Fireflies in the Medical Field
The firefly genes that control light production are also being used in medical research for multiple applications:
One application is investigating degenerating muscles to aid in muscular dystrophy research. The bioluminescent properties of the genes are applied in such a way that luminescence only occurs in the damaged muscle tissue. This allows one to monitor the progress of the disease by quantifying how much luminescence is detected over time.
Another application is research with blood clots. Luciferase, the enzyme that makes the firefly light up, is being used as an imaging agent. This is being used to monitor treatment with heparin, which is a drug used as a blood thinner to prevent clotting.
A final application, and the most interesting, is for cancer treatment by killing tumor cells. This treatment is different than chemotherapy. In chemotherapy, the cancer drugs are circulated throughout the entire body, killing both good and cancerous cells. This is the reason why patients who are on chemotherapy have weakened immune systems. An ideal solution to this is to have targeted drug delivery where only the cancerous cells receive the drug. Studies have shown that this technique is possible. Patients are injected with a chemical that is sensitive to light and that has a high affinity for cancer cells. Normal cells throughout the body dispose of this chemical quickly, but cancer cells hold onto it. The patient is then exposed to laser light which promotes a chemical reaction in the body that releases the drug to kill the cancer cells. One drawback of this therapy is that the laser light cannot reach further than 3 cm in the body. This means that the light treatment is only effective for cancer cells near the surface of the body or places where fiber optic cables can reach. For the experiments, the firefly gene for luciferase was placed in cancer cells in vitro. This allowed the cancer cells to produce luciferase on their own. The chemical that is sensitive to light, a photosensitizing agent, was added next along with luciferin. The luciferase catalyzed the reaction with luciferin and light was produced in the cancer cells. This light killed approximately 90% of the cancer cells in 24 hours. Other vectors that will deliver the drugs to the target cancer cells are also being investigated.
These applications are very important and relate directly to humans. Many people suffer from the diseases mentioned above and if researchers could find a cure, it would benefit everyone in one way or another. These diseases are also prevalent in all races all over the world, so it applies to everyone. The medical and health fields will always be relevant and new technologies are evolving and emerging through laboratory research. Many insects possess unique features and in the case of fireflies, it is the production of light. In other insects, such as ants, it is the ability to carry a lot of weight. Medical research has always looked to nature for cures to diseases and it will continue to do so. Many of our medicines today come from nature, such as penicillin. Novel uses for insects in medical research are being discovered all the time and with today's technologies, the possibilities are endless.
The firefly genes that control light production are also being used in medical research for multiple applications:
One application is investigating degenerating muscles to aid in muscular dystrophy research. The bioluminescent properties of the genes are applied in such a way that luminescence only occurs in the damaged muscle tissue. This allows one to monitor the progress of the disease by quantifying how much luminescence is detected over time.
Another application is research with blood clots. Luciferase, the enzyme that makes the firefly light up, is being used as an imaging agent. This is being used to monitor treatment with heparin, which is a drug used as a blood thinner to prevent clotting.
A final application, and the most interesting, is for cancer treatment by killing tumor cells. This treatment is different than chemotherapy. In chemotherapy, the cancer drugs are circulated throughout the entire body, killing both good and cancerous cells. This is the reason why patients who are on chemotherapy have weakened immune systems. An ideal solution to this is to have targeted drug delivery where only the cancerous cells receive the drug. Studies have shown that this technique is possible. Patients are injected with a chemical that is sensitive to light and that has a high affinity for cancer cells. Normal cells throughout the body dispose of this chemical quickly, but cancer cells hold onto it. The patient is then exposed to laser light which promotes a chemical reaction in the body that releases the drug to kill the cancer cells. One drawback of this therapy is that the laser light cannot reach further than 3 cm in the body. This means that the light treatment is only effective for cancer cells near the surface of the body or places where fiber optic cables can reach. For the experiments, the firefly gene for luciferase was placed in cancer cells in vitro. This allowed the cancer cells to produce luciferase on their own. The chemical that is sensitive to light, a photosensitizing agent, was added next along with luciferin. The luciferase catalyzed the reaction with luciferin and light was produced in the cancer cells. This light killed approximately 90% of the cancer cells in 24 hours. Other vectors that will deliver the drugs to the target cancer cells are also being investigated.
These applications are very important and relate directly to humans. Many people suffer from the diseases mentioned above and if researchers could find a cure, it would benefit everyone in one way or another. These diseases are also prevalent in all races all over the world, so it applies to everyone. The medical and health fields will always be relevant and new technologies are evolving and emerging through laboratory research. Many insects possess unique features and in the case of fireflies, it is the production of light. In other insects, such as ants, it is the ability to carry a lot of weight. Medical research has always looked to nature for cures to diseases and it will continue to do so. Many of our medicines today come from nature, such as penicillin. Novel uses for insects in medical research are being discovered all the time and with today's technologies, the possibilities are endless.