Science Departments:

Science Departments: Artificial Intelligence-------------------------- For the past century, progress in medicine has been driven by the discovery of narrow, focused treatments for acute illnesses. Although this approach initially yielded spectacular results, medical progress has, in recent years, begun to slow, indicating the need for a new paradigm. This is because the most prevalent causes of death and illness are no longer simple diseases caused by infection or dysfunction in a single gene. Instead, the diseases faced by modern society are the result of complex interactions between networks of genes, cells, organs or even people. A new, systems-based approach is needed, but this will require gathering and analyzing unprecedented amounts of data. A task of this magnitude and difficulty would, in past eras, be impossible. However, the imminent development of smarter-than-human artificial intelligence will make this previously inconceivable process a reality. By taking advantage of this emerging area of research, The Cure is Now aims to develop novel treatments and cures for previously untreatable illnesses. Narrow Artificial Intelligence Great advances in narrow artificial intelligence have been made in the past decades. First, computers mastered checkers. Then, computers became better than humans at chess. Now, computers are even capable of answering trivia questions on game shows. There is great potential for this technology to be applied to medicine. For example, a doctor could input a patient’s symptoms into a computer, which would suggest possible diseases that the doctor might not have considered. Or, scientists could use computers to figure out results from experiments, allowing humans to spend more time on advanced analysis. Alexander D. Wissner-Gross conducts research in artificial intelligence on a massive scale. His recent research project includes a planetary scale computing model for electronic trading. Artificial General Intelligence Artificial general intelligence would entail the creation of a computer-based intelligence at least as smart as a human. The benefits of the this achievement would be twofold: first, as a peer with whom people could consult; second, the accomplishment of this goal would give great insight into what allows us to think and comprehend. Dr. Itamar Arel is working on pushing the edge of Artificial General Intelligence forward. Click here to learn more about Dr. Arel’s research projects. Ben Goertzel conducts research in artificial intelligence and uses patterns and models of how humans think and applies them to computer learning programs. Click here to lean more about Ben Goertzel’s research projects. Consciousness Studies The brain is composed of many simple parts, but together they form the most complex entity in the world: the human mind. What is consciousness? What makes thinking possible? What enables us to be sentient? These are the fundamental questions of the brain. Jeff Lieberman, co-host of Discovery Channel’s Time Warp is currently conducting research in in consciousness. Lieberman explores the connections between the arts, sciences, education, passion, creativity, and the potential future of human consciousness. Robotics A major limit on medicine is the accuracy and stamina of human workers. A human can only spend a few hours working before having to rest, and if the task is repetitive, they are likely to make mistakes. A robot, by contrast, can work all day with perfect accuracy. Therefore, robotics can be used to perform many tedious parts of research, while at the same time making the process more efficient. In addition, humans have imperfect perception and are not always precise. Robotics can be used, for example, in surgery, eliminating the possibility of errors and mistakes. Biotechnology--------------------------- Bio-Engineering Making a new discovery about a disease is just the first step to finding a cure. Further work must be done to develop a treatment and then optimize the treatment for improving human health. Things that would require such fine-tuning might include: maximizing a drug’s affinity to its molecular target, minimizing side-effects from the drug binding improper targets, increasing the efficiency of the delivery of the drug to the affected tissue, and altering the pharmacokinetics of the drug to create a workable dosage schedule. The field of bio-engineering uses the principles of engineering to address these challenges. Synthetic Biology Technological progress in the 1800s was driven by engineering in the field of chemistry and steam power. Progress in the 1900s was driven by engineering in electronics. Progress in the next century will be driven by engineering in biology. By creating standard biological components and manipulating biological systems like machines, synthetic biologists are laying the ground for the era of progress. Dr. Matthew Putman is researching synthetic biology. Specific potential therapies in this area include rapidly setting polymers for extreme wound treatment and nanosystems for precise drug delivery. Click here to learn more about Dr. Putman’s research projects. Computing--------------------------------- Supercomputing The diseases most common today are often the most complex. It is unlikely that a simple solution will be easily found. Instead, it will be necessary to collect, analyze and integrate large amounts of data in order to find cures. It is not simply a matter of throwing resources at a problem, however. New computational techniques must be developed to carry out large-scale computing as efficiently as possible. Alexander D. Wissner-Gross conducts research in artificial intelligence on a massive scale. His recent research project includes a planetary scale computing model for electronic trading. Networking Many large computing resources do not consist of one large computer; instead, they are composed of many small computers linked together. Although this approach allows the construction of an easily-upgradable computing center using publicly available parts, it has some disadvantages. The connections between the computers make management more complex and potentially