Budny 1:00 L10 Disclaimer—This paper partially fulfills a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. This paper is a student, not a professional, paper. This paper is based on publicly available information and may not provide complete analyses of all relevant data. If this paper is used for any purpose other than these authors’ partial fulfillment of a writing requirement for first year (freshman) engineering students at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, the user does so at his or her own risk. A NEW LIGHT

Ian Bernard ([email protected])

statement is to make the world a safer, more efficient WHAT IS CANCER? place to live. If engineers were to dismiss cancer, then they would not be doing their job. The engineers that Engineers have one of the toughest jobs in the delve into this issue, whether they be bioengineers, world. When faced with a problem, engineers are supposed to solve it. Well, what if a problem cannot be solved? One of the biggest problems in the world right chemical engineers, mechanical engineers, etc., focus now is cancer. Cancer is a disease in which abnormal specifically on immune engineering. Immune cells divide uncontrollably and destroy body tissue. engineering is training of the human immune system to The disease was first called cancer by the Greek recognize and attack foreign substances in the body. physician Hippocrates who is considered to be the While this may be one way of delving into the issue of “Father of Medicine”. Hippocrates used the terms cancer, another way is designing technology that can carcinos and carcinoma to describe non-ulcer forming be used to discriminate between cancerous and normal and ulcer-forming tumors [1]. The earliest discovery of cells and then separate the two without harming the cancer dates all the way back to 3000 BC in Egypt. normal cells (acoustic separation). There was not a cure then and there is still not a cure Another reason why cancer is extremely hard to now. cure is because there is not one simple way of finding a cure, rather, there are many ways. Immune engineering The reason why cancer is extremely hard to cure and acoustic separation are two out of many treatments is because there is no defined reason why a person’s for cancer. While these treatments might lessen the DNA gets mutated at all. Engineers, doctors, and effects of cancer, they do not ultimately rid the body of physicians have dedicated their lives to solving this cancer cells. The treatments may rid the body of cancer ubiquitous problem. However, new research and cells temporarily; however, the cancer cells can return experimentation have produced technology that takes a and resume its negative effects. step in the right direction. Through the process of separating cancer cells with normal human cells, A NEW AVENUE FOR RESEARCH engineers have designed acoustic separation of circulating tumor cells (CTC), specifically, acoustic- In 2015, engineers, scientists, and doctors came based microfluidic devices. This innovative system of together to produce a technological advancement in distinguishing cancer cells from normal cells and then cancer treatment. They needed a more efficient way of separating the two shines a new light on a cure for separating and analyzing CTCs. They produced cancer. microfluidic devices that are acoustic-based which can separate cancerous and normal human cells without harming the normal, healthy cells. According to the National Academy of Sciences, acoustic-based OF ALL PROBLEMS, WHY CANCER? microfluidic devices are capable of high-throughput separation of CTCs from peripheral blood samples obtained from cancer patients [3]. Parametric numerical simulations were performed to design With all the problems occurring in the world right optimum device geometry, tilt angle, and cell now, why should an engineer focus primarily on throughput that is more than 20 times higher than finding a cure for cancer? Looking at the numbers, previously possible for such devices. In one cancer, especially tracheal, bronchial, lung, and experiment, scientists successfully separated low pancreatic cancer, is within the top five leading causes concentrations (about 100 cells/mL) of a variety of of death in the world. All forms of cancer combined cancer cells from cell culture lines from breast cancer result in 8.2 million deaths [2]. An engineer’s mission patients with a recovery rate better than 83%. This University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering 1 Submission Date 11.01.2016 device has proven to isolate rare CTCs in a viable state, second. If two sound sources are placed opposite each result in excellent biocompatibility, and have a simple other and each emits the same wavelength of sound, design which can serve as a valuable supplemental tool there will be a location where the opposing sounds in cancer research. President of Carnegie Mellon cancel each other. Because sound waves have pressure, University, Subra Suresh, states that this device they can push very small objects, so a cell or “promises to offer new avenues for basic research into nanoparticle will move with the sound wave until it the pathology and metastasis, and for clinical diagnosis reaches the location where there is no longer lateral of rare tumor cells” [4]. Professional engineers agree movement, in this case, into the fluid stream that with Suresh on this matter mentioning that separating moves the separated cells along. Thus, the healthy, circulating cancer cells from blood cells for diagnostic, white blood cells are separated from the cancerous prognostic and treatment purposes may become much cells and travel along their own channel. Another easier using an acoustic separation method. After all, advantage to this approach is that it does not require "looking for circulating tumor cells in a blood sample altering the cells in any way with chemical labels [6]. is like looking for a needle in a haystack," says Tony As seen in Figure 1, the acoustic tweezer is label-free Jun Huang, professor of engineering science and and contactless which allows for fewer interruptions mechanics at Duke University [5]. between the transducers and tweezer and easier flow of cells through the pathway. How does it work? CANCER AS IT RELATES TO ME Acoustic-based separations are important because they are non-invasive and do not alter or damage cells. I see cancer as one of the biggest crisis’s in the Tilted-angle standing surface acoustic waves can world. If someone has no direct relationship to cancer, separate cells using very small amounts of energy. then he/she most likely knows someone who does. Cancer is not only an epidemic within a family or a community; it is an epidemic within the world too. To me, any step towards the right direction in finding a cure for cancer is success. What makes a technology “successful” in solving a problem is how well it can repair the problem and prevent it from recurring. A step in the right direction could be seen when cancer cells from a breast cancer patient were separated from normal human cells using acoustic-based microfluidic devices. I see this experiment as a success, thereby taking one step closer to finding the cure to this epidemic. Sadly, I do have a direct relationship to this horrific disease. When I was very little, my paternal grandfather passed away from pancreatic cancer. Also, recently, my paternal grandmother passed away from colon cancer. Both losses were very hard on the whole family. When my grandfather passed away, I had no idea what cancer was at the time; now I have a perfectly clear understanding. I want to strengthen my understanding even more as I want to make sure no one has to go through what I went through twice. FIGURE 1 [4] Engineering is the answer to this worldwide epidemic Schematic of acoustic tweezer separating cancer and can be more than just a career; it can be a life- cells from blood cells. Yellow transducers supply saving miracle. sound to move the cells as they pass through in a stream. THE FUTURE

