Author Topic: 17 year-old creates cancer-killing nanoparticle  (Read 1350 times)

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Online Pandora

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17 year-old creates cancer-killing nanoparticle
« on: December 09, 2011, 01:50:33 PM »
At the age of 17 I was paying attention in college, but still enjoying the student life as much as studying towards my career goals.

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What I wasn’t doing was working at the cutting edge of cancer treatment and developing a potential cure.

Angela Zhang is, and she’s just been awarded the $100,000 Grand Prize in the Individual category of the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. Her project was entitled “Design of Image-guided, Photo-thermal Controlled Drug Releasing Multifunctional Nanosystem for the Treatment of Cancer Stem Cells.”

Her creation is being heralded as a “Swiss army knife of cancer treatment.” Zhang managed to develop a nanoparticle that can be delivered to the site of a tumor through the drug salinomycin. Once there it kills the cancer stem cells. However, Zhang went further and included both gold and iron-oxide components, which allow for non-invasive imaging of the site through MRI and Photoacoustics.

As to why she chose this as her project, Zhang explains that she was surprised when looking at the survival rates of patients receiving cancer treatment. As cancer stem cells are resistant to many forms of cancer treatment, it seemed like an area worth focusing on. Her nanoparticle is award-winning due to the fact it has the potential to overcome cancer resistance while offering up the ability to monitor the effects of the treatment in real-time using existing imaging techniques.

Zhang’s achievement is impressive considering she is only 17 years old, but also due to the level of understanding required to create such a nanoparticle in the first place. She has spent over 1,000 hours since 2009 researching and developing the particle, and wants to go on to study chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, or physics. Her dream job is to be a research professor.

H/T Bonz

Angela won 100K in the Siemens Competition for this creation.
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Online ToddF

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Re: 17 year-old creates cancer-killing nanoparticle
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2011, 01:58:03 PM »
I wonder what her academic history is, before college?

I get the sense it doesn't include words such as Chicago Public School System.

Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: 17 year-old creates cancer-killing nanoparticle
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2011, 02:03:07 PM »
I wonder what her academic history is, before college?

I get the sense it doesn't include words such as Chicago Public School System.

There are public officials in Chicago advocating adding a fifth year to high school because they don't think 4 is enough to prepare kids for college!

She had parents and teachers who believe kids can learn and achieve.

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Offline Damn_Lucky

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Re: 17 year-old creates cancer-killing nanoparticle
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2011, 06:01:00 PM »
I first heard about this from Glenn B and he's putting his money behind it and it sounds like it could be a real CURE! Let's hope because that C word has wrecked he!! on my family. ::praying::
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Offline Libertas

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Re: 17 year-old creates cancer-killing nanoparticle
« Reply #4 on: December 13, 2011, 06:53:52 AM »
I'm with ya DL, let's hope this process can save a lot of people!

 ::praying::

And big kudos to Angela!

 ::thumbsup::   ::cool::   ::danceban::
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