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Introduction

Since the beginning of our modern civilization humans have always endeavored to live longer healthier lives. For example, even Alexander the Great went conquering all over the world to search for the “Fountain of Youth.” In the modern days humanity is developing the tools to extend the length of our lives and to increase the number of healthy years a human will experience. These tools include: computer assisted treatments, nanotechnology, viral treatments and genetic mapping. Moreover, there will be a discussion of the benefits that these technologies will bring to our civilization. Additionally, there will be a discussion of the disadvantages that these technologies will bring onto our civilization. Ultimately, these technologies will bring more benefits than disadvantages to humanity.

Computers and Medicine

Computer assisted treatments and diagnostic imagery will one day be the standard in the medical community. There is a new technology called Laser ablation (light induced thermotherapy) which is used to heat a tumor until it dies. Currently, this technology is used in conjunction with computer imaging to accurately gauge the side of the tumor and to know where to position the fibers that deliver the laser energy (Haigron). Computers have already assisted surgeons in difficult surgeries involving the heart and the brain. The hope is that one day robots would be able to perform surgeries and help decrease surgical wait times. Additionally, if a robot and software system is well maintained it never loses its efficiency over time as compared to a human. MIT has already developed programs that allow surgeons to be able to view different parts of the body while they perform a surgery (MIT). This viewing ability has the potential to make a surgeon more accurate when removing a tumor because they can view the changes in the structure as they make their incisions (MIT).

Nanotechnology and Nano-medicine holds the promise that science may be able to make custom treatments for every individual suffering from any disease. Nanotechnology/Nano-medicine is the practice of developing human made or biological structures to treat disease. Currently, when a company develops a drug it typically works well for about 80% of the patients who take it (Sakamoto). Clinicians can now get access to a patient’s genetic profile in order to determine if they have any irregularities that would interfere with the proper action of a drug molecule (Sakamoto). Companies have even modified viruses to specifically infect tumor cells while leaving healthy cells largely unaffected (Medical News Today). Additionally, researchers at the Mayo Clinic have discovered that the attenuated form of the measles virus that is used in the MMR vaccine is also adept at killing cancer cells (Mayo Clinic). In most human cancer cells a receptor called CD46 is overproduced which protects the cancerous cell from the body’s defences against cancer. It has been found that the attenuated form of the measles virus targets the CD46 receptor and eventually leads to the deal of the cancerous cell (Mayo Clinic).

Doctors have even begun the use of special viruses to combat bacterial infections. There is a clinic in Georgia that is using Bacteria phage (Viruses that infect bacteria) as a treatment for antibiotic resistant bacteria (Phage Therapy Center). One of the great features of these viruses is that they only infect bacteria and do not affect human cells. This feature of only attacking bacteria makes them a great alternative to antibiotics because if given in the wrong dose these drugs can harm healthy cells. Moreover, according to the clinic it is very easy and fast to develop new phages when a bacterium becomes resistant to one of their phage therapies (Phage Therapy Center). Additionally, the use of phages would also limit the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. For example, in a hospital many patients are always given doses of antibiotics before and after surgery as a way to protect against possible infections. The problem with this treatment method is that it tends to kill the protective bacteria that live in our bodies leaving the patient’s body vulnerable to more deadly antibiotic resistant bacteria to inhabiting their body. Additionally, in environments where antibiotics tend to be prevalent antibiotic resistant bacteria tend to be prevalent. The reason for this is that the antibiotics kill off all of the bacteria that are vulnerable to the drug. Since there is one bacterium remaining that is resistant to the drug it can now grow freely and take over. As a result, when the patient gets sick again the antibiotic is no longer effective against the infection (Natural News). In contrast since phages can evolve over time they can maintain their ability to infect the bacteria regardless of its antibiotic resistance. As we get better at understanding of these phages we could also use them to deliver genes to the bacteria that would make them produce proteins that would entice the body’s immune cells to kill these bacteria.

