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SUMMARY:RNAi-based molecular computing for cancer cell detection - Yaakov 
 (Kobi) Benenson (ETH Zurich BSSE)
DTSTART:20111121T160000Z
DTEND:20111121T170000Z
UID:TALK31870@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Florian Markowetz
DESCRIPTION:Engineered biological systems that integrate multi-input sensi
 ng\, sophisticated information processing\, and precisely regulated actuat
 ion in living cells could be useful in a variety of applications. For exam
 ple\, anticancer therapies could be engineered to detect and respond to co
 mplex cellular conditions in individual cells with high specificity. \n\nA
  few years ago we proposed a geenral-purpose approach to logic signal inte
 gration in mammalian cells using RNA interference. More recently\, we appl
 ied these ideas to design a scalable transcriptional/posttranscriptional s
 ynthetic regulatory circuit-a cell-type "classifier"-that senses expressio
 n levels of a customizable set of endogenous microRNAs and triggers a cell
 ular response only if the expression levels match a predetermined profile 
 of interest. We demonstrate that a HeLa cancer cell classifier selectively
  identifies HeLa cells and triggers apoptosis without affecting non-HeLa c
 ell types. This approach also provides a general platform for programmed r
 esponses to other complex cell states.
LOCATION:Cancer Research UK Cambridge Research Institute\, Lecture Theatre
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