Hacking the cell
4. Activate the expression of the gene when the opioid-markers are detected above a threshold that indicates overdose and development into opioid-induced-respiratory-depression (OIRD); 5. thus, reverse the effects of the overdose either directly through synthesis of opioid-receptor antagonists, or through detection by an electronic device that could then release a drug such as naloxone intravenously. This circuit could be injected – through an adenovirus vector, say – into at-risk people and become an established element of their genome, waiting for the right time to help. This is just one example, as SBCs could help with many other medical issues. Consider the prevalence of breast cancer. There are 55,900 new breast cancer cases every year in the UK, 14 costing the NHS over £700 million in screening and diagnosis alone. 15 In the future, the mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy required to diagnose breast cancer could be replaced by an SBC circuit that requires the simultaneous input of multiple markers of breast cancer, such as cancer-cell antigens and changes expressed by the tumour microenvironment, to produce an output such as an antibody that could then be detected by a simple ELISA test, allowing for cheaper and quicker screening for breast cancer. In infectious disease, microorganisms could be manipulated to locate and attack specific pathogens, aiding the immune system. 16 Alongside healthcare, SBCs may become revelatory for the pharmaceutical industry, allowing
the biosynthesis of key drugs so that they can be produced more cheaply, and increasing the experimental potential for drug discovery. 17 Other developments alongside genetic engineering also promise broad medical benefits. One of the most exciting ventures is the Figure 4 A single dose of Narcan, the most popular brand of naloxone, in nasal spray form. Emergency medications such as these could be incorporated into medical devices activated by biological circuits
CRN++ ‘ molecular programming language ’ developed by the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. 18 CRN++ is a compiler – software that translates code from a high-level programming language such as Python or JavaScript into a lower-level language such as basic machine code that is usually only read Figure 5 The CRN++ code for a highest common factor (or ‘greatest common divisor’) algorithm. The overlapping concentrations at t=400 show the highest common factor – 4
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