The Scientist Becomes the Science

April 22th, 2015

The waiting is always difficult. With each passing day the only news that arrived was that insurance was still “waiting to make a decision.” While it will have been more than a month from the first concerning scan to actual treatment start, the good news is the waiting is over! For those of you who walked faithfully with me during those dark days, thank you. Thank you for putting up with the fear, the frustration and the wondering. Thank you for bearing the weight of words which you never wanted to hear.

The good news is that the insurance approved the clinical trial at City of Hope, one of the premier cancer treatment centers. The trial is looking at the effectiveness of a drug that really might be a game-changer in the treatment of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Brentuximab vedotin is a monoclonal antibody linked to a cytotoxic compound which can specifically target the tumor cells that cause Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. It really is a blessing to get to participate in this trial, it is very safe and hopefully will have many fewer side-effects that normal chemotherapy.

I really see this as one of the main futures in cancer treatment, and it is unique situation to be in as scientist who really appreciates the advances in science that have brought us to this position.

The way the brentuximab vedotin works is fascinating. The main tumor cells in Hodgkins express a cell-membrane protein CD30 and which the antibody can attach to. Then the bound brentuximab vedotin is taken up by targeted cells and the drug monomethylauristatin e (MMAE) is released directly into the tumor environment.

There’s also a cool story about the drug MMAE, a synthetic dolastatin 10 derivative with pronounced activity and toxicity. This class of drugs was actually first discovered in the ocean, in 1972 in the humble sea hare Dolabella auricularia.

Later it was better understood that dolastatin 10 is actually produced by the cyanobacteria Symploca hydnoides and Lyngbya majuscula, which are part of the sea hare’s diet.

As someone who has always had a passion for ocean and natural resources this is a stark reminder that as resources of seas continue to be depleted we not only loose the natural beauty, but we also make finding novel drug therapies exponentially more difficult. For example, coral reefs
are home to many sessile plants and animals spend most of their time firmly attached to the reef and cannot escape predators. Instead of being able simply run away many engage in forms of chemical warfare, using bioactive compounds to deter predation, fight disease, and prevent overgrowth by fouling and competing organisms. The best laboratory we have is nature where selection is constantly driving to better solutions.

It is a humbling reminder that as marine biologist, the medicines that give me the best shot may come from one my favorite places.

Of course, the medicine is only half the answer. Even as a scientist I recognize that drugs alone are not the cure. So as I began treatment again today I will hold onto the hope that advances modern science give us, but I will also hold onto the hope of friends, family, and a peace that surpasses all understanding.