“You all belong here.” These were one of the first words Dr. Jeanne said to our group, as we sat around a table on our first day. I have always had a lot of hesitancy in almost all new opportunities that approach me, including this program. So, when I heard her say this, I appreciated her support but still listened to the unrelenting voice in the back of my head telling me otherwise. Yet by each passing day, as I gained understanding about the different lab techniques, research endeavors, scientific breakthroughs, and issues within the health community, the volume of the voice diminished. The incredibly welcoming and encouraging environment at the Hutch, right from day one, helped me overlook my initial doubts. I was shocked to see the diversity not only in our cohort but in all the scientists at the Hutch. People from all sorts of backgrounds, all striving to expand the frontiers of science and our world, really helped me see myself in a scientific career as well.
One of the most interesting forms of cancer treatment we learned about was immunotherapy. Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that uses one’s own body to fight disease. There are many ways in which immunotherapy is used, one of which being to treat blood cancers. Blood cancers can occur when there’s multiple mutations in blood cells which can turn off the tumor suppressor gene. This is what happened to Kristen, a Fred Hutch patient who had b-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). In Kristen’s case her HSCs developed into pre-mature lymphocytes known as lymphoblasts. These cells cannot fully differentiate or develop into mature lymphocytes which means that they can’t fight infections. They also have the oncogene mutation which allows them to grow uncontrollably which can cause all sorts of problems in the body. After looking at her case study, we learned how CAR-T cells were used to kill her cancerous b-cells. CAR-T cells start out as cancerous t-cells that have been infected by a genetically engineered and non-harmful virus. The virus’ RNA combines with the t-cell’s DNA, thus giving the now chimeric CAR-T cell the genetic code to produce an antibody. The CAR-T cell’s antibody can detect cancerous b-cells that have the CD19 protein. It then injects its enzymes into the cancerous b-cells, telling it to self-destruct. Unfortunately, though, there are some drawbacks to this treatment that we also discussed. CD19 is a protein that is specific to b-cells, which means that the CAR-T cells also kill the healthy b-cells. Sometimes, the cancerous b-cells return with a mutation that makes them not express the CD19 protein. But while it is true CAR-T cells have their flaws, scientists are finding ways to address them.
Diagram showing differentiation of blood stem cells. ALL begins in the lymphoblast cells and affects lymphocytes.
We also got to tour a few of the labs on campus and one of the most fascinating labs to me was the Bai lab where they used C elegans worms to understand how neurons talk to each other. When Dr. Jihong Bai told us about some of the questions they were trying to answer using the worms, I was completely puzzled. How could such a small, 1-millimeter long worm teach us anything about the vastly complex human brain? From this tour I learned a little more about the basic sciences division. With the help of less complex organisms like the C elegans worm, basic scientists can use their findings to understand fundamental biological processes. Since the C elegans worm only has about 300 neurons, its biological simplicity as opposed to the immensely complicated human brain, makes it a great subject for studying how neurons communicate. Dr. Bai shared that learning how neurons communicate tied to several issues including why some neurodivergent people are desensitized to and do not respond with the appropriate behavior to environmental challenges, and how cancer may affect or relate to neurons. After talking with Dr. Bai, I also learned that even the worm’s short life span of 21 days is studied. If scientists can find the genetic sequence within the worms’ DNA that if engineered with a new code, would allow the worm to live longer, that information could also be used on other animal species and possibly even humans. While the name ‘basic science” might not sound the most enticing, I discovered that it’s presumed connotation is very misleading as it’s truly an exciting and essential field.
During the program, a handful of scientists and guest speakers came to give talks and just chat with us. From college undergrad interns at the Hutch, to a clinical trial worker, to professors and even Dr. Faucci himself, the amount of advice, personal anecdotes, and information we gained from them was incredibly valuable. Our class seminar on bioethics and health inequalities in science, was personally one of my favorite group discussions we had. I’ve always been interested in learning more about global inequalities and what other people are doing to solve them. But for some reason I always had the notion that my only hope in pursuing a related career would require either becoming a doctor or restricting myself into a more political route. So, I was pleasantly surprised when Dr. Rossenkhan and Dr. Pritchett shared their experiences as a researcher and community health and education manager and found out that both of these incredible women use their passion for science and care for the world in their careers, every day. It helped me realize that careers in science aren’t like a track field where there’s a set number of pathways that only continue in one lane. Rather, it’s more like a spectrum where different fields are merged, overlapped, zoomed in or branched out, yet each and every one of these careers still fit in the spectrum. I’m so thankful to all the scientists, and funders who helped make this program such an amazing experience for all of us. I know I’ll use the skills, knowledge, curiosity, and confidence I’ve gained from the program no matter where I go or what I do. Once an explorer, always an explorer!
Using gel electrophoresis on our DNA fragments to see our results
Last day in the lab
From the bioethics PowerPoint
Dr. Faucci came to Seattle to receive the Fred Hutch award. He and Dr. Corey stopped by the Hutch and had a Q and A with us
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