Medicine

	The building blocks of DNA direct the synthesis of proteins. Research at SNS could help determine the shape and structure of those proteins.

Understanding how proteins work is a key to unlocking the secrets of life. Proteins defend us against infection, but in their mutant forms they contribute to the development of diseases, such as cancer and AIDS. The key to understanding how individual proteins work is by uncovering their shape. Neutron scattering could play a vital role in this research.

Aging and cancer are caused partly by the abnormal functioning of DNA and proteins involved in regulating expression of a person's genetic pattern. Knowing the individual structures of these macromolecules will aid understanding of the chemical nature of disease at the atomic level, as well as the chemical mechanisms of genetic regulation.

The superior ability of neutrons to precisely locate hydrogen atoms in macromolecular structures will likely be important in several medial applications. Complex fluids—such as blood and soft materials (such as the permeable walls of body cells and other membranes—are essential to the processes of life. Because these materials are composed of hydrogen and other light atoms, SNS will be useful for studying small samples of these materials. In the pharmaceutical industry, using highly intense neutron beams to understand materials at the molecular level could speed the development of time-released, drug-delivery systems that target specific parts of the body. The more intense neutrons beams available at SNS will provide information previously unavailable to this field of study.

In addition, SNS studies could expedite development of artificial blood-vesicles that mimic the action of human blood cells. This capability could thus avoid the tough problems of screening blood for life-threatening viruses, quickly finding the right type of blood in an emergency, and convincing people to donate blood.

Using neutron scattering to determine the structure of body enzymes will aid in the development of more effective therapeutic drugs.

Intense neutron beams will offer clues on preparing better surfaces of wear- and corrosion-resistant alloys for use as hip implants.

Other potential benefits to the medical community include studies of health-care-related materials and bone structure. Intense neutron beams will be useful for developing better materials for medical implants that are highly resistant to wear and corrosion but that have no detrimental effects on the body. Neutrons have been used to see how bones mineralize during development, how they decay during osteoporosis, and whether proposed remedies will work. Neutron scattering can also help determine why a chemical additive in a newly developed toothpaste is improving or hindering the toothpaste's effectiveness in cleaning teeth.