introduce a new bottleneck that could slow down the entire system. New networking techniques could help avoid those potential problems. Quantum Computing Today’s computers are based on silicon transistors. Making the transistors progressively smaller has allowed more and more powerful computers to be developed. Experts anticipate, however, that within the next 10 years we will reach the physical limits of how small transistors can be made. To continue making faster computers, a new approach will be necessary. Scientists are now exploring ways of using the quantum properties of particles to do computation. If such a computer were developed, even a small one, it could rapidly do computations that would take an ordinary computer centuries to complete. Neuro-Computing The human brain contains billions of cells, with trillions of connections. Due to its complex nature, it is capable of extraordinary computational power. In fact, it is probably more powerful than the world’s fastest supercomputer—even though the latter takes up an entire building. Clearly, we have a lot to learn from the human brain. Shaped by billions of years of evolution, it is more powerful and efficient than the computers we have spent mere decades developing. The field of neuro-computing applies lessons from neuroscience to help improve computers. David Eagleman does research in neurology and envisions a future where novel sensory inputs can be connected to the brain. Click here to lean more about Dr. David Eagleman’s research projects. Ben Goertzel conducts research in artificial intelligence and uses patterns and models of how humans think and applies them to computer learning programs. Click here to lean more about Ben Goertzel’s research projects. Ed Rosenfield has written multiple books on neurocomputing. Biocomputing Smartphones are always getting smaller and more powerful. But is it possible that there is an even more powerful computer that is so small you need a microscope to see it? Indeed, it is, as a cell is really a computer. Although seemingly simple on the surface, every cell must constantly monitor its environment, taking in thousands of inputs, from hormonal signals, to nutrition status, to signs of infection, and integrate all that data to decide how to act. The field of biocomputing seeks to harness the naturally-ocurring data processing and computational abilities of biological organisms. Systems Modeling The human body is composed of many intricate systems, such as the nervous system, the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system. The complexity of these systems makes it difficult to determine the cause when they malfunction. Systems modeling uses mathematical and computational techniques to simulate biological systems, enabling scientists to better understand pathologies and develop treatments. Alexander D. Wissner-Gross conducts research in artificial intelligence on a massive scale. His recent research project includes a planetary scale computing model for electronic trading. Tanya Petrossian does research in bioinformatics and systems biology. Bioinformatics The analysis of biological information is undergoing a revolution. It took decades to sequence the first human genome; now, it is possible for a single lab to produce more sequence data in a single day than was produced by every lab in the world during the first 30 years of sequencing. Despite the deluge of data, we have still not witnessed the revolutions in medicine expected from the availability of massive amounts of sequencing. This is because data is not enough: we must also analyze the data to find out its meaning. The new field of bioinformatics is focused on developing new techniques of data analysis in order to gain a better understanding of biological systems and diseases. Tanya Petrossian does research in bioinformatics and systems biology. Russell Hanson is currently involved with bioinformatics research. Click here to lean more about Russell Hanson’s research projects. Genetics-------------------------------------- The genome is the one component uniting the countless number of cells in the body. No matter how disparate their function or appearance, every cell is controlled by the genome. However, there are downsides to this level of control. A person may be born with a genetic disorder, such as cystic fibrosis or Huntington’s disease which cuts their life short or causes severe disability. Even if a person is born with a perfectly healthy genome, the copies of their genome in each cell may be mutated over time. These mutations can lead to illnesses, the most prominent of which is cancer. Therefore, The Cure Is Now is dedicated to the study of genetics, in order to determine the ways in which genes control cells (with an eye towards finding potential targets for intervention in case of disease) and methods to protect the genome from damage and to repair any pathologies, whether they are inherited or arose spontaneously. 19 Jun Immuno-Therapy The immune system is one of the most sophisticated and powerful parts of the human body. When a new pathogen enters the bloodstream, immune cells quickly develop antibodies that bind to the pathogen more tightly than any molecule that humans are capable of engineering, and they do so more quickly than any lab could design such a molecule. Such a powerful system would have obvious applications towards fighting noninfectious diseases, such as cancer. On the other hand, dysregulation of the immune system is responsible for autoimmune disorders such as type I diabetes. Therefore, exploring ways in which the immune system can be harnessed, stimulated or, if necessary, suppressed is an important area of research. Over time, some diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer’s and rheumatoid arthritis, increase in prevalence. Curing these diseases would enable senior citizens to pursue a happy, healthy and independent lifestyle. Aubrey de Grey is one of the leading visionaries in research on age-related diseases. His achievements include the enumeration of the types of damage that cause age-related diseases and the development of the Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS), which