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PaulaHammond_2015P-_对抗癌症的新超级武器_
Cancer affects all of us -- especially the ones that come back over and over again , the highly invasive and drug-resistant ones, the ones that defy medical treatment , even when we throw our best drugs at them. 癌症会影响所有人-- 尤其是那些反覆发作, 具高入侵性、抗药性的癌症, 即使我们给病患做最好的治疗, 病况也毫无起色。
Cancer:n.癌症;恶性肿瘤; especially:adv.尤其;特别;格外;十分; over and over again:adv.一再地;反复不断地; highly:adv.高度地;非常;非常赞许地; invasive:adj.侵略性的;攻击性的; drug-resistant:adj.耐药的;抗药性的; defy:vt.藐视;公然反抗;挑衅;使落空;n.挑战;对抗; treatment:n.治疗;疗法;对待;处理;讨论;
Engineering at the molecular level, working at the smallest of scales , can provide exciting new ways to fight the most aggressive forms of cancer. 分子工程 在极微小的尺度运作, 可以提供令人振奋的新方法 来跟最具攻击性的癌症搏斗。
molecular:adj.[化学]分子的;由分子组成的; scales:n.规模范围; v.攀登; (scale的第三人称单数和复数) aggressive:adj.侵略性的;好斗的;有进取心的;有闯劲的;
Cancer is a very clever disease . 癌症是一种非常聪明的疾病。
disease:n.病,[医]疾病;弊病;vt.传染;使…有病;
There are some forms of cancer,which, fortunately , we've learned how to address relatively well with known and established drugs and surgery . 很幸运的, 我们能运用现有的药物和手术来有效地治疗ㄧ些癌症。
fortunately:adv.幸运地; relatively:adv.相当程度上;相当地;相对地; established:adj.已确立的;著名的;v.建立;创立;设立;(establish的过去分词和过去式) surgery:n.外科;外科手术;手术室;诊疗室;
But there are some forms of cancer that don't respond to these approaches , and the tumor survives or comes back, even after an onslaught of drugs. 但是针对其他的癌症, 这些治疗完全无效, 肿瘤仍旧会继续生存或者再度复发。 即使我们持续投放最强烈的药物。
respond:vi.回答;作出反应;承担责任;n.应答;唱和; approaches:v.靠近,接近; n.方式,方法,态度; tumor:n.肿瘤;肿块;赘生物; onslaught:n.猛攻;突击;
We can think of these very aggressive forms of cancer as kind of supervillains in a comic book. 我们可以把那些非常具攻击性的癌症, 想像成漫画书中的超级坏蛋。
They're clever, they're adaptable , and they're very good at staying alive. 它们既聪明,又善于适应环境, 而且擅长求生。
adaptable:adj.适合的;能适应的;可修改的;
And, like most supervillains these days, their superpowers come from a genetic mutation . 而且就像现今的超级坏蛋一样, 它们的超能力来自基因突变。
superpowers:n.超级大国;超能力;超级强权;(superpower的复数形式) genetic:adj.基因的;遗传学的; mutation:n.[遗]突变;变化;元音变化;
The genes that are modified inside these tumor cells can enable and encode for new and unimagined modes of survival , allowing the cancer cell to live through even our best chemotherapy treatments . 那些肿瘤细胞内变异的基因 能够编译出一种崭新、令人难以想像的生存模式, 使癌细胞在历经最好的化疗之后 仍然能够存活下来。
genes:n.基因;(gene的复数) modified:adj.改进的,修改的;改良的;v.修改;缓和;(modify的过去分词); enable:v.使能够;使有机会;使成为可能;使可行; encode:vt.(将文字材料)译成密码;编码,编制成计算机语言; unimagined:adj.没有想到过的;无法想象的;没有设想过的; modes:n.模式(mode的复数形式);方法;分辨率; survival:n.幸存,残存;幸存者,残存物; live through:度过;经受过; chemotherapy:n.[临床]化学疗法; treatments:n.治疗;疗法;对待;处理;讨论;(treatment的复数)
One example is a trick in which a gene allows a cell, even as the drug approaches the cell, to push the drug out,before the drug can have any effect. 例如,癌细胞有一种基因 能够在药物接近细胞还没发挥作用之前, 让细胞把药物推走。
Imagine -- the cell effectively spits out the drug. 你可以把它想像成细胞成功地把药物吐出来。
This is just one example of the many genetic tricks in the bag of our supervillain , cancer. 这只是超级坏蛋--癌症 众多基因把戏中的一个例子而已。
