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IrinaKareva_2017S-_数学有助于揭开癌症的奥秘_
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I am a translator. |
我是一名翻译。 |
I translate from biology into mathematics and vice versa . |
我把生物学翻译成数学, 反之亦然。 |
translate:v.翻译;被翻译;被译成;(使)转变; biology:n.(一个地区全部的)生物;生物学; mathematics:n.数学;数学运算; vice versa:反之亦然;
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I write mathematical models which, in my case, are systems of differential equations , to describe biological mechanisms , such as cell growth. |
我建造数学模型, 用微分方程组, 来描述生物学机制, 比如说细胞的生长。 |
mathematical:adj.数学的,数学上的;精确的; differential:adj.微分的;差别的;特异的;n.微分;差别; equations:n.方程式;等式;均等;均势(equation的复数形式); describe:v.描述;形容;把…称为;画出…图形; biological:adj.生物学的;生物的;与生命过程有关的;加酶的;n.[药]生物制品; mechanisms:n.机制;[机]机构(mechanism的复数);机械;[机]机构学;
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Essentially , it works like this. |
基本来说,运作过程如下。 |
Essentially:adv.本质上;本来;
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First, I identify the key elements that I believe may be driving behavior over time of a particular mechanism. |
首先,我找出关键的元素, 那些我认为 可能会随着时间的推移, 影响某些特定机制运作的元素。 |
identify:v.识别:鉴定:确认:发现: elements:n.要素;基本部分;少量;一群;(element的复数)
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Then, I formulate assumptions about how these elements interact with each other and with their environment. |
然后,我做出假设, 猜测这些元素 如何与彼此互动, 与它们的环境互动。 |
formulate:v.制订;规划;准备;确切表达; assumptions:n.假定;假设;承担;获得;(assumption的复数) interact:v.互相影响;互相作用;n.幕间剧;幕间休息;
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It may look something like this. |
可能看起来像这样。 |
Then, I translate these assumptions into equations, which may look something like this. |
然后,我把这些假设 翻译成方程, 它看起来可能像这样。 |
Finally , I analyze my equations and translate the results back into the language of biology. |
最后,我分析我的方程, 并把结果翻译回生物学语言。 |
Finally:adv.终于;最终;(用于列举)最后;彻底地; analyze:v.对…进行分析,分解(等于analyse);
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A key aspect of mathematical modeling is that we, as modelers , do not think about what things are; we think about what they do. |
数学建模的一个关键点在于, 我们作为建模者, 不是想这些东西“是”什么, 而是想它们“做”什么。 |
aspect:n.方面;层面;外观;方位; modelers:n.塑造者;制造模型者(model的名词形式);
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We think about relationships between individuals , whether they be cells, animals or people, and how they interact with each other and with their environment. |
我们思考个体之间的关系, 不管这些个体是细胞、动物还是人, 我们想它们如何与彼此相互影响、 与它们周围的环境相互影响。 |
individuals:n.[经]个人;[生物]个体(individual的复数);
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Let me give you an example. |
让我来举个例子。 |
What do foxes and immune cells have in common? |
狐狸和免疫细胞之间 有什么共同点? |
immune:adj.免疫的;免于…的,免除的;n.免疫者;免除者;
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They're both predators , except foxes feed on rabbits, and immune cells feed on invaders , such as cancer cells. |
它们都是捕食者, 只不过狐狸吃兔子, 而免疫细胞以入侵者为食, 比如说癌细胞。 |
predators:n.捕食性动物;实行弱肉强食的人(或机构);掠夺者;(predator的复数) invaders:n.侵略者(invader的复数);侵入种; cancer:n.癌症;恶性肿瘤;
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But from a mathematical point of view , a qualitatively same system of predator-prey type equations will describe interactions between foxes and rabbits and cancer and immune cells. |
但是从数学的角度来说, 用本质上相同的 捕食者——猎物方程系统, 就能描述狐狸与兔子 之间的相互影响 还有癌细胞与免疫细胞 之间的相互影响。 |
point of view:观点;见地;立场; qualitatively:adv.定性地;从品质上讲; predator-prey:捕食者-食饵; interactions:n.[计]交互,相互作用;相互交流;干扰;(interaction复数)
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Predator-prey type systems have been studied extensively in scientific literature , describing interactions of two populations, where survival of one depends on consuming the other. |
捕食者——猎物类型的方程系统, 已经在科学文献中被广泛研究, 它被用来描述 两个种群之间的相互影响, 其中一个种群吃掉另一个种群 才能得以生存。 |
