CELLSearch - Bianca Lennarz - DESMA9 Fall 2013 Final

1. DESMA 9: ART, SCIENCE, &
TECHNOLOGY
Professor Victoria Vesna
Section 1C – Fall 2013
“CELLsearch”
By Bianca Lennarz

2. ABSTRACT
As learned from class, all areas of the sciences are integrated with the arts, and can be so
as well vice versa. Specifically, I believe that the use of biotechnology, nanotechnology,
and medicine should be combined, resulting in especially useful and beneficial potential
improvements affecting the overall health, life spans, and lifestyles of people.!
My invention, CELLsearch, is a new and improved way to fight cancer, though only cancer
of the soft tissues. Nanodevices tagged with fluorescent proteins will be inserted into the
body by injection or by laparoscopic procedure, into locations within soft tissue, where any
cancer cells are or may be in the process of forming. These devices will eliminate cancer
by temporarily “detaining” each individual cancer cell and then injecting it with an inactive
form of genetically modified HIV DNA, resulting in cells which are unable to produce the
deadly virus, and prohibiting them from replicating. Only antigens specifically on cancer
cells will be targeted. This procedure will be a much improved alternative versus treatment
via chemotherapy and radiation, since my device will not target and kill normal cells within
the body commonly resulting in patient illness, fragility, and hair loss. Once CELLsearch
has eliminated the cancer cells at the targeted location, it will be extracted through a
routine laparoscopic procedure, in which its fluorescent tag will aid to identify where the
device is located within the body at that moment, allowing for its safe removal. This tiny
device will be able to “cure” cancer patients, on a worldwide scale, using a minimally
invasive procedure. They will once again be granted the opportunity to live comfortable
lifestyles.!

3. CONCEPT/TOPIC
What Is Cancer?!
Ø Cancer is the uncontrollable and rapid growth of abnormal cells in the
body, that, if left untreated or if discovered too late, can cause serious illness
and even death ("What Is Cancer?").!
Ø Cancer can be genetically passed down, can be personally provoked by
unhealthy habits such as smoking, or can be caused by mutations in the
DNA sequences of the cells that are overlooked by proofreading
mechanisms in the processes of DNA synthesis and replication.!
Ø The spreading of cancer cells (the masses of cancer cells are called
malignant tumors) onto normal tissue is called metastasis ("What Are
Tumors?").!

4. CONTEXT & PRECEDENTS
With my device, soft tissues, blood, and organs, can be cured of cancer.!
!
Current Forms of Cancer Treatment!
Ø Chemotherapy is the use of medication to treat cancer; it is given orally, through
intravenous or intramuscular procedures, or subcutaneously. Chemotherapy destroys not
only cancer cells, but also normal cells, which is why people feel sick, lose their hair, etc.
("How Is Chemotherapy Given?”).!
Ø Radiation therapy uses high energy waves to destroy cancer cells.!
Ø Surgery is used to extract cancerous tissues or even entire infected organs.!
Ø These forms of treatment are invasive and can cause the patient to become, feel, and look
very ill.!
Current Research!
Ø Research is currently being conducted that kills cancer cells with the HIV/AIDS virus. Tcells (a type of lymphocyte [white blood cell] that plays a role in the immunity of fighting off
diseases or harmful substances) of the cancer patients are altered with an insertion of an
antibody-like protein from genetically modified HIV DNA that has lost function of the
production of the deadly virus, but still has the ability to produce the protein to attack a
CD-19 antigen located on malignant lymphocytes of cancer cells ("HIV Is Being Used as a
Possible Cure for Cancer").!

5. CONTEXT & PRECEDENTS
Ø Stages of Cancer ("Stages of Cancer")!
Ø Stage 0: 'in situʼ – few cells which become cancerous that are little to no threat; is
highly curable!
Ø Stage 1: localized cancer – early stage cancer; small tumor or small mass of
cancer that is localized where it started!
Ø Stages 2 and 3: regional spread – larger masses of tumors or cancer which
spread into the general region of the body and grow deeper into the tissue; growing
cancer that is a threat!
Ø Stage 4: distant spread – metastatic cancer; cancer that has spread to other
organs of the body!

6. SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
PRECEDENTS
Biotechnology!
Ø Biotechnology is the use of living systems and organisms to
develop products that will be beneficial for the health or daily lives
of humans. The use of living tissues and/or animals in
experiments for biotechnology research is necessary to future
help humans climb a step further in curing or treating certain
diseases. Biotechnology includes many applications in the field of
medicine, that include synthetic limbs, regenerating cells and
tissues, and medications.!
Ø The concept of the altering the DNA of the HIV virus and
programming it to solely destroy cancer cells is an example of the
use of biotechnology.!

7. SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY
PRECEDENTS
Nanotechnology!
Ø Nanotechnology, defined as the manipulation of technology at the
molecular level, is the future of industry and society in the areas of
science. Included are areas such as health, energy, high
technology, manufacturing, and entertainment, as well as areas of
art, among others. The infinite number of ideas and applications
of this technology, especially the use of those unbelievable items
which are engineered to the size of a nanometer, are simply
amazing.!
Ø Implementing a device which is approximately the size of a human
cell, in order to carry the biotechnology of the DNA of the HIV
virus, is an example of the use of nanotechnology.!

8. ARTS/HUMANITIES
PRECEDENTS
Fluorescent Tagging!
Ø Eduardo Kac and Louis-Marie Houdebine collaborated together to create the artistic
work of Alba, a genetically modified albino rabbit that glows due to an insertion of a
gene found in an Aequorea Victoria jellyfish that fluoresces green under the exposure
of blue light. It was designed to glow in order to observe the inner parts of the rabbit
when introduced with other manipulations. The artistic aspect of introducing the
fluorescent gene does not seem to hurt the organism, and, because of this artistic
addition, human research can be studied more carefully by recreating the experiment
on other organisms. Osamu Shimomura also isolated the green fluorescent protein
from the jellyfish and inserted it into mice, which he used for beneficial research for
humans. The jellyfish florescent protein is used to tag certain genes of proteins in the
host organism, in which a light source is needed to see if genetic manipulation is
successful – for example, a cancer gene tagged with a fluorescent protein that is
inserted into an organism to view the effects that could potentially help humans
eliminate cancer. !
Ø In the case for my device, though, the fluorescent tagging is intended to be used for
the purpose of identifying where the device is located within the body, once it has
completed its mission and needs to be removed from the tissue, due to its microscopic
size.!

9. ARTS/HUMANITIES
PRECEDENTS
Phone Application Synced to Nanodevice!
Ø As technology and time progress, more and more people
are using smart phones. Many hospitals have updated their
systems so that everything is done electronically. Doctors
with smart phones or tablets can easily look up anything,
from information on symptoms, diagnoses, or medication
usage, to viewing their patientsʼ medical history. Applications
on devices are designed to be appealing to the eye, easy to
use, organized, and, if applicable, filled with a tremendous
amount of accurate information.!
Ø My device will be synced to an application which can be
downloaded and used via any technology, by both patient
and doctor, in order to view the progress data of the
cancerous mass elimination within the body, and to view a
global positioning system which constantly tracks the current
location of the device in the tissue of the patient.!
Fluorescent Tagged Rabbit!

10. PROJECT PROPOSAL
Appearance!
My proposed device, known as CELLsearch, will have a
“cup-like” grasp located at its probing front end which will
constantly embrace and position individual cells, one by
one, in order to inject them with the genetically altered
HIV DNA. The deviceʼs slim and streamlined profile
allows the mechanism to easily move throughout various
tissues with the goal of accessing cancer cells. There is
an enclosure within the interior of the device that
contains multiple copies of the identically altered HIV
DNA which will be injected into each cell. This general
dimension of this nanodevice will be slightly larger than
the size of a single cell, with a modifiable length of
approximately several times that, as deemed necessary by
the physician for the individual job. It will be fluorescently
tagged so that its location can “easily” be identifiable
within the body when it is time to surgically remove it.!

11. PROJECT PROPOSAL
How Does It Work?!
A patient with cancer has the option of either
having CELLsearch inserted via injection or
laparoscopic procedure into the tissue
location(s) of where cancer cells or masses
are identified. Multiple CELLsearch devices
will be inserted into each location in order to
more quickly and efficiently eliminate any
cancer cells in the area, and to ensure that
there is enough modified HIV DNA to infect
and destroy every targeted cell. My device
will only target the cancer cells in a particular
soft organ tissue, and will be programmed to
recognize only those cells.!
My device will be
programmed to detect
cancer cells only!

