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Joy Wolfram: How nanoparticles could change the way we treat cancer
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Ninety-nine percent of cancer drugs never make it to tumors, getting washed out of the body before they have time to do their job. How can we better deliver life-saving drugs? Cancer researcher Joy Wolfram shares cutting-edge medical research into nanoparticles -- tiny particles that could be used to deliver drugs accurately to tumors -- and explains how they could keep drugs in the body longer to attack malignant cells.
Joy Wolfram - Nanotechnologist
Joy Wolfram leads a nanomedicine research lab with the goal of developing innovative nanoparticles that bring the next generation of treatments directly to the clinic. Full bio
Joy Wolfram leads a nanomedicine research lab with the goal of developing innovative nanoparticles that bring the next generation of treatments directly to the clinic. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:13
It was a Sunday afternoon
back in April of this year.
back in April of this year.
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My phone was ringing,
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I picked it up.
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The voice said, "It's Rebecca.
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I'm just calling to invite you
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to my funeral."
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I said, "Rebecca,
what are you talking about?"
what are you talking about?"
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She said, "Joy, as my friend,
you have to let me go.
you have to let me go.
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It's my time."
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The next day, she was dead.
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Rebecca was 31 years old when she died.
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She had an eight-year struggle
with breast cancer.
with breast cancer.
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It came back three times.
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I failed her.
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The scientific community failed her.
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And the medical community failed her.
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And she's not the only one.
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Every five seconds,
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someone dies of cancer.
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Today, we medical
researchers are committed
researchers are committed
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to having Rebecca and people like her
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be one of the last patients that we fail.
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The US government alone has spent
over 100 billion on cancer research
over 100 billion on cancer research
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since the 1970s,
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with limited progress
in regards to patient survival,
in regards to patient survival,
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especially for certain types
of very aggressive cancers.
of very aggressive cancers.
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So we need a change because, clearly,
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what we've been doing so far
has not been working.
has not been working.
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And what we do in medicine
is to send out firefighters,
is to send out firefighters,
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because cancer is like a big fire.
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And these firefighters
are the cancer drugs.
are the cancer drugs.
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But we're sending them out
without a fire truck --
without a fire truck --
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so without transportation, without ladders
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and without emergency equipment.
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And over 99 percent of these firefighters
never make it to the fire.
never make it to the fire.
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Over 99 percent of cancer drugs
never make it to the tumor
never make it to the tumor
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because they lack transportation and tools
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to take them to the location
they're aiming for.
they're aiming for.
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Turns out, it really is all about
location, location, location.
location, location, location.
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(Laughter)
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So we need a fire truck
to get to the right location.
to get to the right location.
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And I'm here to tell you
that nanoparticles are the fire trucks.
that nanoparticles are the fire trucks.
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We can load cancer drugs
inside nanoparticles,
inside nanoparticles,
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and nanoparticles
can function as the carrier
can function as the carrier
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and necessary equipment
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to bring the cancer drugs
to the heart of the tumor.
to the heart of the tumor.
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So what are nanoparticles,
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and what does it really mean
to be nano-sized?
to be nano-sized?
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Well, there are many different
types of nanoparticles
types of nanoparticles
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made out of various materials,
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such as metal-based nanoparticles
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or fat-based nanoparticles.
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But to really illustrate
what it means to be nano-sized,
what it means to be nano-sized,
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I took one of my hair strands
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and placed it under the microscope.
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Now, I have very thin hair,
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so my hair is approximately
40,000 nanometers in diameter.
40,000 nanometers in diameter.
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So this means, if we take
400 of our nanoparticles
400 of our nanoparticles
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and we stack them on top of each other,
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we get the thickness
of a single hair strand.
of a single hair strand.
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I lead a nanoparticle laboratory
to fight cancer and other diseases
to fight cancer and other diseases
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at Mayo Clinic here in Jacksonville.
