In another six hours to start the holiday weekends, going to watch a movie? Matt Damon starred in the sci-fi film "Elysium" ( Elysium ), describes the 2154 Human divided into two worlds: the surface is full of crumbling, desperation and chaos out of order, the poor of the world; Earth over the "Elysium Space Station, "neat and clean, bright and beautiful, full of relaxed casual atmosphere, the rich world. Twenty tens of thousands of wealthy people like to live in Beverly Hills mansions like the area, they have mastered a variety of resources on the planet, but as with the ordinary people do not have to endure poor living conditions worse.
The absence of disease, longevity beautiful
In fact, most people are not necessarily have to go in the heavily guarded bliss, but there has a God almost clever medical technology, almost all human diseases can be cured: just lying Med-Pod 3000 medical bed, quickly diagnose all diseases and the treatment is completed, and even cancer are as simple as a small cold; Med-Pod 3000 can maintain the body of the function is not reduced, the average life expectancy is three times the past; certainly no shortage of medical and cosmetic features, in addition to keep you young and case to trauma to the whole face reconstruction process takes only 40.23 seconds.
(Photo Credit: Sony Pictures)
Elysium so advanced with respect to the medical standards, the hospital on the surface it looks like we are no different, medical technology has not changed, after a hundred years, leukemia or terminally ill. So people crazy to risk their lives to sneak to Paradise, often just for the boat immediately broke into houses, then you are going to bed dead children on medical treatment, until the guards rushed to arrest, but also to cure disease the.
(Photo Credit: Armadyne)
This impressive medical bed, what kind of technology is where stem extending out of science fiction? When people lie is good, shield cover, which began to turn around so-called "fogging" (Atomizing) procedures, it is sprayed something to humans?
Medical Bed official website on "nanobotic blood cell" gave us a direction: nanotechnology. Almost through with the cell size of the "nanobots" into the body work, we are already very familiar with the concept, but still not a widespread technology. 2012 There are two nanotechnology research is published, all in the "Elysium" good medical vision forward, but what goes on a medical bed technology is relatively close to it?
DNA oak
Wisconsin Biotechnology Center at Harvard University developed a device using DNA produced, like the human body in such an environment filled with numerous types of cells to find out the specific types of cells, and then it performs some specific programs. In terms of the treatment of cancer, for example, such devices find cancer cells in the human body, found, they issued a self-destruct command to kill the cancer cells. Near future, this device may also function as a way to boost the immune system.
This was published in "Science" magazine
study , the use of DNA origami (DNA Origami) will be a long strand of DNA as stacked up like origami. Researchers create a nano-sized "robot", concepts like a oak barrel with special DNA "latch", responsible for finding and identifying specific cell surface proteins, including some with disease characteristics. Latch find these proteins, the "barrels" which will release some of the first encoded molecule, they specifically with the cell surface receptors of these effects, thereby affecting the cells.
Their research for leukemia and lymphoma, respectively, when these cancer cells found after the antibody fragment encoding inside the "directive" starts cancer "suicide" program ─ one kind is actually against aging normal or mutated cells self-destruction, this way cancer cells died.
DNA folded into a barrel in the blood vessels catch the bad cells will release the bucket after finding molecules against bad cells. (Photo Credit: Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard)
Target highly targeted free innocent bystander
Their design to overcome a number of obstacles, such as the "DNA oak" There is no upper and lower lid, so the molecules packed with coded messages into easily, do not "open the lid", "close the lid"; them easier to find for a cell surface protein, and are cross (cell) membrane proteins, the next instruction is easier; This whole process is an imitation of white blood cells in the blood vessels of the patrol, hunt, start enemy "suicide" program process, and they carry coded messages are modular concept, so this method can develop into the future for a variety of different diseases can be applied, just know who the enemy is, you can quickly remedy.
Is published by Shawn Douglas, William Shih, who developed the therapy most impressive is that the goal of treatment is highly targeted, there will be no innocent bystander problem.For the treatment of cancer, the chemical treatment is the principle of fast-growing kill cancer cells in the human body, but also other growth quickly kill the cells, such as hair, which is the reason for hair Chemotherapy; radiation therapy is the direct exposure of cancer cells to burn them, but the cancer cells surrounding normal cells will be shine, just like the direct onslaught terrorists will kill the hostage situation together.
Nano-Velcro
In the study published 10 months later, in December 2012, Japan and the United States Institute of backbone UCLA jointly issued a "nano-Velcro", you can put the growth of tumor cells from the primary to peel, you can also capture the runaway intravascular tumor cells, so that they too late colonial elsewhere. In addition, it can be used as a non-invasive cancer detection tool, but can also study the spread of cancer within the body pattern.
Moreover, because "nano Velcro" is a "live catch" these harmful cells, so afterwards you can put them all "escorted" back to the lab, not to "prosecute" "The Trial", but allow scientists the opportunity to conduct in vivo experiments .
37 degrees Celsius when the "Velcro" will seize the tumor cells (left), 4 degrees will release the (Right) (Photo Credit: backbone Institute)
The principal investigator from the Institute backbone
You Xiaohua Dr., Los Angeles, Assistant Professor of Molecular Medicine Faculty
Sketching researchers led by Dr., published in the December 17 of the "Advanced Materials" (Advanced Materials) journals. In fact, a similar technique is also published before, but equally by the two came from the Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan University research scientists, both in the capture and release of tumor cells are very efficient. "Nano Velcro" as the filter in the vessel, on top of the molecular structure can be attached to the tumor cells; 37 degrees Celsius, which is the body's normal temperature range, "nano Velcro" small brush on the polymer will firmly stick to tumor cells and for the release of tumor cells, the temperature dropped to 4 degrees. Release efficiency between 40-70%.
Fascinating scientific experience
You Xiaohua said that so far most devices have demonstrated high efficiency capture technology, but the release of these tumor cells in order to preserve and study for more information is equally important, this is our research biggest difference compared with the other.
After reading the two studies described, you may feel "DNA oak" closer "Elysium" goes on the scientific principles of medical bed now. The charm lies in many of the original science fiction things are achieved only make the world a better opportunity, through film-related scientific and technological progress, these early years, we can even see the verisimilitude, the future of the world faces ( certainly do not want to be like "Elysium" suffer so much), good luck, maybe there really lifetime opportunity to experience it.
(Photo Credit: Armadyne)
(Opening Photo Credit: Sony Pictures)