in the bag:十拿九稳的;稳操胜券的; supervillain:超级大反派;超级大坏蛋;
All due to mutant genes. 原因皆是突变基因。
mutant:n.突变体;突变异种;adj.突变的;
So, we have a supervillain with incredible superpowers. 当我们面对一个拥有惊人能力的超级坏蛋,
incredible:adj.难以置信的,惊人的;
And we need a new and powerful mode of attack. 我们需要一种崭新而强劲的攻击模式。
Actually, we can turn off a gene. 实际上,我们可以让基因无法运作。
The key is a set of molecules known as siRNA. 其关键是一种被称为siRNA的组分子,
molecules:n.[化学]分子,微粒;[化学]摩尔(molecule的复数);
siRNA are short sequences of genetic code that guide a cell to block a certain gene. 它是一种短遗传密码序列, 它能使细胞阻断某个特定基因。
sequences:n.[数][计]序列,顺序;继起的事(sequence的复数形式); genetic code:n.遗传密码;
Each siRNA molecule can turn off a specific gene inside the cell. 每个 siRNA 分子可以关闭 细胞内一个特定的基因。
specific:adj.特殊的,特定的;明确的;详细的;[药]具有特效的;n.特性;细节;特效药;
For many years since its discovery, scientists have been very excited about how we can apply these gene blockers in medicine. 自从发现它后, 多年来科学家们都对基因阻断器在医疗方面的应用很感兴趣。
apply:v.申请;涂,敷;应用;适用;请求; blockers:n.阻断剂;护航者;雏形锻模(blocker的复数形式);
But, there is a problem. 但是有一个问题:
siRNA works well inside the cell. siRNA 在细胞里运作良好,
But if it gets exposed to the enzymes that reside in our bloodstream or our tissues , it degrades within seconds. 但是如果它接触到 存在于我们的血液或者身体组织中的酵素, 它就会在瞬间降解。
exposed:adj.无遮蔽的; v.暴露; (expose的过去分词和过去式) enzymes:n.[生化]酶(enzyme的复数);酶类,酵素; reside:vi.住,居住;属于; bloodstream:n.[生理]血流,血液的流动; tissues:n.纸巾,手巾纸;(人、动植物细胞的)组织;(tissue的复数) degrades:v.降低…身份;侮使受屈辱;(使)退化;分解;降低;(degrade的第三人称单数)
It has to be packaged, protected through its journey through the body on its way to the final target inside the cancer cell. 它在身体运行的旅途上需要被包装,受到保护 直到抵达最终目标--癌细胞里面。
journey:n.旅行;行程;vi.旅行;
So, here's our strategy . 所以这是我们的策略:
strategy:n.策略;行动计划;部署;战略;
First, we'll dose the cancer cell with siRNA, the gene blocker, and silence those survival genes, and then we'll whop it with a chemo drug. 我们给癌细胞一剂 siRNA,也就是基因阻断器, 来抑制让癌细胞存活的基因的表现, 接着利用化学药物把癌细胞击垮。
dose:n.剂量;一剂,一服;v.服药;给药;给…服药;
But how do we carry that out? 但是我们怎样进行呢？
Using molecular engineering, we can actually design a superweapon that can travel through the bloodstream. 运用分子工程, 我们可以设计出一种能 在血液中自由游走的超级武器,
superweapon:n.超级武器;
It has to be tiny enough to get through the bloodstream, it's got to be small enough to penetrate the tumor tissue, and it's got to be tiny enough to be taken up inside the cancer cell. 它要小得可以穿过血流, 穿过肿瘤组织, 微小得可以留在癌细胞内。
penetrate:v.渗透;进入;穿过;看透;
To do this job well, it has to be about one one-hundredth the size of a human hair. 为了顺利完成这个任务, 它的大小必须是人类头发的百分之一。
Let's take a closer look at how we can build this nanoparticle . 现在请近距离看看我们如何制造这个奈米粒子。
nanoparticle:n.纳米颗粒;毫微粒;
First, let's start with the nanoparticle core . 首先由奈米粒子的核心开始。
core:n.核心;要点;果心;[计]磁心;vt.挖...的核;
It's a tiny capsule that contains the chemotherapy drug. 它是一只含有化疗药物的细小胶囊。
capsule:n.太空舱;荚;航天舱;(装药物的)胶囊;adj.简略的;小而结实的;v.节略;
This is the poison that will actually end the tumor cell's life. 那是一种真正能结束癌细胞生命的毒药。
Around this core, we'll wrap a very thin, nanometers-thin blanket of siRNA. 我们将会在这颗核心的周围 包裹一层非常薄的siRNA 奈米膜。