extensively:adv.广阔地;广大地; scientific:adj.科学的,系统的; literature:n.文学;文献;文艺;著作; describing:v.描述;形容;把…称为;做…运动;(describe的现在分词) survival:n.幸存,残存;幸存者,残存物; consuming:adj.消费的;强烈的;v.消耗(consume的ing形式);
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And these same equations provide a framework for understanding cancer-immune interactions, where cancer is the prey, and the immune system is the predator. |
也就是这些方程为我们 提供了一个框架 来了解癌细胞与免疫系统 之间的相互影响, 在这套方程中,癌细胞是猎物, 免疫系统是捕食者。 |
immune system:n.免疫系统;
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And the prey employs all sorts of tricks to prevent the predator from killing it, ranging from camouflaging itself to stealing the predator's food. |
猎物会采用一切诡计 来防止被捕食者杀死, 从伪装自己, 到偷走捕食者的食物。 |
camouflaging:n.伪装,掩饰;vt.伪装,掩饰;vi.伪装起来;
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This can have some very interesting implications . |
这可能会产生一些非常有趣的情况。 |
implications:n.蕴涵式;暗指,暗示;含蓄,含意;卷入(implication的复数);
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For example, despite enormous successes in the field of immunotherapy , there still remains somewhat limited efficacy when it comes solid tumors . |
举例来说,尽管我们在免疫疗法领域 取得了巨大的成就, 但在面对实体恶性肿瘤时, 其疗效还是十分有限的。 |
despite:prep.尽管,不管;n.轻视;憎恨;侮辱; enormous:adj.庞大的,巨大的;凶暴的,极恶的; in the field of:在…方面,在…领域; immunotherapy:n.免疫疗法; somewhat:n.几分;某物;adv.有点;多少;几分;稍微; limited:adj.有限的; n.高级快车; v.限制; (limit的过去分词和过去式) efficacy:n.功效,效力; tumors:n.肿瘤(tumor的复数);
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But if you think about it ecologically , both cancer and immune cells -- the prey and the predator -- require nutrients such as glucose to survive. |
但如果从生态学的观点来思考的话, 不管是癌细胞和免疫细胞—— 即猎物和捕食者—— 都需要营养(如葡萄糖)来生存。 |
ecologically:adv.从生态学的观点看; nutrients:营养盐;[食品]营养素; glucose:n.葡萄糖;葡糖(等于dextrose);
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If cancer cells outcompete the immune cells for shared nutrients in the tumor microenvironment , then the immune cells will physically not be able to do their job. |
如果癌细胞比免疫细胞 摄入的共享养分更多, 在肿瘤的微环境中, 免疫细胞就不能够 完成它们的工作。 |
microenvironment:n.[生](动植物生长的)微(小)环境;
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This predator-prey-shared resource type model is something I've worked on in my own research. |
这种 捕食者—猎物—共享资源类的模型, 是我一直在研究的。 |
resource:n.资源;资料;才智;财力;v.向…提供资金(或设备);
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And it was recently shown experimentally that restoring the metabolic balance in the tumor microenvironment -- that is, making sure immune cells get their food -- can give them, the predators, back their edge in fighting cancer, the prey. |
最近的实验表明 恢复肿瘤微环境中的 新陈代谢平衡—— 也就是确保免疫细胞 得到它们的食物—— 可以使免疫细胞(捕食者)在 与癌细胞(猎物)对抗时找回优势。 |
recently:adv.最近;新近; experimentally:adv.实验上;用实验方法;实验式地; restoring:adj.恢复的;v.恢复,重建;正在恢复;(restore的现在分词); metabolic:adj.变化的;新陈代谢的;
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This means that if you abstract a bit, you can think about cancer itself as an ecosystem , where heterogeneous populations of cells compete and cooperate for space and nutrients, interact with predators -- the immune system -- migrate -- metastases -- all within the ecosystem of the human body. |
意思就是,抽象一点来想, 你可以把癌细胞自身 想象成一个生态系统, 在这个系统中,多样的细胞种群 相互竞争、相互合作 来获取空间和营养, 与捕食者——免疫细胞相互影响, 迁移,也就是新陈代谢…… 这全都发生在人体 这个生态系统之中。 |
abstract:n.摘要; adj.抽象的; vt.摘要; vi.做摘要; ecosystem:n.生态系统; heterogeneous:adj.[化学]多相的;异种的;[化学]不均匀的;由不同成分形成的; compete:v.竞争;对抗;参加比赛(或竞赛); cooperate:v.合作;配合;协作;结合; migrate:vi.移动;随季节而移居;移往;vt.使移居;使移植; metastases:n.转移(metastasis的复数);
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And what do we know about most ecosystems from conservation biology? |
那么,从生物保护的角度来看, 我 们对大多数生态系统有哪些了解? |
ecosystems:n.生态系统(ecosystem的复数); conservation:n.保存,保持;保护;
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That one of the best ways to extinguish species is not to target them directly but to target their environment. |
那就是,让一个物种灭绝的 最佳方式之一, 不是直接毁灭物种本身, 而是破坏它们所生存的环境。 |
