YSM Issue 97.1

Biology / Mathematical Ecology
NEWS
MIMICKING
TUMOR
INTERACTIONS
A NEW PATH
TOWARD PERSONALIZED
CANCER THERAPY
BY NUSAIBA ISLAM
SSSENSITIVE
SNAKES
HUNTING WITH PRECISE
INFRARED SENSORS
BY LYNNA THAI
IMAGE COURTESY OF WEINING ZHONG VIA FLICKR
IMAGE COURTESY OF GEOFF GALLICE VIA FLICKR
In a world where cancer claims millions of lives every year, a
pioneering study by Yale’s Krishnaswamy lab in collaboration
with the University College London Cancer Institute shines a
beacon of hope by introducing a novel method that personalizes
cancer therapy based on a patient’s unique genetic profile.
Their study employed patient-derived organoids (PDOs) and
cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) to replicate the tumor’s
environment in the lab. PDOs are small, lab-created structures
that simulate the complexity of real tumors, while CAFs are cells
within tumors that aid cancer growth. By employing heavy metal
labels for molecular analysis and a unique data analysis system
named “Trellis,” the team tracked each cell’s drug response,
identifying those resistant to chemotherapy for targeted
future treatments.
Alexander Tong GSAS ’20 and ’21, a former graduate student
in the Krishnaswamy lab and an author of the study, emphasized
the potential of this approach. “The closer we can get our models
to the tumor microenvironment, the closer we can get to treating
patients individually,” Tong said.
This research represents a significant shift from the one-sizefits-all
approach to cancer treatment, focusing instead on the
specific genetic landscape of each patient’s tumor. It is a crucial
step forward in combating drug resistance and boosting the
effectiveness of cancer therapies.
In the future, the team aims to refine its methodology by
developing sophisticated algorithms to accurately predict
treatment outcomes for diverse patient profiles, drug
combinations, and therapeutic strategies. This computational
innovation could greatly reduce the reliance on extensive
data collection, leading to more efficient treatment plans and
optimizing the path toward individualized cancer care. ■
In the gloomy hours of the night, a hungry pit viper
finds itself in search of a meal. Despite the darkness,
the snake’s ability to locate its prey is strong and precise
without visual cues. How is this possible? The viper utilizes a
unique sensory system—a thermal imaging pit organ where
neurons embedded in a tissue at the back of the pit can detect
temperature changes as small as one milli-Kelvin, exposing
all of the snake’s nearby food options.
In a recent study published in Proceedings of the National
Academy of Sciences, Yale physicists Isabella Graf and
Benjamin Machta were interested in understanding how
these sensory organs could detect such small temperature
changes. Using statistical physics concepts and information
theory, the researchers constructed a simple mathematical
model that describes the basic parameters of infrared sensing.
“Our model focuses on how information in temperaturesensitive
ion channels is aggregated into a collective neural
response,” Graf said. “We have a mathematical equation for
how these channels influence voltage dynamics in single
neurons. We use rather simple dynamic equations that don’t
depend on space, but just on time.”
Many biological sensory systems can detect small changes,
meaning that the scientists’ model may have applications
outside of the pit viper study. There are numerous examples
where it’s important to recognize the use of a feedback system
for sensory adaptation—for instance, in bacteria like E. coli,
which can sense and move towards certain chemicals in
their environment. The researchers aim to answer questions
of how collective sensory organs can detect what individual
senses can’t catch on their own—a striking example of
biological innovation. ■
www.yalescientific.org
March 2024 Yale Scientific Magazine 7