After much deliberation and research, I formulated my Com 435 poster around the subject of a cancer fighting implant. The idea was brought to my attention through an RSS feed on the MIT technology review. This then led me to Harvard Medical’s web-site where I was able to get an in-depth perspective on the project. I quickly realized how revolutionary the implant was, and the implications it posed for the future of individuals affected by cancerous tumors.
The, smaller than a dime sized, implant is ground breaking because, unlike most cancer vaccines that work to prevent tumors, this disk actually fights against existing tumors in the body. The disk is a polymer scaffold which is made up of the same material that’s used in biodegradable sutures, in addition to ground-up pieces of the patient's tumor, which shows cells what to attack.
The disk has proved to be successful at slowing the growth of tumors and elongating survival time in mice, and a startup called InCytu, is now developing the technology for human testing.
I don’t think I can name one person that hasn’t been affected by cancer through family, friends or friends of friends so a technology like this could truly prove to be revolutionary if successful in humans. As someone who has seen first hand the effects of cancer, this is a technology I can truly back and root for, and am very glad it was brought to my attention through research for my class.
Overall, this past semester has truly been a great learning experience, and opened my eyes to all the technologies our society takes for granted including the ability to Blog. I have found great pleasure in being able to share my thoughts and opinions on my very own personal space. Also, I really enjoyed the ability to combine pictures and layouts schemes, bringing a little of my own personality into this Blog's design.
http://www.technologyreview.com/biomedicine/24013/page1/
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