12. PROJECT PROPOSAL
How Does It Work?!
This tiny “robot” will eliminate cancer cells by temporarily detaining each
individually identified cancer cell, while at the same time injecting it with an
inactive form of HIV DNA. Prior to the procedure, this form of HIV DNA is
genetically modified so that it cannot produce the deadly virus, cannot replicate,
and is programmed with an antibody protein code that will only target CD-19
antigens which are specific to cancer cells.!
!
My device will enclose over the cell, and
inject it through the semi-sphere with
the genetically modified HIV DNA
specific to only destroying the cancer
cells!

13. PROJECT PROPOSAL
Is It Removed?!
The fluorescently tagged protein which is individually attached
to each of my CELLsearch devices is solely for the purpose of
pinpointing exactly where the tiny mechanisms are currently
located within the body, in order to safely and accurately
remove them through a routine microscopic laparoscopic
procedure, once the devices have completed their intended
missions.!

14. PROJECT PROPOSAL
Movement and Progress!
Each CELLsearch device will work independently, within a “seek
out and attack” team composed of identical robots, moving on
its own inside the human body as it detects each abnormal
cancer cell. Each will travel toward the infected cell to enclose
it, and succeed in neutralizing it, without a doctor or other
medical professional there to supervise or control it during the
entire process.!

15. PROJECT PROPOSAL
Movement and Progress!
A new accompanying telephone application will be created so
that both the patient and the physician may monitor the
progress and location of the device in “real time”. Through the
phone application, each device within the body will be
automatically synced 24/7, complete with data progress on the
elimination of cancer cells, such as the percentage of infected
cells destroyed out of the total mass amount within the body,
and the precise location(s) in the tissue via specific global
positioning system. Once the devices have satisfactorily
travelled throughout the infected cancerous areas, and
successfully completed their intended “search and neutralize”
missions, then this GPS locational information will be of
extreme importance as the mechanisms will now need to be
extracted.!

16. CONCLUSION
This device will fight and treat one extreme illness (cancer) with
another (HIV/AIDS). The entire procedure is minimally invasive
compared to other methods of treatment, and will not trigger the
terrible side effects of chemotherapy and radiation, so, patients will
keep their hair, they will not feel nauseated, and will feel better
overall. Cancer patients from areas all around the world will finally
have the hope of being completely “cured” of their dreadful condition,
especially if the disease is detected during the early stages, since
every cancer cell will have been eliminated from their bodies. This
fabulous technology may grant patients the opportunity to experience
longer, more healthful lives, and will allow them and their families to
avoid the emotional and physical grief associated with the horrible
experience of suffering with cancer. Thanks to CELLsearch, the
dreadful disease of cancer will now be very curable, bearable, and
possibly on its way to becoming a problem of the past.!

17. REFERENCES
Images:
• Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://iwandahnial.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/10winslow_rm_illustration_of_colorectal_cancer_stages.jpg>.
• Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/prod_consump/groups/
cr_common/@nre/@new/@gen/documents/image/brand2013_blood-cells.jpg>.
• Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://www.conncoll.edu/ccacad/zimmer/GFP-ww/images/
alba2.jpg>.
• Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. <http://www.dexigner.com/news/image/22231/
Mobile_Health_iPhone_Application>.
Works Cited:
• "How Is Chemotherapy Given?" American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2013. <http://
www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/chemotherapy/chemotherapyprinciplesanindepthdiscussionofthetechniquesanditsroleintreatment/chemotherapy-principles-how-is-chemo-given>.
• "HIV Is Being Used as a Possible Cure for Cancer." AMERICAblog News. N.p., 21 June 2013. Web. 02 Dec. 2013.
<http://americablog.com/2013/06/hiv-being-used-to-cure-cancer-leukemia.html>.
• "Stages of Cancer." Cancer.Net. American Society of Clinical Oncology, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. <http://
www.cancer.net/all-about-cancer/treating-cancer/stages-cancer>.
• "What Are Tumors?" Johns Hopkins Medicine. Johns Hopkins University, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2013. <http://
pathology.jhu.edu/pc/BasicTypes1.php>.
• "What Is Cancer?" American Cancer Society. American Cancer Society, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013. <http://
www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/what-is-cancer>.
(All product images created using “Pro Engineer” design software)

18. BIBLIOGRAPHY
•
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•
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•
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19. BIBLIOGRAPHY
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•
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•
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•
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