Google’s continuing hard work to change the world are certainly praiseworthy, to say the least. It's revolutionized the internet and is in the course of developing a self-driving car and sending weather balloons into the sky to give remote areas access to the web. Now, it’s set on postponing death by changing the way we diagnose disease.
Announced
on October 28 at the Wall Street Journal’s WSJD Live conference, Google X’s
latest ambitious project involves developing a novel way to diagnose a variety
of conditions, including cancer, at much earlier stages than is presently
possible. The technology will have two main components: disease-detecting
nanoparticles and a wearable sensor that’s much like a wrist watch.
The
nanoparticles, which will be around one-thousandth the width of a red blood cell, will be
designed in such a way that they stick to disease-specific molecules in the
body. Readings of these nanoparticles will then be taken regularly throughout
the day by the watch-like device using either light
or radio waves. If successful, this early warning system has the
potential to save many lives because it would mean that possibly fatal
conditions can be picked up before they become too late to treat.
The
nanoparticles that Google is hoping to develop are not a “one size fits
all,” but rather a whole range of microscopic detectives that are designed to
match different disease markers. Some could target cell surface proteins that
are only expressed on cancerous cells, whereas others might pick up fatty
plaques before they slough off from blood vessels, which could cause a stroke.
The particles would also be magnetic so that they can be guided towards the
magnet-bearing wrist device.
Once
they reach the wrist vasculature, they inform the sensor of the results of the
latest scour, which can be downloaded using software. Doctors can then be
alerted of any significant changes in the individual’s biochemistry. The whole
thing would also be non-invasive as the particles would be introduced by a
pill, negating the need for the removal of blood or other bodily fluids.
“What
we are trying to do is change medicine from reactive and transactional to
proactive and preventative,” project leader Dr. Andrew Conrad told the BBC.
“Nanoparticles… give you the ability to explore the body at a molecular and
cellular level.”
While
this all sounds great on paper, some issues with the idea have already been
raised. The technology needs to be incredibly precise to avoid false positive
results, which could lead to anxiety and unnecessary intervention. What’s more,
if there is no treatment, would you really want to know if you had the
condition?
Google
has claimed that the technology could reach the market within the next five to
seven years, but that seems a little fanciful as it’s still uncertain whether
the whole thing is feasible. Furthermore, even if they do manage to perfect the
nanoparticles, they’ll need to get FDA approval and conduct large clinical
trials to prove that it’s safe and effective. However, their commitment and
determination is laudable, and they’ve said that they won’t use the data for
marketing, and will even license the technology to partners to manage.
“We
are the inventors of the technology,” Conrad
said, “but we have no intentions of commercializing it or monetizing
it in that way.”
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