address each type of damage. The types of age-related damage identified by Aubrey de Grey are: • Cell loss and atrophy: repairing this damage would lead to a cure for osteoporosis and the loss of strength in the elderly. • Cell mutations and epimutations: repairing this damage would lead to a cure for cancer. • Mitochondrial mutations: repairing this damage would cure age-related degenerative disease, as well as hereditary diseases, such as Leber’s hereditary optical neuropathy. • Accumulation of intracellular junk: repairing this damage would lead to cures for macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. • Accumulation of extracellular junk: repairing this damage would also contribute to a cure for Alzheimer’s; it would also help reduce the prevalence of cardiovascular disease. • Cellular senescence: repairing this damage would improve joint health and help treat type II diabetes. • Extracellular crosslinks: repairing this damage would help treat cataracts and improve mobility in the elderly. Most therapies targeted towards these diseases merely treat the symptoms, while leaving the damage that is the underlying cause untouched. Ultimately, such therapies are severely limited in their ability to permanently and profoundly treat disease. The Cure is Now aims to repair the damage at the root of these diseases to produce true cures. Click here to lean more about Dr. de Grey’s research projects. Silvia Gravina studies epigenomic mutations. The epigenome consists of modifications to the nucleotides that make up the genome. The pattern of these modifications influences which genes are expressed, at what times and at what levels. If they become less organized with age, then the intricate pattern of gene expression that ensures health may be disrupted. Studying how the epigenome changes with age may help to treat diseases in elderly individuals. Bill Andrews studies the regulation of telomere length. Telomeres are stretches of DNA sequences at the end of each chromosome that protect it from damage. With each cell division, however, the telomeres get shorter. If they get too short, the cells may stop dividing; if they do keep dividing, then the rest of the genome, no longer protected by telomeres, is vulnerable to damage. Either way, the shortening of telomeres appears to be associated with a decline in health in the elderly. There is an enzyme, called telomerase, which lengthens telomeres in humans, but its activity is normally too low to prevent telomere shortening. Currently, Bill Andrews focuses on finding drugs to increase the activity of telomerase and restore telomere length. The Cure is Now is interested in supporting Bill Andrews in his research due to its applications to treating multiple diseases. Click here to lean more about Dr. Andrews’ research projects. Brandon Milholland studies the role of DNA damage and mutation in the aging process. At birth, every cell in the body has an identical copy of the genome. Every time a cell divides, however, there is an opportunity for errors to be introduced. Over decades and many cell divisions, these errors can accumulate. The result is that in old individuals, every cell may have a different copy of the genome, each with its own set of errors. These mutations can cause cells to decline in function, but the most pressing consequence is the possibility that a cell may receive a mutation that causes it to become cancerous. Studying how cells become mutated may help in developing ways to treat or even prevent cancer and other age-related diseases. Brandon Milholland serves as The Cure is Now’s Research Coordinator to identify promising fields of research and possible collaborations between other scientists working for The Cure is Now. Click here to lean more about Brandon’s research projects. Gene Therapy In the past, treatments for diseases have consisted of manipulating the cellular and physiological environment, while leaving the genome unchanged. While this approach has proved effective for many diseases, especially those that result from external factors, such as infection, it falls short when applied to diseases whose root cause lies in the genome. The result is that many people, born with genetic diseases through no fault of their own, have had few or no treatments available to them. Recent advances have made it possible to manipulate the genome of human cells, and there is now hope that debilitating genetic diseases will be cured in the near future. Systems Biology The components of biological systems do not exist in isolation. Rather, they are constantly interacting with each other. Previously, biology was studied in a reductionist manner, one piece at a time. As our understanding has increased, however, it has become apparent that further advances require an integrationist approach, in which systems as a whole are studied. It is only by studying the complex networks of interaction that we can begin to understand how organisms truly work, and how to cure complex diseases. Tanya Petrossian uses computational and biochemical techniques to study the methyltransferome, the system by a chemical signal, the methyl group, is transferred between different molecules in the cell. Human-Machine Interfaces-------------------------- Computers existed for decades, but did not become popular until user-friendly interfaces were developed. Computing power has doubled ever 18 months since then, but user interfaces have not undergone such frequent revolutions. Therefore, it is possible that we are only using a fraction of the computational power available to us. New advances in ways to interface with computers will allow our ability to utilize computers to advance by leaps and bounds. David Bychkov is working on sensors that can enhance our connectivity to the world. He is developing products that measure our health, emotional and vital sign information which is then easily transmitted to wireless devices such as smart phones. Click here to lean more about David Bychkov’s research projects. Brain Machine Interface The most direct way of communicating with a computer would be through an interface directly with the brain. This would allow people to engage