A Drug in A Box - Research Paper Example

A DRUG IN A BOX PART 1: TECHNICAL CONTENT Abstract Apparently, the biomedical engineering field has for a long time experienced difficulties in relation to drug delivery and circulation in the body. However, origami, through simulation of DNA patterns, has proved to be a potential solution to the problem. Origami is a viable candidate for developing a solution to the aforementioned challenges as it enables the creation of a box that resembles a vessel. While moving the drug boxes through the cell membrane is a bigger challenge, towards the end of the project, the taskforce will concentrate on covering the boxes with a membrane that resembles that used in enveloped viruses. The project that is expected to take circa 85 days starting from 1st July is expected to completely increase effectiveness and efficiency in the biomedical field. Introduction The biomedical engineering field has for a long time experienced difficulties in relation to drug delivery and circulation in the body. However, origami, through simulation of DNA patterns, has proved to be a potential solution to the problem. While people previously practiced origami as a way of activating their brains, enhancing sequencing skills, eye-hand coordination, and mathematical reasoning, it is so appealing that today, it fosters biomedical reasoning and fervently contributes to the proficient and operational delivery of medical or health services. According to Erdmann and Barciszewski (2013), medical and drug research have led to the creation or rather production of thousands of drugs that have revolutionized the treatment of infections including diabetes, cancer, and asthma. While drugs have the potential of changing the functioning of our bodies, the effectiveness of the drug, other than only being presented in apposite concentrations, depends on where it acts on, a more reason why paramedics strive to ensure that the drug reaches the targeted organs or spots (Löbenberg & Amidon, 2000). Moreover, the cell membrane is involved in the transfer of drugs as absorption, dissemination, and metabolism involves passage across the membrane. Other than the chemical characteristics and manner of administration of the drugs, the shape and molecular size of the drugs also affects its delivery in the body leading to delayed or hampered intended actions or reactions. The movement of drugs in the body is also significantly hampered by the intestinal epithelium, leading to drug wastage and consequently loss of lives as ailments persist without being refuted (Subramaniam, 2013). Similarly, Löbenberg and Amidon (2000) assert that from a bioavailability perspective, the amount of drug that reaches the intended location is often reduced as the drug has to pass through other organs before reaching the target site. For instance, a Meclozine dihydrochloride absorbed from the intestine has to go through the liver, where some portion will be metabolized, before the Meclozine dihydrochloride reaches the bloodstream and ultimately reach the targeted site (Löbenberg & Amidon, 2000). To counter this challenge, doctors are forced to administer gratuitously large dosages in an effort to ensure that the appropriate amount reaches the target site even after being metabolized and excreted in various organs within the body. This often leads to wastage and superfluously upsurges the costs of medication, making it harder for many Americans to access quality and reasonably priced care. Origami is a viable candidate for developing a solution to the aforementioned challenges as it enables the creation of a box that resembles a vessel. Nanotechnologists have visualized this kind of box for many years. The box that will contain two DNA strands, one for holding the box shut and another that springs the box open, will reduce wastage of drugs and enhance delivery as the drugs will be delivered to the target site without passing through other organs where it would have been metabolized (Erdmann & Barciszewski, 2013). Designing the Box An A5 plain paper will be folded and cut into small pieces which shall be molded into two different strands of DNA of about 12 nm length and 5 nm. The DNA strands will further be molded into an oblong box where one strand will be opening the box while the other closes it thus resembling the functioning of vessels. The drug will be transported in the DNA strands and will be commanded to open only when the box reaches the target site or organ (Krishna & Yu, 2008). The insertion and movement of the drug boxes in the body will thus entail the use of computer-aided designs and functioning. The non-permeable material used in making the box makes it appropriate for transportation of drugs in the body as no traces of drugs will be left behind as the box moves in the body. While getting the box into the body can be quite challenging, nanotechnologists can come up with ways of putting the box that contains the DNA strands into the body and use it to enhance drug delivery in the body. Thus, through DNA origami medical practitioners will have boxes to use in directly delivering drugs to the targeted spots reducing the time that it would have taken for the drug to reach and react with the target organ, upsurge bioavailability while at the same time circumventing the drug from being metabolized by other