The cancer patient’s sample enters through an acoustic Diseases have been and still are humanity’s worst tweezer device with two sound transducers on either nightmare. Luckily, with the help of engineering and side along with a channel in the tweezer for separation. science, vaccines have been created to fight and As the cells travel through the acoustic tweezer, they destroy certain diseases/illnesses. However, there are experience an acoustic wave for only a fraction of a Ian Bernard some diseases that are yet to be cured. Engineers, [1] “Early history of cancer.” American Cancer doctors, and scientists are getting closer and closer to Society. 06.12.2014. Accessed 10.30.2016. finding a cure for cancer. By creating innovative http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/thehistoryo technologies like acoustic-based microfluidic devices, fcancer/the-history-of-cancer-what-is-cancer we are only getting one step closer to the answer. By [2] “Top Ten Leading Causes of Death in the World.” channeling cells using acoustic forces, physicians can Worldatlas. 04.05.2016. Accessed 10.30.3016. monitor how patients reacted to chemotherapy, for http://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-ten-leading- initial diagnosis and for determining treatment and causes-of-death-in-the-world.html prognosis. Further research is currently being done on [3] P. Li. “Acoustic separation of circulating tumor this technology focusing in on figuring out cells.” The National Academy of Sciences of the manufacturing and mass production possibilities. Since United States of America. 02.05.2015. Accessed these devices are intended for use with human blood, 10.29.2016. they need to be disposable. Therefore, there needs to be http://www.pnas.org/content/112/16/4970.full ample amounts of these devices on the market. [4] A. Messer. “Sound separates cancer cells from With the advancement in technology in fields blood samples.” PennState News. 04.06.2015. concerning diseases like cancer, it is important to note Accessed 10.29.2016. who is affected by these developments. Not only are http://news.psu.edu/story/351700/2015/04/06/research/ current engineers, doctors, physicians, and scientists sound-separates-cancer-cells-blood-samples affected by these advances in technology, but future [5] T. Huang. “Acoustofluidics Lab.” Duke University engineers, doctors, physicians, and scientists are also Pratt School of Engineering. 03.15.2016. Accessed affected as they are novices in their respective field that 10.28.2016. are going to be dealing with the same technology. As a https://acoustofluidics.pratt.duke.edu/acoustic-tweezers future engineer, technological advancements relate to [6] A. Trafton. “New approach to sorting cells.” MIT me as I will most likely be working with some form of News. 05.16.2016. Accessed 10.30.2016. that technology in years to come. With innovative http://news.mit.edu/2016/microfluidics-device-sort- technologies like acoustic-based microfluidic devices, I cells-acoustic-vibrations-0516 am eager to see what professional engineers are able to produce next and how society will be affected by it. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Researching interesting stories about these innovations only increases my desire to become a professional I would like to acknowledge my parents for engineer. disclosing information to me about my grandparents who passed away from cancer. I would also like to SOURCES thank my Residential Assistant Stanley Umeweni, who provided me with helpful tips for completing this Writing Assignment.

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