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And at Mayo Clinic,
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we really have the tools
to make a difference for patients,
to make a difference for patients,
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thanks to the generous donations
and grants to fund our research.
and grants to fund our research.
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And so, how do these nanoparticles
manage to transport cancer drugs
manage to transport cancer drugs
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to the tumor?
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Well, they have an extensive toolbox.
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Cancer drugs without nanoparticles
are quickly washed out of the body
are quickly washed out of the body
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through the kidneys
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because they're so small.
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So it's like water going through a sieve.
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And so they don't really have time
to reach the tumor.
to reach the tumor.
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Here we see an illustration of this.
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We have the firefighters,
the cancer drugs.
the cancer drugs.
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They're circulating in the blood,
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but they're quickly
washed out of the body
washed out of the body
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and they don't really end up
inside the tumor.
inside the tumor.
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But if we put these cancer drugs
inside nanoparticles,
inside nanoparticles,
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they will not get washed out by the body
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because the nanoparticles are too big.
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And they will continue
to circulate in the blood,
to circulate in the blood,
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giving them more time to find the tumor.
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And here we see the cancer drug,
the firefighters,
the firefighters,
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inside the fire truck, the nanoparticles.
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They're circulating in the blood,
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they don't get washed out
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and they actually end up
reaching the tumor.
reaching the tumor.
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And so what other tools
do nanoparticles have?
do nanoparticles have?
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Well, they can protect cancer drugs
from getting destroyed inside the body.
from getting destroyed inside the body.
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There are certain very important
but sensitive drugs
but sensitive drugs
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that are easily degraded
by enzymes in the blood.
by enzymes in the blood.
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So unless they have
this nanoparticle protection,
this nanoparticle protection,
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they will not be able to function.
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Another nanoparticle tool
are these surface extensions
are these surface extensions
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that are like tiny hands with fingers
that grab on to the tumor
that grab on to the tumor
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and fit exactly onto it,
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so that when the nanoparticles
are circulating,
are circulating,
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they can attach onto the cancer cells,
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buying the cancer drugs
more time to do their job.
more time to do their job.
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And these are just some of the many tools
that nanoparticles can have.
that nanoparticles can have.
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And today,
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we have more than 10 clinically approved
nanoparticles for cancer
nanoparticles for cancer
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that are given to patients
all over the world.
all over the world.
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Yet, we have patients,
like Rebecca, who die.
like Rebecca, who die.
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So what are the major
challenges and limitations
challenges and limitations
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with currently approved nanoparticles?
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Well, a major challenge is the liver,
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because the liver is the body's
filtration system,
filtration system,
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and the liver recognizes
and destroys foreign objects,
and destroys foreign objects,
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such as viruses, bacteria
and also nanoparticles.
and also nanoparticles.
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And the immune cells in the liver
eat the nanoparticles,
eat the nanoparticles,
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preventing them from reaching the tumor.
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And here we see an illustration
where the kidney is no longer a problem,
where the kidney is no longer a problem,
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but these fire trucks, the nanoparticles,
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get stuck in the liver
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and, actually, less of them
end up reaching the tumor.
end up reaching the tumor.
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So a future strategy
to improve nanoparticles
to improve nanoparticles
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is to temporarily disarm
the immune cells in the liver.
the immune cells in the liver.
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So how do we disarm these cells?
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Well, we looked at drugs
that were already clinically approved
that were already clinically approved
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for other indications
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to see if any of them
could stop the immune cells
could stop the immune cells
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from eating the nanoparticles.
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And unexpectedly,
in one of our preclinical studies,
in one of our preclinical studies,
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we found that a 70-year-old malaria drug
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was able to stop the immune cells
from internalizing the nanoparticles
from internalizing the nanoparticles
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so that they could escape the liver
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and continue their journey
to their goal, the tumor.
to their goal, the tumor.
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And here we see the illustration
of blocking the liver.
of blocking the liver.
