Chapter 19, Problem 1CS

CASE STUDY| Cancer-killing bacteria

Ralph, a 57-year-old man, was diagnosed with colon cancer. His oncologist discussed the use of radiation and chemotherapy as treatments for this cancer and explained that each of these therapies kills actively dividing normal and cancer cells, causing debilitating side effects. Ralph decided to carefully review his options and went for a second opinion to a cancer clinic at a major teaching hospital. There he learned that researchers in a synthetic biology program were testing the use of genetically modified E. coli that selectively invade and kill cancer cells, with no effects on normal cells. Ralph decided to participate in this trial, and at an appointment to learn about the details, he was informed that he would be part of a Phase III trial, comparing the effectsof the modified bacterial cells against conventional chemotherapy. As part of the trial, he would be randomly assigned to receive one or the other treatment. He was disappointed to learn this, because he assumed that he would receive the bacterial therapy.

What are Ralph's options at this point?

Summary Introduction

Case summary:

A 57-year-old man, Ralph, has colon cancer. Ralph came to know that chemotherapy and radiation treatments for the cancer are responsible for killing the cancerous cells along with the normal dividing cell and cause side effects. His oncologist advised him to go for synthetic biology program, in which the researchers use the genetically modified organism for the treatment of cancer patients.

Characters in the case:

A 57-year-old-man, Ralph.

Adequate information:

Ralph has colon cancer and decided to go for the synthetic biology program for the treatment of cancer. Researchers of this program use genetically modified Escherichia coli that selectively kill the cancer cells. He would be a part of a trial for this program and would receive the random treatment of bacterial therapy.

To determine:

Ralph’s options for cancer treatment after knowing that he would be getting random treatments for bacterial therapy.

Explanation of Solution

Given information:

Ralph is selected for the phase III trial, in which random treatments would be given for the treatment of cancer, which may be the modified bacterial therapy or the other therapies.

Cancer is a life-threatening disease, in which normal cells start dividing abnormally. These cells have the potential to invade other parts of the body. It results in the formation of the tumor and the cells inside the tumor grow in an unregulated manner. Cancer arises when normal cells lose the ability of contact inhibition and cells lack the programmed cell death mechanism.

All the cancerous cells acquire the property of metastasis. Colon cancer refers to the abnormal growth of the cells of the colon located at the lower end of the digestive tract. For the treatment of cancers, several chemotherapy treatments and radiations therapy have been used. These therapies have proved beneficial in many cases but they have a variety of side effects on the body and also kill normal cells along with the cancerous cells.

Advancement in the synthetic biology techniques led to the use of synthetic biology and application of synthetic genome for the treatment of various diseases such as cancer. Synthetic biology programmes result in the formation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that kill the selective cells responsible for the disease. These treatments have been proved very successful in many cases and have lesser side effects on the body as compared to the conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

In this case, Ralph was disappointed because he was not able to get all the required treatments for the effective cure of his disease. Ralph was assuming that he would get the bacterial therapy. He should think that by knowing the synthetic biology programme for the cancer treatment, he came to know about the more options for the treatments apart from the conventional treatments and can opt such options when needed.

Conclusion

Thus, it can be concluded that Ralph would know more options for the cancer treatments beside the chemotherapy. He could have knowledge of the specific type of therapies having lesser side effects by joining the synthetic biology programme.