08-06-2014, 05:55 AM
Dear all,
I wanted to ask a question regarding the parasite Naegleria fowleri. Would it be possible to modify this particular parasite using current knowledge in genetics in such a way that it would only eat cancerous brain tissue ( e.g. glioblastoma ) instead of all brain tissue? Basically the modified parasite would be turned into a biomicro-bot.
Quote from the wiki:
"The organism begins to consume cells of the brain, piecemeal, by means of an amoebostome, a unique actin-rich, sucking apparatus extended from its cell surface."
Now imagine it would only do that to cancerous brain cells...
In the case that something like that is currently impossible. What kind of knowledge in genetics is needed in order to make these kind of modifications to existing organisms? And when may this kind of knowledge become available?
I wanted to ask a question regarding the parasite Naegleria fowleri. Would it be possible to modify this particular parasite using current knowledge in genetics in such a way that it would only eat cancerous brain tissue ( e.g. glioblastoma ) instead of all brain tissue? Basically the modified parasite would be turned into a biomicro-bot.
Quote from the wiki:
"The organism begins to consume cells of the brain, piecemeal, by means of an amoebostome, a unique actin-rich, sucking apparatus extended from its cell surface."
Now imagine it would only do that to cancerous brain cells...
In the case that something like that is currently impossible. What kind of knowledge in genetics is needed in order to make these kind of modifications to existing organisms? And when may this kind of knowledge become available?
"Hydrogen is a light, odorless gas, which, given enough time, turns into people." -- Edward Robert Harrison