untargeted body organs or sites (Kershner et al., 2009). The drugs in the box will be utilized more efficiently at the target site, and with time, biomedical engineers will come up with a way of improving the velocity of the drug box in the body. Moreover, the boxes will have a self-destruction mechanism once they reach the targeted site to allow the drug to react with the targeted sites or organs. After self-destruction, the boxes will be excreted from the body, averting its side-effects. Synthesis Apparently, undertaking the project first involves creation of DNA strands in nano scale, a fairly complex task. As such, the creation of the drug box will commence on 1st July 2015 and run for a period of 85 days. The first month of the timeframe will involve collection and compilation of DNA strand origami and computers for designing the DNA strands. Afterwards, the taskforce will concentrate on production of boxes that can move at light’s speed while reducing the boxes to even smaller sizes to make the structures more effective (Kershner et al., 2009). While moving the drug boxes through the cell membrane is a bigger challenge, towards the end of the project, the taskforce will concentrate on covering the boxes with a membrane that resembles that used in enveloped viruses. Moreover, the viral proteins will be fixed to the surface of the boxes to facilitate their movement through the cell membrane (Sanderson, 2010; Subramaniam, 2013). Apparently, this makes the project more feasible by overcoming the challenge of moving a drug box through a cell membrane. This approach to the problem of drug delivery in the body proves to be efficient despite the sheer fact that it is costly, time consuming, and requires technical proficiency to be delivered. However, the proposed drug boxes produced through DNA origami will help doctors in ensuring that the intended drug-ailment interaction or reaction is attained without having to use huge chunks of drugs and at a greater efficacy. PART 2: EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH COMPONENT LESSON PLAN OUTLINE Teacher’s Name: ____________________ Date: ______________________ Grade : 12th Grade Topic: Bioengineering: What to make with DNA origami Sub Topic: applications for DNA origami in drug-carrying capsules I. Objective: After carrying out this lesson, learners should be able to: a) Explain the meaning and importance of key vocabulary terms such as DNA origami and DNA molecule b) Explain relationship between DNA origami and DNA molecule c) Model two origami boxes strand of DNA, one that held the box close and another DNA 'key' that sprang the box open.  d) Explain how they can play part in strengthening and promoting self-assembling and self-destructing drug delivery vessels using the DNA origami in the lab tests e) Explain how they can apprehend if DNA is a very useful construction material. II. Preparation My preparation will mainly involves process of folding of paper to form two strand of DNA, bound by numerous smaller "staple" hence allowing DNA strands to form two origami boxes strand of DNA, one that held the box close and another DNA 'key' that sprang the box open. III. Purpose The purpose of this lesson is to help students learn and understand how origami can be used in creation of boxes for drug delivery and be able to make the box. The materials that students will need are: a) A5 paper b) 15cm Ruler c) A stapler d) A scissor Time (in minutes) content Student activity Teaching aids 5 define the term DNA origami and DNA molecule Student must be able to understand the meaning of the term origami, DNA origami and DNA molecule I will use a textbook to demonstrate to my student DNA structure 4 What is relationship between DNA origami and DNA molecule After observing the DNA structure student should be able to point out the existing relationship between DNA origami and DNA molecule DNA structure 20 How does the structure of DNA look like After absorbing the structure of DNA from the textbook, student should be able create two origami boxes strand of DNA, one that held the box close and another DNA 'key' that sprang the box open.  DNA structure 6 elucidate how one strengthening and promoting self-assembling and self-destructing drug delivery vessels using the DNA origami in the lab tests After learning how to create two origami boxes strand of DNA, Student should able to write an easy elucidating how they can promote self-assembling and self-destructing drug delivery vessels using the DNA origami in the lab tests 5 Explain the usefulness of DNA origami as construction material Student should be able use DNA origami as construction material for creation of boxes for drug delivery. Evaluation of the lesson and the teaching process: My lesson had not considered my learners as reflective, inquisitively, open-mindedness and individuals who must learn for them to develop a deep understanding. Therefore, I still need to embrace active learning and problem-based learning in my lesson plan and disdain from using close-ended questions. Subsequently, the topic was so complex and this need more time than I had allocated. Therefore, when I will be handling the same topic in future, I will have to incorporate more instruction strategies than demonstration and explanation, and embrace more practical oriented lesson plan. Read More