wrap:v.缠绕;隐藏;掩护;包起来;缠绕;穿外衣;n.外套;围巾;
This is our gene blocker. 这是我们的基因阻断器。
Because siRNA is strongly negatively charged, we can protect it with a nice, protective layer of positively charged polymer . 因为 siRNA 是强力负极电荷, 所以我们可以利用一层正极的聚合物保护膜来保护siRNA。
negatively:adv.消极地;否定地; protective:adj.防护的;关切保护的;保护贸易的; layer:n.层,层次; vt.把…分层堆放; vi.形成或分成层次; positively:adv.肯定地;明确地;断然地; polymer:n.[高分子]聚合物;
The two oppositely charged molecules stick together through charge attraction, and that provides us with a protective layer that prevents the siRNA from degrading in the bloodstream. 两个异性电分子因为互相吸引 继而黏在一起, 并提供了一层保护层 防止 siRNA 在血流中降解。
oppositely:adv.反向地;在相反的位置;面对面; stick together:在一起;团结一致;互相支持; degrading:adj.降低身份的; v.降低…身份; (degrade的现在分词)
We're almost done. 我们差不多完成了。
(Laughter) （笑声）
But there is one more big obstacle we have to think about. 但是我们还要考虑到一个大障碍。
obstacle:n.障碍;障碍物;阻碍;绊脚石;
In fact, it may be the biggest obstacle of all. 其实可能是所有障碍中最大的一个。
How do we deploy this superweapon? 我们怎样善用这种超级武器呢？
deploy:v.部署;利用;[军事]展开;(使)张开;
I mean, every good weapon needs to be targeted, we have to target this superweapon to the supervillain cells that reside in the tumor. 每种优良的武器都需要瞄准目标。 我们要把超级武器瞄准肿瘤内的 超级坏蛋细胞。
But our bodies have a natural immune-defense system: cells that reside in the bloodstream and pick out things that don't belong, so that it can destroy or eliminate them. 但是我们体内有一种天然的免疫防卫系统: 血流里有一种细胞 能够辨认出原本不存在于身体的东西, 继而破坏或消灭它们。
eliminate:v.消除;排除;
And guess what? Our nanoparticle is considered a foreign object. 猜猜看怎么了？我们的奈米粒子被视为一种外来物。
We have to sneak our nanoparticle past the tumor defense system. 我们要把奈米粒子偷渡过肿瘤防护系统时,
sneak:v.溜; n.鬼鬼祟祟的人; adj.暗中进行的;
We have to get it past this mechanism of getting rid of the foreign object by disguising it. 必须掩饰它,让它通过身体排除外物的机制,
mechanism:n.机制;原理,途径;进程;机械装置;技巧; disguising:v.假扮;装扮;伪装;掩饰;(disguise的现在分词)
So we add one more negatively charged layer around this nanoparticle, which serves two purposes. 于是我们再增加一层负极电膜, 包围这个奈米粒子, 这有两个目的。
First, this outer layer is one of the naturally charged, highly hydrated polysaccharides that resides in our body. 第一,外层是天然电荷, 那是人体内的高水合多醣。
outer:adj.外面的,外部的;远离中心的;n.环外命中; naturally:adv.自然地;自然而然地;轻而易举;天生地;大方地; hydrated:adj.含水的;v.与水化合;成水合物(hydrate的过去分词形式); polysaccharides:n.[有化]多糖(polysaccharide的复数); resides:居住;存在;
It creates a cloud of water molecules around the nanoparticle that gives us an invisibility cloaking effect. 它可以在奈米粒子周围制造一层水分子。 这有隐形斗蓬的效果。
invisibility:n.看不见;看不见的东西;难看见; cloaking:n.隐身;外套料;大衣料;障眼法;
This invisibility cloak allows the nanoparticle to travel through the bloodstream long and far enough to reach the tumor, without getting eliminated by the body. 这隐形斗篷让奈米粒子 能够藉着血液的流动, 移动到足以到达肿瘤的距离, 而不会被身体消灭。
eliminated:v.排除;清除;消除;(比赛中)淘汰;消灭;(eliminate的过去式和过去分词)
Second, this layer contains molecules which bind specifically to our tumor cell. 第二,这层高水合多醣含有 可以和肿瘤细胞结合的分子。
bind:v.结合;装订;有约束力;过紧;n.捆绑;困境;讨厌的事情;植物的藤蔓; specifically:adv.特别地;明确地;
