliminate the side effects of chemotherapy. If this proved to be a more effective treatment for cancer it would reduce the time spent out of work, feeling too sick to take care of oneself and one’s family, at appointments with specialists, and at prolonged stays in the hospital. Fewer appointments with specialists and less hospital care would cut healthcare costs to the point where this new form of treatment could be both more efficient and more economical than the previous forms of cancer treatment. This is definitely a topic of research that deserves a lot of funding. By investing in this never-before-seen component of human DNA, new understandings of cellular processes and interactions may unfold; and who knows -- the cure to cancer may not be the only ground-breaking discovery we make.
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ReplyDeleteAlthough this is a somewhat pessimistic view on this extraordinary discovery, economic pressures may stall both research and developments into inhibiting drugs that target these quadruple helixes. If it is the case that these inhibitors could be a less expensive form of cancer treatment there will be some negative pressure from the producers of current cancer treatments, as they would most likely lose money from a different cancer treatment. However due to the magnitude of this discovery I don't see this project being prevented if there is indeed an inhibitor that can prevent cancerous cells from dividing. Economics will always be a factor when the status quo of treatment is changed, as someone is bound to either gain or lose money. In this current stage, the researchers of these inhibitors would do best to get funding from already established and financially independent pharmaceutical company or from prominent cancer non-profit organization. Due to potential problems from DNA manipulation, much research is still needed before any treatment will be available, which means funding is everything for this treatment to move forward. Cellular division is necessary for repair so any inhibitor can create problems with cellular repair if the inhibitors do not target the correct cancerous cells. If this is indeed the future of cost effective cancer treatment, the money for funding will be the determining factor for when if ever this treatment will be available.
ReplyDeletePerhaps this structure was the missing secret that could help us target cancer cells? It could be that this change in shape can be a cause - or at least a factor in causing - cancerous cells to increase so rapidly. If we do use the quadruplex helix to fight cancer cells, it could be effective as it might be a unique feature to cancer cells. If this is the case, any treatments involving this newly discovered shape will target the cancer cells and have no effect on healthy cells. While this discovery is a huge step in genomics, much of this new information is still a mystery. We are, of course, going to have to learn a lot more about the G-quadruplex and also about what its roles in cancerous cells are compared to normal cells. Only then can we actually use this new discovery to make further developments on 'curing cancer'.
ReplyDeleteThis discovery provides a complexity to the DNA structure we thought we figured out when Watson determined sixty years ago that DNA is found in double-helix shapes, but history proves that the human body - even down to our very DNA - is constantly changing. This will hopefully help change people's beliefs that we already know all we can know about the human genome, because the truth is that we are going to continue to discover new things about it.
I am eager to see new findings and techniques that will arise from this discovery. Although we've seen so many achievements already, I am interested to see more to come and how these findings will affect us in the future.
If you'd like more insight into this discovery, I found an article that discusses this topic in more depth as well as presents some ideas about what will come: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21729014.400-quadruple-helix-dna-discovered-in-human-cells.html
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ReplyDeleteI agree that this is a potential breakthrough in cancer therapies, but not to the extent that this overly optimistic article is professing. The science behind this is promising; not only the discovery of these quadruple helices in genes of cells that are rapidly dividing, but specifically the capturing of these quadruple helices to slow down cell division and furthermore showing that replication is dynamic- having structures formed and unformed. I call this article overly optimistic because, though the findings are truly profound, the authors of the article are jumping so far into the future with their statements about the potential cancer therapies it can give rise to. First of all, all these findings have to be tested in various forms of cancer to see if they are even similar to any degree in all the different kinds of cancers that are prevalent in the world. Second, they don't even take into account what negative effects could be the consequence of artificially manipulating the speed of DNA replication in the process of cell division. If they do find a way to slow down cell division in tumors via manipulation of the quadruple helix count, how do they know that this manipulation is targeting solely the helices in the tumor rather than other healthy cells of the body? Also, how do they artificially reverse the slowing down of DNA replication, once they have done so by manipulating these quadruple helices?
ReplyDeleteGreat discovery, but seems to be decades away that we find an efficient use for it. Not to mention economic costs.