Medicine
Neutrons
can provide information of vital interest to the
pharmaceutical and medical industries. |
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The
building blocks of DNA direct the synthesis of
proteins. Research at SNS could help determine
the shape and structure of those proteins.
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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.
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Using
neutron scattering to determine the structure of body enzymes will aid in the development
of more effective therapeutic drugs. |
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Intense neutron beams will offer clues on preparing better surfaces of wear- and corrosion-resistant alloys for use as hip implants.
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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.
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