CASE 4: gene hackers
UNDERSTANDING CANCER and how gene editing & gene therapy may help to treat it or prevent it
WHAT ARE WE DOING IN THIS CASE STUDY?
One in three adults in developed countries will live long enough to develop cancer and one in four will die because of it. According to the WHO, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, accounting for almost 10 million deaths per year, or one in six deaths. Cancer arises from the transformation of normal cells into tumour cells. These changes are the result of the interaction between a person's genetic factors and various types of external agents.
Cancer exerts a huge physical, emotional and financial strain on individuals, families, communities and health systems but, Do we really now what cancer is? Are we really informed about its triggering factors and potential treatments?
In this case we will learn about all these topics and explore together the medical revolution that genetic engineering techniques and gene therapy are creating for the future of cancer prevention and treatment.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO WORK?
We will go together through the following tasks:
In Task 1 we will do some research on cancer causes, factors and treatments to create an infographic summarising all the basic information.
In Task 2 we will focus on the group of techniques able to create genetic "updates" and place them into our genetic material: gene editing & gene therapy. Working with the real case of genetically modified bacteriae to produce a milk protein (HAMLET), we will learn about the procedures to make such edition and how they may change our way to treat many types of genetic diseases, including cancer.
In Task 3 we will work with some selected data and plots to explore the patterns in the geographic, economic and demographic distribution of cancer and cancer types. We will also explore the existence of cancer risk factors.
To complete all these tasks, you need to download the following materials (click on the buttons and download them to get an editable copy):
TASK 1: the big c
Cancer is a condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and reproduce uncontrollably. The cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy tissue, including organs. Cancer sometimes begins in one part of the body before spreading to other areas. This process is known as metastasis.
Use the information in the supporting documents (only section 1 for this task), web and videos for the Case to create an infographic about cancer.
Resources about cancer
Some of these websites are available both in Spanish and in English:
TASK 2: gene editing and cancer treatment using gmo
As you know, each of your cells has a copy of your genome—the total collection of all your genes and DNA. Genes are instructions that every cell in your body uses to make the proteins they need to function.
Unfortunately, our genes can also be a source of disease. Small breaks in our DNA are incredibly common. DNA breaks can happen from sunlight, for example, or during cell divisions that happen as we grow. Our cells have built-in DNA repair processes that constantly fix these breaks as they occur.
However, breaks are sometimes repaired incorrectly, creating what is known as a mutation. Mutations can occur spontaneously or be passed down from our parents. Mutations can also change how our cells function, and may lead to serious diseases, such as cancer and many others.
In gene editing, a mutated gene is revised, removed, or replaced at the DNA level. In gene therapy, the effect of a mutation is offset by inserting a “healthy” version of a faulty gene, by adding genes to help the body to fight or treat disease, or by turning off genes that are causing problems.
In this task we will explore the group of techniques able to create such genetic "updates" and place them into genetic material: i.e. gene editing & gene therapy. Then, we will go through a real case about the research and transgenic production of a protein to treat cancer: HAMLET.
TASK 3: beyond the cold numbers
In this task we are trying to know if there is any pattern in the geographic, economic and demographic distribution of cancer and cancer types. We will also explore the existence of cancer risk factors.
To do so, we will be working with some selected plots to deduce and explain the general trends described by them.
