7/21/2019 Bioluminescent Bacteria to Reduce Cancer Cells
2/4
Introduction
I. Background of the Study
Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells
divide without control andare able to invade other tissues. Cancer
cells can spread to other parts of the body through the
blood andlymph systems. These are caused by a genetic material
called oncogene that carries
the ability to induce cancer. There are differences between
cancerous cells and normal cells.
First of all normal cells reproduce themselves exactly unlike
cancer cells, they don t stop
reproducing and growing. Cancer cells can stop themselves from
self-destructing or they may
self-destruct slowly than reproducing, thus making them immortal
as some scientists say.
Cancer cells dont also obey signals because something in these
ce lls, blocks the normal
signaling system. Lastly, is they dont stick together because
they can lose molecules in their
surface, thats why they can be detached from their rightful
places and scatter to other parts of
the body.
Cancer has four standard methods of treatment. First is the
Cancer Surgery. It is the
oldest type of cancer therapy, and it remains an effective
treatment for many types of cancer
today. It is done by removing cancerous tissues from the body.
Second is the Biological
Therapy. It is a type of treatment that works with your immune
system. It can help fight cancer
or help control side effects from other cancer treatments like
chemotherapy. Third is the
Chemotherapy, the most common and widely used method of cancer
treatment. This method
uses chemical substances, especially the treatment of cancer by
cytotoxic and other drugs. This
differs from other methods because it is used as a systematic
treatment which means the drugs
travel throughout the body to reach cancer cells wherever they
are. Chemotherapy can also be
harmful to ones health because it also kills the normal cells
particularly the ones that reproduce
fast, like cells in our hair. The last one is the Radiation
Therapy which uses high energy
radiation to kill cancer cells by damaging their DNA. Radiation
therapy can also damage normal
cells, therefore treatment must be carefully planned to minimize
side effects.
Other researchers conducted studies of other methods for cancer
treatment because of
these harmful effects that the current therapies give. One study
is Firefly Light Helps Destroy
http://www.cancer.gov/Common/PopUps/popDefinition.aspx?term=lymph&version=Patient&language=Englishhttp://www.cancer.gov/Common/PopUps/popDefinition.aspx?term=lymph&version=Patient&language=English
7/21/2019 Bioluminescent Bacteria to Reduce Cancer Cells
3/4
Cancer Cells; Researchers Find That the Bioluminescence Effects
of Fireflies May Kill Cancer
Cells from Withinwhich is conducted by the researches of London.
The abstract of the study
shows that the bioluminescence of fireflies combined with a
photosensitizing agent kills cancer
cells. Researchers of London inserted a firefly gene that
activates bioluminescent light into
modified cancer cells, hoping to set off a chain of events that
has a proven track record at
fighting the disease. This light source, known as Luciferin,
caused the modified cancer cells to
glow much like it does with the firefly. When a photosensitizing
agent was added and then
exposed to lasers or another external beam. The light triggers
the production of active oxygen
species that can destroy cancer cells.
In this study, the researchers used a bioluminescent reporter
gene (Beta-glucuronidase)
to see its effect on cancerous and normal cells.