with machines more efficiently than ever before, but the benefits wouldn’t stop there. Brain machine interfaces would open avenues of communication for people who previously had none. Imagine, for example, people with paralysis, being able to direct robotic limbs. Even those in a coma, who previously would have had no way to communicate with others, would be able to talk again. David Eagleman does research in neurology and envisions a future where novel sensory inputs can be connected to the brain. Click here to lean more about David Eagleman’s research projects. Electronic Prosthetics Every year, thousands of people lose limbs to disease and injury. Transplants are hard to come by and involve the risk of rejection, and while artificial limbs are available, they are often cumbersome, move unnaturally, and lack feeling. Therefore, it would be desirable to create electronic prosthetics that could receive commands directly from the patient’s nerves and deliver sensory data back along the same route. Short of regrowing the lost limb, this would be the best replacement. Sheila Nirenberg studies how light-sensitive microchips can be connected to the brain to allow blind people to see. Click here to lean more about Dr. Nirenberg’s research projects. Material Sciences----------------------------- Mass production has made it possible to manufacture many materials in large quantities, but few of these materials are suitable for use in medicine. Although it would be great to be able to replace lost skin or worn-out joints with synthetic equivalents indistinguishable from the original, current technology offers only crude imitations of naturally occurring biological materials. Therefore, new innovations in material sciences could have the potential to revolutionize medicine. Dr. Christopher Bettinger is using material science in his work to develop novel medical implants which could revolutionize weight loss, chronic pain and infections. Nanotechnology--------------------------------- Much of the technological progress of the past half-century has been driven by ever-increasing miniaturization. Every 18 months, the amount of space occupied by electronic components has been reduced by half. The small size of computers has made possible life-extending technologies such as the pacemaker. Now, computers are not just microscopic (measured in millionths of an inch) but nanoscopic (measured in billionths of an inch). This extreme miniaturization could allow for the development of revolutionary new medical devices. MEMS MEMS, or microelectromechanical systems, is the field of small, electricity-powered, mechanical devices. For nanotechnology to work, it is important to be able to use electronics to physically manipulate objects at the nano-level. That is where MEMS comes in, allowing computer instructions to be transferred to nano-sized machines. Neuroscience--------------------------------- The brain is the body’s most important organ, but also the most complex. This complexity has hindered treatment for many diseases. However, advances in neuroscience may change the situation. The brain, our central and peripheral nervous systems are our command centers. By applying treatments and novel solutions to the command centers of our bodies, therapeutic interventions could work much more effectively and rapidly. Neurogenesis Once a person reaches maturity, their neurons, the cells that make up the brain and nervous system, stop dividing. Neurons are long-lived, so this is usually not a problem. However, damage to nerve cells does not heal and can leave a person paralyzed for life, such as actor Christopher Reeves. Research into neurogenesis, the process of coaxing neurons to divide again, could find a cure to restore those with nervous system injuries to full health. Synthetic Neurotransmitters Neurotransmitters are the chemicals by which the cells of the brain and nervous system communicate with each other. They are the chemicals that we use to think, to feel and to control our own bodies. Many diseases, such as Parkinson’s, appear to be caused by a dysfunction of neurotransmitters. Creating our own synthetic neurotransmitters would allow the development of treatments for these diseases. David Eagleman does research in neurology and envisions a future where novel sensory inputs can be connected to the brain. Click here to lean more about David Eagleman’s research projects. Physics----------------------- Everything in the universe is subject to the laws of physics, and biological organisms are no exception. Therefore, advances in our understanding of physics can be used to drive forward research into cures for diseases. Whether it is the electromagnetic forces that determine how drugs interact with cellular receptors, or the complex fluid dynamics that provide insight into cardiac health, the applications of physics towards biomedical research are numerous and profound. The Cure Is Now supports the advancement of physics in order to fuel progress in medicine. Regenerative Medicine---------------------------- The body has an excellent capacity for self-renewal, but there are limits to its powers. Although lost skin can be regrown, a lost limb or organ cannot. If a person’s nervous system is damaged and they are paralyzed, there is no way to repair that damage. Furthermore, the ability of the body to regenerate itself decrease with age, leaving the elderly prone to death or suffering from stresses that would barely harm a younger person. Regenerative medicine focuses on repairing damage to the body that cannot be repaired by other means; stem cells are integral to this strategy, as their ability to be programmed into any type of cell makes them the ideal tool for rebuilding biological structures. Successful research into regenerative medicine would mean that there would be almost no type of injury that could not be repaired. John Schloendorn is the CEO of ImmunePath, which is involved in developing stem cell therapies for cancer and radiation injuries. Click here to lean more about John Schloendorn’s research projects. http://thecureisnow.org/index.php/our-strategy/departments

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