The Nano World and Gene Therapy (Stem Cells)
Eliciting Ideas: “My Wishlist”
At present, advances in science and technology have become
more apparent. Inventions and new technologies transformed the
world and the everyday lives of every one of us. Many things that
were mere visions of the future yesterday are now a reality. But of
course, there are still a lot of tech innovations that remain as a
goal. On the table below, make a wish list of technological
innovations concerning each area of science that you wish one
day will come to reality.
MY WISHLIST
HEALTH ENVIRONMENT ELECTRONICS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
KNOW IT!
A nanometer (nm) is a billionth of a meter.
A nanometer is about 100 times smaller than a bacteria cell.
Your fingernails grow at the rate of about 1 nanometer per
second.
A 7-foot-tall basketball player is 2 billion nanometers tall
Nanotechnology is already applied commercially in products
ranging from mobile phones, computer discs, tennis rackets
and golf clubs to a unscreens and cosmetics.
Nanoscience is not just one science. It is a platform that
includes biology, chemistry, physics, materials science and
engineering.
Overview
Over the past few decades, research has been moving
towards the infinitely small-the nanoworld. The production of
nanotechnologies and nanodevices is now occurring at a rapid
pace. Its applications are widely diverse and have affected a
variety of fields of science and industry including energy,
environmental science, food security, electronics, and
medicine.
In medicine, nanotechnology promises to revolutionize drug
delivery, diagnostic techniques, and gene therapy. Scientists
develop new gene therapy approaches that offer a promise
for one day treating different inherited and acquired
diseases.
We have seen the huge potentials of new technologies or
fields of study, but how about the risks? It is important for us
to examine the potential for unintended consequences,
especially those related to human and environmental health.
In this module, we will talk about nanotechnology, gene
therapy, and their benefits and concerns.
Discussion
1.1 The Nano World
Just as human understanding of the natural world was
revolutionized by the discovery of light microscopes, modern
microscopes that can expose and change individual atoms
are once again exposing a whole new world-the nano world.
Scientific researchers have developed new technological
tools that greatly improved different aspects of our lives
through the use of nanoscale.
Nanotechnology refers to the science, engineering, and
technology conducted at the nanoscale. It is concerned with
building 'things' -generally, materials and devices on the
scale of atoms and molecules. It encompasses science and
technology that manufactures materials of great help to the
improvement of various areas of society especially health,
environment, energy, electronics, food, water, and
agriculture.
How Small is a Nanoscale?
A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. The illustration
below shows how small nanoscale is compared to other
particles or materials.
How to view Nanomaterials
Scientists use special types of microscopes to view minute
nanomaterials. These are the electron microscopes, and the
atomic force microscope and scanning tunneling microscope
which are just among the modern and remarkable advances in
microscopy.
1. Electron Microscope-It utilizes a particle beam of electrons to
light up a specimen and develop a well-magnified image.
They can magnify objects up to a million times.
2. Atomic force Microscope-It makes use of a mechanical probe
that gathers information from the surface of a material.
3. Scanning tunneling Microscope-It enables scientists to view
and manipulate nanoscale particles, atoms, and small
molecules
(Source: https://www.alamy.com/)
Nanomanufacturing
It refers to scaled-up, reliable, and cost-effective
manufacturing of nanoscale materials, structures, devices,
and systems. It leads to the development of new products
and improved materials. Below are the two fundamental
approaches to nanomanufacturing.
1. Bottom-up fabrication-It manufactures products by
building them up from atomic-and molecular-scale
components. However, this process can be time-consuming.
Scientists and engineers are still in search for effective ways
of putting up together molecular components that self-
assemble.
2. Top-down fabrication-It trims down large pieces of
materials into nanoscale. This process needs larger amounts
of materials and discards excess raw materials.
Benefits and Concerns of Using Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology has various applications in different sectors
of the society and environment. However, there are concerns
that need to be addressed before using and promoting
materials derived from nanotechnology.
1. Nanotechnology is not a single technology; it may become
prevalent.
2. It seeks to develop new materials with specific properties.
3. New efficiencies and paradigms may be introduced that
may render certain natural resources and current practices
uncompetitive or obsolete.
4. It may be complicated to detect its presence unless one
has the specialist tools of nanotechnology.
Table 1. Benefits and Concerns of the Application of
Nanotechnology in Different Areas
1.2 Gene Therapy
Medical Science has detected many human diseases related
to defective genes. These types of diseases are not curable
by traditional methods like taking readily available
medicines.