extinguish:vt.熄灭;压制;偿清; species:n.[生物]物种;种类; directly:adv.直接地;立即;马上;正好地;坦率地;conj.一…就;
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And so, once we have identified the key components of the tumor environment, we can propose hypotheses and simulate scenarios and therapeutic interventions all in a completely safe and affordable way |
这样一来,一旦我们明确了 肿瘤环境的关键成分, 我们可以做出假设, 模拟情景,然后进行干预治疗, 这全部采用一种十分安全 和实惠的方法 |
identified:v.确认;认出;找到;发现;说明身份;(identify的过去式和过去分词) components:n.部件;组件;成份(component复数); propose:v.建议;提议;求婚;打算; hypotheses:n.假定;臆测(hypothesis的复数); simulate:vt.模仿;假装;冒充;adj.模仿的;假装的; scenarios:n.情节;脚本;情景介绍(scenario的复数); therapeutic:adj.治疗的;治疗学的;有益于健康的;n.治疗剂;治疗学家; interventions:n.[法]干预,干涉;处置(intervention的复数); affordable:adj.负担得起的;
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and target different components of the microenvironment in such a way as to kill the cancer without harming the host, such as me or you. |
之后以微环境中不同的成分为目标 在不危害宿主的情况下 杀死癌细胞, 宿主可以是你,或者是我。 |
And so while the immediate goal of my research is to advance research and innovation and to reduce its cost, the real intent , of course, is to save lives. |
所以,当前我研究的直接目标, 是推动研究与创新的发展 降低成本, 当然,真实的目的是拯救生命。 |
innovation:n.创新,革新;新方法; intent:n.意图;目的;含义;adj.专心的;急切的;坚决的;
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And that's what I try to do through mathematical modeling applied to biology, and in particular , to the development of drugs. |
这也是我一直在尝试的, 将数学建模应用于生物学, 特别是应用于药物的开发上。 |
applied:adj.应用的;实用的;v.应用;使用;申请,请求;(apply的过去分词和过去式) in particular:尤其,特别;
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It's a field that until relatively recently has remained somewhat marginal , but it has matured . |
直到最近, 这都还是一个有些边缘化的领域, 但它已经成熟。 |
relatively:adv.相当程度上;相当地;相对地; marginal:adj.边缘的;临界的;末端的; matured:adj.成熟的;到期的;v.成熟;到期(mature的过去分词);
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And there are now very well-developed mathematical methods, a lot of preprogrammed tools, including free ones, and an ever-increasing amount of computational power available to us. |
现在有很多开发成熟的数学方法, 有很多预编工具, 包括很多免费的, 我们能获取的计算能力在不断增多。 |
well-developed:adj.发达的;发育良好的; preprogrammed:adj.预编的;预排程序的; ever-increasing:adj.不断增长的; computational:adj.计算的;
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The power and beauty of mathematical modeling lies in the fact that it makes you formalize , in a very rigorous way, what we think we know. |
数学建模的力与美 在于它可以, 用最有力的方式, 将我们的认知形式化。 |
formalize:vt.使形式化;使正式;拘泥礼仪;vi.拘泥于形式; rigorous:adj.严格的,严厉的;严密的;严酷的;
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We make assumptions, translate them into equations, run simulations , all to answer the question: |
我们做出假设, 把假设翻译成方程, 模拟场景, 全是为了回答一个问题: |
simulations:n.[计]模拟(simulation的复数);[计]仿真;
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In a world where my assumptions are true, what do I expect to see? |
如果我的假设正确的话, 我能看到什么? |
It's a pretty simple conceptual framework. |
这是一个十分简单的概念框架。 |
conceptual:adj.概念上的;
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It's all about asking the right questions. |
全在于问对问题。 |
But it can unleash numerous opportunities for testing biological hypotheses. |
但这会释放出大量 检验生物学假设的机会。 |
unleash:vt.发泄;突然释放;使爆发; numerous:adj.许多的,很多的;
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If our predictions match our observations , great! -- we got it right, so we can make further predictions by changing this or that aspect of the model. |
如果我们的预测与观察相吻合, 太好了!证明我们是对的, 这样我们就能做出进一步的预测, 通过改变模型的其他方面。 |
predictions:n.预测,预言(prediction复数形式); observations:n.观察,观察值;观察结果;(observation的复数形式);
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If, however, our predictions do not match our observations, that means that some of our assumptions are wrong, and so our understanding of the key mechanisms of underlying biology is still incomplete . |
但如果,我们的预测 与我们的观察不符, 这就意味着我们的假设出了错, 意味着我们对于生物学中潜在的, 关键机制 理解得还不够完善。 |
