Team: 20
School: Jackson Middle School
Area of Science: Robotics, and biology
Interim: Interim Report
Team Number: 20
School Name: Jackson Middle School
Area Of Science: Robotics, and Biology
Project Title: Nanobots vs Cancer
Problem Definition: In 2015, The National Cancer Institute estimated that 22,850 adults were diagnosed with brain and other nervous system cancer. It also estimated that 15,320 (67%) of these diagnoses resulted in death.
Glioblastoma is the focus of our project ( which also includes Glioblastoma-Multiforme ) which is a cancerous tumor based in the brain, our team thinks the survival rate is way too low. In 2015 the survival rate was 33%. For all brain tumor cases, Glioblastoma accounts for 52 percent of all brain tumors. We believe we should treat cancer before it becomes unstoppable. The current methods of treatment include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. Our project is looking for a less invasive method than chemo or radiation therapy, this would also improve the quality of life, and hopefully lower morbidity rates.
Problem Solution: We are expanding on a project from last year. Because of this, our solution in this project was based on Nanobots, and how they would help treat a cancerous tumor. Nanobots would be injected into the body through the blood vessels they would circulate the human body targeting Glioblastoma cells. The nanobot would interfere with the growth of the tumor by chocking off the blood supply and alerting the immune system.
Progress to date: We have an evident understanding of our project on nanobots. We also have a base model/code from last years project that we are going to expand from to improve the effectiveness of our model. We are going to explain how the nanobots help the immune system or other treatments to choke the cancerous tumor. A concern we are having is how exactly the nanobot will choke the tumor and not the brain. We are looking for a biochemistry major that would help us to understand the biochemistry of the brain.
Expected results: We expect to create a model that demonstrates a method of nanobots choking the glioblastoma cells. We also expect to find an answer to our problem with the nanobots accidentally choking the brain, our nanobots would learn to differentiate the brain from the tumor.
Bibliography:
Glioblastoma (GBM) - American Brain Tumor Association | Learn More. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.abta.org/tumor_types/glioblastoma-gbm/
Glioblastoma Multiforme. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Glioblastoma-Multiforme
https://www.aans.org/Patients/Neurosurgical-Conditions-and-Treatments/Glioblastoma-Multiforme
Patty Meyer: Research observer: pmeyer2843@gmail.com
Jeff Danielson: Sandia National Labs: gcdanie@sandia.gov
Kaley Goatcher: Software Engineer at TransCore: kaley.goatcher@transcore.com kaley.goatcher@gmail.com
Team Members:
Santiago Herrera.
Israel Chirino. sirut99@gmail.com
Team Members:
Israel Chirino
Santiago Herrera
Sponsoring Teacher: Karen Glennon