Once bound , the cancer cell takes up the nanoparticle, and now we have our nanoparticle inside the cancer cell and ready to deploy. 一旦结合了,癌细胞就会吸收奈米粒子。 现在奈米粒子就在癌细胞的内部, 准备展开行动了。
bound:n.跳跃:v.跳跃着跑:形成…的边界(或界限)adj.一定会:很可能会:
Alright! I feel the same way. Let's go! 好,我也有同感。出发吧！
(Applause) （掌声）
The siRNA is deployed first. 首先调动 siRNA。
deployed:v.部署(deploy的过去式);展开;
It acts for hours, giving enough time to silence and block those survival genes. 它需要数小时才见效。 因为要足够的时间去抑制癌细胞生存基因的表现,
We have now disabled those genetic superpowers. 我们现在已经使这些基因的超能力无法运作。
What remains is a cancer cell with no special defenses. 剩下来的是没有特殊防御的癌细胞。
Then, the chemotherapy drug comes out of the core and destroys the tumor cell cleanly and efficiently . 接下来,化疗药物从核心释放, 彻底且有效率地破坏肿瘤细胞。
cleanly:adv.干净地;清洁地;adj.干净的;爱清洁的; efficiently:adv.有效地;效率高地(efficient的副词形式);
With sufficient gene blockers, we can address many different kinds of mutations , allowing the chance to sweep out tumors , without leaving behind any bad guys. 只要我们有足够的基因阻断器, 就能对付不同种类的突变, 有机会能剿灭肿瘤, 让坏蛋一个也不剩地消失。
sufficient:adj.足够的;充分的; mutations:n.[遗]突变;变化;转变(mutation的复数形式); tumors:n.肿瘤(tumor的复数);
So, how does our strategy work? 所以我们的策略是如何进行的？
We've tested these nanostructure particles in animals using a highly aggressive form of triple-negative breast cancer. 我们利用动物测试这些奈米结构粒子, 运用极具攻击性的三阴性乳腺癌做实验。
nanostructure:n.奈米结构; particles:n.微粒,粒子;粒子系统;碎木料(particle的复数形式);
This triple-negative breast cancer exhibits the gene that spits out cancer drug as soon as it is delivered. 三阴性乳腺癌的基因表现 让癌症药物一接近它就被排除。
exhibits:n.展览(exhibit的复数);陈列品;v.展览;陈列(exhibit的第三人称单数); as soon as:一…就;
Usually, doxorubicin -- let's call it "dox" -- is the cancer drug that is the first line of treatment for breast cancer. 通常,阿霉素是治疗乳癌 第一线疗程的药物。
doxorubicin:n.阿霉素;亚德里亚霉素;
So, we first treated our animals with a dox core, dox only. 于是我们首先只投放阿霉素来治疗动物。
treated:v.以…态度对待;把…看作;(treat的过去分词和过去式)
The tumor slowed their rate of growth, but they still grew rapidly, doubling in size over a period of two weeks. 肿瘤生长速度减缓了, 但仍生长迅速, 在两周后,肿瘤的大小就增加了一倍。
Then, we tried our combination superweapon. 接下来,我们试了我们的综合超级武器,
combination:n.结合;组合;联合;[化学]化合;
A nanolayer particle with siRNA against the chemo pump , plus, we have the dox in the core. 用化疗泵注射siRNA奈米粒子, 加上,在内核放置阿霉素。
nanolayer:纳米层; pump:n.抽水机;泵;打气筒;v.用泵输送;涌出;奔流;快速摇动;
And look -- we found that not only did the tumors stop growing, they actually decreased in size and were eliminated in some cases. 看！我们发现肿瘤不仅停止生长 而且还缩小, 有些肿瘤甚至完全消失
decreased:v.减少,减小,降低;(decrease的过去分词和过去式)
The tumors were actually regressing . 肿瘤真的复原了。
regressing:退化;
(Applause) (掌声)
What's great about this approach is that it can be personalized . 这个方法最棒的地方是可以个人化。
personalized:v.在…上标明主人姓名; (personalize的过去分词和过去式)
We can add many different layers of siRNA to address different mutations and tumor defense mechanisms . 我们针对不同的突变和肿瘤的防护机制 添加不同层次的 siRNA,
layers:n.层;表层;层次;阶层;v.把…分层堆放;(layer的第三人称单数和复数) mechanisms:n.机制;[机]机构(mechanism的复数);机械;[机]机构学;
And we can put different drugs into the nanoparticle core. 我们也可以把不同的药物放进毫微粒核心。
