The Skinny: Top 4 SciAm Reads
I know I almost never post mid-week, but this weekend is going to be jam-packed with adventures so I wanted to make sure that I wrote out this blog post before the ensuing mayhem. First exciting piece of news: my NOLA trip is official! My friends Erin and Meredyth will be adventuring with me to Louisiana for our first out-of-state vacation! Planning is now in the works and I can't wait to share the photos when we get back after Memorial Day weekend. Enough of my gabbing - here are the top 5 reads from this month's Scientific American:
Cancerous Co-conspirators This article explores how tumor cells that travel in a group are responsible for metastasis. The aggregate of cells survives and travels more effectively than a single cancer cell. The article cites work by Andrew Ewald and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University.
The Paradox of Precision Medicine Interesting take on the pros and cons of personalized medicine. While precision medicine may be costly and time-consuming, it begs the question of whether or not specific treatments (with small target patient populations) are worth pursuing if they have curative potential.
The Cancer Defense Confession: I know next to nothing about Immunology, but it seems like a truly innovative (and parsimonious?) approach to treating cancer - ramping up the body's own defenses to fight off the cancer. Thinking back to The Emperor of All Maladies, I recall a quote that treating cancer is like asking someone to find a poison that dissolves the left ear while leaving the right ear unperturbed.
Machine Life Am I the only person that is just now hearing about this type of bioengineering? Synthetic biologists are close to putting living cells to work diagnosing human diseases and repairing environmental damage.
Hopefully one of these articles sparks your interest! I'm working on the finishing details for my mom's wedding reception, our summer trip to Greece, and the menu for my book club meeting next month. I've got a lot of things on my plate, but so far enjoying every minute of my last few weeks in Virginia :)