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The nanoparticles don't go there,
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and they instead end up in the tumor.
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So, sometimes, unexpected connections
are made in science
are made in science
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that lead to new solutions.
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Another strategy
for preventing nanoparticles
for preventing nanoparticles
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from getting stuck in the liver
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is to use the body's own nanoparticles.
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Yes -- surprise, surprise.
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You, and you and you, and all of us
have a lot of nanoparticles
have a lot of nanoparticles
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circulating in our bodies.
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And because they're part of our bodies,
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the liver is less likely
to label them as foreign.
to label them as foreign.
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And these biological nanoparticles
can be found in the saliva,
can be found in the saliva,
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in the blood, in the urine,
in pancreatic juice.
in pancreatic juice.
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And we can collect them from the body
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and use them as fire trucks
for cancer drugs.
for cancer drugs.
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And in this case,
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the immune cells in the liver
are less likely to eat
are less likely to eat
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the biological nanoparticles.
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So we're using
a Trojan-horse-based concept
a Trojan-horse-based concept
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to fool the liver.
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And here we see
the biological nanoparticles
the biological nanoparticles
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circulating in the blood.
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They don't get recognized by the liver,
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and they end up in the tumor.
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And in the future,
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we want to exploit
nature's own nanoparticles
nature's own nanoparticles
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for cancer drug delivery,
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to reduce side effects and save lives
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by preventing the cancer drugs
from being in the wrong location.
from being in the wrong location.
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However, a major problem has been:
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How do we isolate these biological
nanoparticles in large quantities
nanoparticles in large quantities
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without damaging them?
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My lab has developed
an efficient method for doing this.
an efficient method for doing this.
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We can process large quantities
of liquids from the body
of liquids from the body
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to produce a highly concentrated,
high-quality formulation
high-quality formulation
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of biological nanoparticles.
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And these nanoparticles
are not yet in clinical use,
are not yet in clinical use,
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because it takes an average of 12 years
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to get something from the lab
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to your medicine cabinet.
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And this is the type of challenge
that requires teamwork
that requires teamwork
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from scientists and physicians,
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who dedicate their lives to this battle.
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And we keep going,
thanks to inspiration from patients.
thanks to inspiration from patients.
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And I believe that if we keep working
on these nanomedicines,
on these nanomedicines,
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we will be able to reduce harm
to healthy organs,
to healthy organs,
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improve quality of life
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and save future patients.
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I like to imagine
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that if these treatments
had been available for Rebecca,
had been available for Rebecca,
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that call from her
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could have been an invitation
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not to her funeral,
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but her wedding.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Joy Wolfram - NanotechnologistJoy Wolfram leads a nanomedicine research lab with the goal of developing innovative nanoparticles that bring the next generation of treatments directly to the clinic.
Why you should listen
Dr. Joy Wolfram has designed many preclinical nanoparticles for treating cancer and other life-threatening diseases, and has authored more than 50 publications in the past five years. She is the director of the Nanomedicine and Extracellular Vesicles Laboratory at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and holds affiliate faculty positions at the Houston Methodist Hospital, the University of North Florida and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. She is a board member and scientific advisor of several companies around the world with a cumulative customer base of more than 18 million.
Wolfram's mission is to inspire and support underrepresented minorities in science. She is actively involved in community outreach and scientific education, including serving as the chair of an education and outreach working group of the National Cancer Institute in the United States. She was included in the Amgen Scholars "ten to watch" list, which highlights the best and brightest up-and-comers in science and medicine across 42 countries.
A native of Finland, Wolfram was selected as one of 12 internationally accomplished Finns, alongside Nobel laureates. She was also listed on the Forbes "30 under 30" in healthcare in 2019. Additionally, she is part of the Global Young Academy, which represents 83 countries and is limited to 200 members who are selected based on scientific excellence and commitment to service.
Joy Wolfram | Speaker | TED.com