Gene mapping and sequencing will help science understand why certain people die at an early age and why some people live to be over 100 years old. Sequencing is the process where all of the base pairs (A-Adenine, T-Thymine, G-Guanine, C-Cytosine) and their ordering are determined. The base pairs are the alphabet of the DNA in all of the cells in humanity. When put in different order these letters code for different amino acids (words). These amino acids are put together to from proteins (sentences). Most of humanity has the same genes but sometimes their sequence differs at different positions in the gene. These differences can cause the protein that is made from the gene to work better than normal or can cause it to be defective. Gene mapping is the process of finding out where a certain gene resides on a chromosome (long section of DNA that holds many genes). Knowing the location of certain genes can help us understand why certain diseases occur to people. Understanding what genes cause which diseases may help lead us down a path to repairing these genetic abnormalities. Certain genes have already been found that can have a drastic affect on longevity. For example, telomerase is a protein that is involved in elongating telomeres (sections of DNA that are not genes and have repeating sequences). During cellular replication the DNA gets shorter so if telomeres were not present then the organism’s genes would get destroyed with every cell division. Since the telomeres are on the ends of the DNA strands it is only these sections of DNA that get shortened. As the organism ages and the telomeres get shorter the cells divide more slowly which tends to lead to the frailness and vulnerability of old age. Research is being carried out into how telomerase affects the aging process and how this protein could be used to increase the longevity of humanity (Nature). We are also finding that simply activating different genes may not always bring the desired result. For example, if we could activate telomerase in all of our cells we may live longer but we would also be more susceptible to cancer. So humanity has to be careful about changing the building blocks of life.

These technologies and medical breakthroughs can bring many benefits to humanity. First, family members may be able to spend a lot more time with relatives. As medical breakthroughs continue it will become normal that every person lives till at least 90 years of age. Additionally, these breakthroughs may also lead to a very healthy life for those 90 years which means that people will still be productive and healthy up until their last days. We will also be able to push the boundaries of human longevity. For example, humans may one day live until they are 150 years old. In this world people would be free to pursue many different careers and have the time to fully explore the world. They would be able to see many generations of their family and be able to pass down the history of their family to many successive generations. People who have made great scientific discoveries would live longer and have the opportunity to contribute more to the scientific knowledge of the world. These medical advances may lead to a greater control over illness and allow us to give people a chance to live who would have otherwise died from a childhood disease. There are downsides to the development of these new technologies. First, the ability to live longer may create a new aristocracy where only the wealthy people can gain access to the treatments. Those with the ability to live longer may work to change the laws so that they can gain permanent power in our legislatures leading to dictatorships. Activating telomerase may lead to an increased incidence of cancer (Nature). Criminals or terrorists may modify the phages to infect human cells and cause an epidemic. Insurance corporations may use the results of genetic mappings to charge people more for their insurance premiums if it is found that they have a gene that may lead to a fatal illness. Knowing the genetic profiles of people may lead to a new kind of discrimination against those that have weaknesses in their genetic profile.

Conclusion

In conclusion it is quite interesting to note all the ways that computers and new medical technologies could be used to extend our lives. Computers can be used to clearly image tumors so that doctors can more efficiently remove them. Computers can also be used to direct the energy of a laser to cause the death of a tumor. Viruses may one day become a common treatment for cancer and an alternative to antibiotics. Gene mapping and sequencing will help us understand why certain people become ill from certain conditions while other living long relatively healthy lives. Understanding how genes and proteins work may also lead to the elusive “Fountain of Youth”. There are great benefits to all of the recent medical advances: longer life expectancies spend more time with family, greater chance to experience change in one’s life and a new level of global human wellness. There are disadvantages as well: these medical breakthroughs will not be available to all people, the development of a long living aristocracy which circumvents democracy, discrimination and higher fees for insurance.

References:

Haigron, P, et al. (2010). Image-guided therapy: evolution and breakthrough Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles /PMC2871430/?tool=pmcentrez

Mayo Clinic. (2012). Gene and Virus Therapy Program. Retrieved from http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/research/ gene_virus_therapy_program/research_advances.cfm

Medical News Today. (2011). Cancer Viral Therapy Attacks Tumors And Does Not Harm Healthy Tissue. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/233669.php

MIT. (2012) Medical Vision Group. Retrieved from http://groups.csail.mit.edu/vision/medical-vision/software.html

Nature. (2012). Telomerase reverses aging process. Retrieved from http://www.nature.com/news/2010/101128/full/news.2010.635.html

Natural News. (2012). New drug-resistant bacteria emerging in hospitals. Retrieved from www.naturalnews.com/028313_drug-resistant_bacteria_hospitals.html

Phage Therapy Center. (2012). What is Phage Therapy? Retrieved from http://www.phagetherapycenter.com/pii/PatientServlet? command=static_phagetherapy&secnavpos=1&language=0

Sakamoto, J, et al. (2010). Enabling individualized therapy through nanotechnology. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2886806/?tool=pmcentrez