Can a Knot Be Tied on a Molecule? - The Role of Biophysics Techniques in Future Medical Science

Damjanovich, Sandor

One of the major challenges for medical science is the precise targeting of medicines. If we can distinguish healthy cells from unhealthy ones we will have access to unprecedented therapies. To achieve this we need to learn about the membrane that separates the cell from the external world and acts as a communication surface to it. However, to be acquainted with the membrane is not enough, to cure we also need accurate tools that strike the medication home within the living organism

Flow cytometry, near-field microscopy and similarly sophisticated examination methods allow the mapping of the membrane and its cells in nanometric range. The molecules of the cell membrane are not formed accidentally but in a precise structure. With this knowledge, the individual cells can be precisely described and targeted. In addition, with the study of the molecules of the immune system, "magic bullets" can be produced to transport the medication molecules into the targeted cell.

The practical usage of such research is not always obvious, yet knowledge obtained from basic research will lead to therapies. The path laid out by biophysics can lead to cures for hitherto incurable diseases.

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