Team:Penn/LightActivatedOverview
From 2012.igem.org
Light-Activated Gene Expression
These targeting mechanisms are imperfect on their own because they also target healthy tissue. Furthermore, the majority of therapies employ no targeting mechanisms at all (e.g. pharmacologic therapies).
Even when diseases are clearly localized in specific areas and specific cells (such as cancer), current therapies such as chemotherapy attack the entire body and result in significant adverse effects. Patients who undergo chemotherapy suffer significant damage to fast-dividing cells throughout the entire body, which can result in immune system depression, hair loss, pain, and organ damage.