Lung Cancer is one of the leading causes of death around the world, and it particularly impacts underprivileged communities because of the lack of resources available to them. In India, about 70,000 people die every year due to lung cancer, and it is the 4th most common cancer by number of new cases in India. Our goal this year is to try and find a better cure for lung cancer, circumventing the side effects of chemotherapy. CAR T cell therapy is a novel type of cancer immunotherapy treatment that uses immune cells called T cells that are genetically altered in a lab to enable them in locating and destroying cancer cells more effectively. However, CAR T therapy is rendered ineffective against 90% of cancer types because it's too hard to break down. We're here to mitigate the problem!
Cell adhesion and its association with the tumor microenvironment is a crucial component of cancer proliferation. However, the control of tumor metastasis remains a complicated phenomenon, particularly in solid tumors. We have devised an expression system for the display of a receptor - which will act as a ‘stand’ for the drug we have found, which then goes on to the tumor site directly - with no detours for the drug to cause any side effects. This allows the tumor mass to disintegrate - increasing CAR T-effectivity!
At the core of our project, models are the driving force, providing us with the precision and guidance needed for our work. They serve as the navigational systems that helped us chart our course through the intricate landscape of our project. In essence, our project's success is deeply intertwined with the application of these models, which act as our strategic compass, helping us uncover opportunities and navigate challenges efficiently.
One of the most integral components of project design - our human practices involves connecting with a diverse array of people who are impacted by our work. We believe that every person we speak to has something meaningful to contribute. With this in mind, we have engaged with as many communities as we could- from patients, to doctors, to industrialists, and to ordinary people like us.
It is said that to understand something, you must learn it in more than one way. Our education initiative is something not only close to us as a team, but also to each one of us personally. We wanted our love for science to be shared by all, as we believe that a true passion for science creates minds that yearn to solve real life problems. Our education activities encompass age groups from young schoolers to older generations.
We have created iGEM MasterMind, which is a conversational Chatbot trained specially on the data on iGEM's website. In the age of AI, where information is at your fingertips, we have made sure that the conversations with the Chatbot are also extremely relevant to the data iGEM has put up on its website. It provides all competition details, upcoming events, registration information and anything else that is present on the official iGEM website.