![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090509104716im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/x.gif) News From the Field Engineers Create Intelligent Molecules That Seek-and-destroy Diseased Cells
![](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090509104716im_/http://www.nsf.gov/images/greenlineshort.jpg)
February 18, 2009
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Current treatments for diseases like cancer typically destroy nasty malignant cells, while also hammering the healthy ones. Using new advances in synthetic biology, researchers are designing molecules intelligent enough to recognize diseased cells, but leave the healthy cells alone. "We basically design molecules that actually go into the cell and do an analysis of the cellular state before delivering the therapeutic punch," said Christina Smolke.
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Source Stanford University
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