Gene therapy is an experimental technique for the treatment
or prevention of disease using genes. In the future, instead
of using drugs or surgery, this technique could allow doctors
to treat a disease by inserting a gene into the cells of a
patient.
The Basic Process
There are several approaches to gene therapy. These are the
following:
Replacement of mutated gene that causes disease with a
healthy copy of the gene.
Inactivation of a mutated gene that is functioning
improperly.
Introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a
disease.
In general, a gene cannot be directly inserted into a human
gene or cell. A gene is inserted into another gene using a
carrier or vector. At present, the most common type of
vectors are viruses that have been genetically changed to
carry normal human DNA.
Two Types of Gene Therapy
1. Somatic gene therapy-involves the manipulation of genes
in any cells of the body except sperm and egg cells that will
be helpful to the patient but not inherited to the patient's
descendants.
2. Germ-line gene therapy-involves the genetic modification
of reproductive cells such as sperm and egg cells that will
pass the change on to the next generation.
Stem Cell Gene Therapy
Have you heard about stem cells in the news? If yes, perhaps
you've wondered if they might help you or your loved one
with a serious disease. You may wonder how they're being
used to treat diseases, and why they are being discussed so
vigorously.
Stem cells are mother cells that have the potential to
become any type of cell in the body. Under the right
conditions in the body or a laboratory, stem cells divide to
self-renew or multiply. They can become cells of the blood,
heart, bones, skin, muscles, brain, among others.
Why is there such an interest in stem cells? Researchers and
doctors hope stem cell studies can help to:
1. Increase understanding of how diseases occur.
2. Generate healthy cells to replace diseased cells
(regenerative medicine).
3. Test new drugs for safety and effectiveness.
Sources of stem cells
1. Embryonic stem cells-are derived from a three to five-day-
old human embryo that is in blastocyst phase of
development and has about 150 cells. The embryos are
usually extras that have been created in IVF (in vitro
fertilization) clinics where several eggs are fertilized in a test
tube then implanted into a woman.
2. Somatic stem cells-are cells that exist throughout the
body after embryonic development. They are also capable of
self-renewal and, with appropriate signals, differentiate into
various cell types from the organ from which they are
derived. The extent to which they are capable of creating
various types of cells is controversial.
The Bioethics of Gene Therapy
There are ethical issues involved in gene therapy. Some of
the inquiry cited are the following:
1. How can “good” and “bad” uses of gene therapy be
distinguished?
2. Who decides which traits are normal and which constitute
a disability or disorder?
3. Will the high costs of gene therapy make it available only
to the wealthy?
4. Should people be allowed to use gene therapy to enhance
human traits such as height, intelligence, or athletic ability?
Evaluation
A. Make a simple concept map showing the potential and
realized impacts of nanotechnology on society.
Rubric for Concept Mapping
Rubric for Concept Mapping
Criter 10 7-9 4-6 1-3
ia
Contents Contents Some Contents are
Content are are contents are irrelevant.
relevant. relevant. not relevant. Many
The topics Some of Some subtopics are
are properly the subtopics missing and
summarized subtopics are not are not
and are not included and properly
organized. included. are not summarized
Topics are properly and
organized summarized organized.
. and
organized.
Ideas and Ideas and Some of the The concept
figures are figures ideas and map is plain
Creativit creative. are figures are and not
y Thoughts creative. creative. creative.
are original; Some Some
drawings thoughts thoughts are
are neat are familiar;
and clear. familiar; drawings are
drawings almost neat
are and clear.
almost
neat and
clear.
Instructor’s Comments
Supply Type
B. Answer the following questions briefly.
1. Would you subject yourself to gene therapy
without its 100% assurance of effectiveness or future
negative effects? Why or why not?
2. Should gene therapy be limited to medical
concerns only or could it be used for aesthetic
purposes?
3. Among the various forms of gene therapy, which
do you think has the fewest ethical concerns? Why?
4. Do you think the government should fund
researches on human germline gene therapy? Why or
why not?
C. Complete the following metacognitive
phrases.
1. For me, nanotechnology and gene therapy are
beneficial to global health because…
2. Even though the Nano world has provided many
great advances, there are also some alarming
concerns about potential health risks because…
4. After seeing the potential benefits and detriments of
Nano world and gene therapy, I realized that…