As doctors learn how to test patients and understand certain tumor genetic types, they can help us determine which patients can benefit from this strategy and which gene blockers we can use. 当医生学习如何替病人檢测 以及了解特定肿瘤的基因类型时, 他们可以幫助我们决定哪类病人 可以受惠于这个疗法和采用哪种基因阻断器。
patients:n.接受治疗者,病人;(patient的复数) determine:v.决定;确定;测定;查明;形成;影响;裁决;安排;
Ovarian cancer strikes a special chord with me. 卵巢癌对我而言具有特别的意义。
Ovarian:adj.[解剖]卵巢的;子房的; chord:n.弦;和弦;
It is a very aggressive cancer, in part because it's discovered at very late stages, when it's highly advanced and there are a number of genetic mutations. 它是一种很具攻击性的癌症, 部分原因是因为它通常在病症末期才被诊断出来, 那时候癌细胞已经根深蒂固 而且它有多种基因突变。
advanced:adj.先进的; v.前进; (advance的过去式和过去分词形式)
After the first round of chemotherapy, this cancer comes back for 75 percent of patients. 经过第一轮化疗后, 有 75％ 的病人会再次复发癌症。
And it usually comes back in a drug-resistant form. 而且它通常会以抗药性的型态回到身体。
High-grade ovarian cancer is one of the biggest supervillains out there. 恶性的卵巢癌 是最坏的超级坏蛋之一。
High-grade:adj.高级的;优质的;
And we're now directing our superweapon toward its defeat. 我们现在要把我们的超级武器瞄准它, 希望能够将它击溃。
As a researcher, 作为一个研究员,
I usually don't get to work with patients. 我通常不会替病患做临床治疗。
But I recently met a mother who is an ovarian cancer survivor, Mimi, and her daughter, Paige. 但最近我遇见一位卵巢癌幸存者妈妈Mimi和她的女儿Paige,
recently:adv.最近;新近;
I was deeply inspired by the optimism and strength that both mother and daughter displayed and by their story of courage and support. 我深受他们母女两人的乐观和力量启发, 她们的故事展现了勇气和互相扶持。
inspired:adj.受到启发的; v.鼓舞; (inspire的过去分词和过去式) optimism:n.乐观;乐观主义; displayed:v.陈列;展出;展示;显露(display的过去分词和过去式)
At this event, we spoke about the different technologies directed at cancer. 在活动中,我们谈论关于 治疗癌症的不同科技。
technologies:n.技术;科技(technology的复数);
And Mimi was in tears as she explained how learning about these efforts gives her hope for future generations, including her own daughter. Mimi 的双眼泛泪 她说她了解我们这些努力的成果 可以让她对下一代充满了希望, 包括她的亲生女儿。
This really touched me. 这令我非常感动。
It's not just about building really elegant science. 我们不只是做精密的科学研究,
elegant:adj.高雅的,优雅的;讲究的;简炼的;简洁的;
It's about changing people's lives. 还能改变人们的人生。
It's about understanding the power of engineering on the scale of molecules. 这是在分子尺度中 运用工程的力量。
I know that as students like Paige move forward in their careers , they'll open new possibilities in addressing some of the big health problems in the world -- 我知道在像Paige这样的学生,在进入职涯后, 他们会开创很多崭新的可能性, 来解决世界上的重大医疗卫生议题——
careers:n.职业(career的复数);事业;职业生涯;v.全速前进(career的三单形式);
including ovarian cancer, neurological disorders , infectious disease -- just as chemical engineering has found a way to open doors for me, and has provided a way of engineering on the tiniest scale, that of molecules,to heal on the human scale. 包括卵巢癌、精神疾病、传染病 就像化学工程已为我开了一扇门, 提供我世上最小的分子规模工程, 来治愈世上大规模的人类。
neurological:adj.神经病学的,神经学上的; disorders:n.无秩序,混乱; v.[电子]扰乱(disorder的单三形式); infectious:adj.传染的;传染性的;易传染的; chemical engineering:n.化学工程; provided:conj.假如; v.提供; (provide的过去分词和过去式) heal:v.复原;治疗(病人);使又愉快起来;(使)结束
Thank you. 谢谢
(Applause) （掌声）