underlying:adj.根本的; v.构成…的基础; (underlie的现在分词) incomplete:n.未完成;adj.不完整的;不完全的;不完善的;
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Luckily, since this is a model, we control all the assumptions. |
幸好,因为这只是个模型, 我们能控制所有的假设。 |
So we can go through them, one by one , identifying which one or ones are causing the discrepancy . |
所以我们可以一个一个的仔细检查, 找出是哪个或哪些假设导致了偏差。 |
one by one:一个接一个; identifying:n.识别,标识;标识关系;v.识别;(identify的现在分词) discrepancy:n.不符;矛盾;相差;
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And then we can fill this newly identified gap in knowledge using both experimental and theoretical approaches . |
然后我们就能通过实验与理论的方式, 填补新发现的知识空白。 |
gap:n.差距;间隙;缺口;间隔;v.使豁裂;豁开; theoretical:adj.理论的;理论上的;假设的;推理的; approaches:v.靠近,接近; n.方式,方法,态度;
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Of course, any ecosystem is extremely complex , and trying to describe all the moving parts is not only very difficult, but also not very informative . |
当然,任何生态系统都极其复杂, 尝试去描述这之中的所有运动 不仅十分困难, 而且也无法获得太多信息。 |
extremely:adv.非常,极其;极端地; complex:adj.复杂的;合成的;n.复合体;综合设施; informative:adj.教育性的,有益的;情报的;见闻广博的;
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There's also the issue of timescales , because some processes take place on a scale of seconds, some minutes, some days, months and years. |
并且还有时间范围的问题, 因为有些过程发生的时间 以秒为单位,有的以分为单位, 还有的以天、月、年为单位。 |
issue:n.重要议题;争论的问题;v.宣布;公布;发出;发行; timescales:n.时标;时间量程(timescale的复数); processes:n.过程; v.处理(process的第三人称单数形式); take place:发生;举行;
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It may not always be possible to separate those out experimentally. |
把这些全部通过实验分开 是不太可能的。 |
And some things happen so quickly or so slowly that you may physically never be able to measure them. |
有的发生的太快, 有的发生的太慢, 以至于你不可能去测量它们。 |
But as mathematicians , we have the power to zoom in on any subsystem in any timescale and simulate effects of interventions that take place in any timescale. |
但是作为数学家, 我们有能力在任何时间范围内 放大任何子系统, 并模拟在任何时间范围中, 可能发生的干预效果。 |
mathematicians:n.[数]数学家(mathematician的复数形式); subsystem:n.子系统;次要系统;
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Of course, this isn't the work of a modeler alone. |
当然,这项工作光靠建模者是不行的。 |
It has to happen in close collaboration with biologists . |
他们还得与生物学家密切合作才行。 |
collaboration:n.合作;勾结;通敌; biologists:n.生物学家(biologist的复数);
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And it does demand some capacity of translation on both sides. |
这确实需要一些翻译能力, 双方都需要。 |
capacity:n.能力;容量;资格,地位;生产力;
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But starting with a theoretical formulation of a problem can unleash numerous opportunities for testing hypotheses and simulating scenarios and therapeutic interventions, all in a completely safe way. |
但是从一个问题的理论构想开始 可以释放出大量的机会 去验证假设 去模拟场景和治疗干预, 这都是在完全安全的情况下进行的。 |
formulation:n.构想,规划;公式化;简洁陈述; simulating:n.模拟;假装;
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It can identify gaps in knowledge and logical inconsistencies and can help guide us as to where we should keep looking and where there may be a dead end. |
这可以找出知识的空白、 逻辑的不一致, 可以帮忙引导我们, 让我们知道哪里值得继续寻找, 哪里可能是个死胡同。 |
gaps:n.差异,缺口;缝隙(gap的复数形式);v.裂开;使豁裂(gap的第三人称单数形式); inconsistencies:矛盾;
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In other words: mathematical modeling can help us answer questions that directly affect people's health -- that affect each person's health, actually -- because mathematical modeling will be key to propelling personalized medicine. |
换句话说: 数学建模能帮助我们回答 那些直接影响人们健康的问题—— 实际上,这会影响每个人的健康—— 因为数学建模, 将会是推动个性化医疗的关键。 |
propelling:adj.推进的;n.推进;v.推动(propel的ing形式); personalized:v.在…上标明主人姓名; (personalize的过去分词和过去式)
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And it all comes down to asking the right question and translating it to the right equation ... |
而这一切的关键在于问对问题, 然后把它翻译成正确的方程, |
and back. |
再翻译回去。 |
Thank you. |
谢谢。 |
(Applause) |
(掌声) |