A promising test for pancreatic cancer ... from a teenager | Jack Andraka

譯者: Ada Wang 審譯者: Bert Chen

Have you ever experienced a moment in your life

在你的生命中

that was so painful and confusing,

是否曾經體會過痛苦和困惑

而讓你想盡辦法

that all you wanted to do

瞭解事情的真相？

was learn as much as you could to make sense of it all?

When I was 13, a close family friend who was like an uncle to me

當我十三歲時 有一位跟我家人關係很好

對我而言就像親叔叔一樣的朋友

passed away from pancreatic cancer.

因為胰臟癌而去世

When the disease hit so close to home,

叔叔去世對我打擊很大

I knew I needed to learn more.

也讓我意識到我需要對這疾病有更多認識

So I went online to find answers.

所以我上網找尋答案

Using the Internet, I found a variety of statistics on pancreatic cancer,

我在網上找到了許多種 跟胰臟癌有關的統計數據

我在網上找到了許多種 跟胰臟癌有關的統計數據

and what I had found shocked me.

這些數據使我大吃一驚

超過百分之八十五的患者

Over 85 percent of all pancreatic cancers are diagnosed late,

都是到了較末期才被診斷出來

when someone has less than a two percent chance of survival.

而存活率往往不到百分之二

Why are we so bad at detecting pancreatic cancer?

為什麼診斷出胰臟癌有這麼難呢？

The reason?

原來，現行的篩檢方法

Today's current "modern" medicine is a 60-year-old technique.

早在60年前就開始使用了

That's older than my dad.

比我爸的年紀都還大

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But also, it's extremely expensive, costing 800 dollars per test,

而且篩檢費很高

要價800元美金

and it's grossly inaccurate, missing 30 percent of all pancreatic cancers.

結果還不是很準確

有百分之三十的機率可能會診斷不出來

Your doctor would have to be ridiculously suspicious that you have the cancer

你的主治醫生強烈懷疑你是得癌症

才會讓你做這個篩檢

in order to give you this test.

Learning this, I knew there had to be a better way.

知道這個情況後 我認為應該有更好的方法

So, I set up scientific criteria

於是我建立了一套科學標準

as to what a sensor would have to look like

讓一套篩檢器

in order to effectively diagnose pancreatic cancer.

才能有效地診斷出胰臟癌

The sensor would have to be:

這個篩檢器價格不能太貴 速度要夠快

inexpensive, rapid, simple, sensitive,

容易做、靈敏度高 夠精準且侵入性低

selective, and minimally invasive.

容易做、靈敏度高 夠精準且侵入性低

目前的技術用了六十多年 都沒有更新想必是有原因的

Now, there's a reason why this test hasn't been updated in over six decades.

目前的技術用了六十多年 都沒有更新想必是有原因的

And that's because when we're looking for pancreatic cancer,

因為當我們檢測胰臟癌時

we're looking at your bloodstream,

我們是透過血液作篩檢

但血液中本來就有大量不同的蛋白質

which is already abundant in all these tons and tons of protein,

and you're looking for this miniscule difference in this tiny amount of protein.

但是你要在極少量的蛋白質當中

尋找極細微的差異

Just this one protein.

就是在這種特定的蛋白質內尋找

其實幾乎不可能

That's next to impossible.

但初生之犢不畏虎 我不會輕言放棄

However, undeterred due to my teenage optimism --

(Laughter)

（掌聲）

(Applause)

I went online to a teenager's two best friends, Google and Wikipedia.

我上網找到兩個年輕人最喜歡使用的網站

Google和維基百科

I got everything for my homework from those two sources.

我寫作業都靠它們

(Laughter)

我找到一篇文章

And what I had found was an article

that listed a database of over 8,000 different proteins

上面列出了超過 8000 種從胰臟癌患者 身上所找到的蛋白質資料庫

that are found when you have pancreatic cancer.

列出了超過 8000 種從胰臟癌患者 身上所找到的蛋白質資料庫

So, I decided to go and make it my new mission

所以我決定要自己試試看

to go through all these proteins,

檢驗這些蛋白質

and see which ones could serve as a bio-marker for pancreatic cancer.

看哪個可以成為胰臟癌的判斷依據

我自己為了簡化流程

And to make it a bit simpler for myself,

I decided to map out scientific criteria, and here it is.

我決定制定一套科學化的篩選標準

Essentially, first, the protein would have to be found in all pancreatic cancers,

基本上 目標蛋白質必須要

在所有種類的胰臟患者血液裡 具有非常高濃度才能檢測出來

at high levels in the bloodstream,

必須要是在最早期 也只有在罹患癌症時才會出現

in the earliest stages, but also only in cancer.

And so I'm just plugging and chugging through this gargantuan task,

所以我全心投入研究這項浩大艱鉅的工作

and finally, on the 4,000th try,

終於嘗試到第四千次時

when I'm close to losing my sanity,

就在我快到達極限時

I find the protein.

我找到了那種蛋白質

And the name of the protein I'd located was called mesothelin,

而我找到的這種蛋白質

稱為「間皮素」

and it's just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill type protein,

是一種一般人體內都有的蛋白質

unless, of course, you have pancreatic, ovarian or lung cancer,

除非你罹患胰臟癌

卵巢癌或肺癌

in which case it's found at these very high levels in your bloodstream.

它就會在血液中大量產生

But also, the key is that it's found in the earliest stages of the disease,

但另一個關鍵是

這種蛋白質可以在癌症最初期時驗出

when someone has close to 100 percent chance of survival.

這樣病人的存活機率

可高達百分之百

現在要被偵測到的目標蛋白找到了

So now that I'd found a reliable protein I could detect,

I then shifted my focus to actually detecting that protein,

我將重心轉移到檢驗 這種蛋白質的方法上

and thus, pancreatic cancer.

也就是檢測胰臟癌的方法

我在意想不到的地方有重大突破

Now, my breakthrough came in a very unlikely place,

possibly the most unlikely place for innovation --

那也許是最不可能出現創新的地方

就是我高中的生物課

my high school biology class, the absolute stifler of innovation.

一個完全扼殺創意的地方

(Laughter)

（笑聲、掌聲）

(Applause)

我正在底下看一篇關於奈米碳管的文章

And I had snuck in this article on these things called carbon nanotubes,

奈米碳管是由碳原子 所構成的細長管柱

and that's just a long, thin pipe of carbon

that's an atom thick, and one 50,000th the diameter of your hair.

奈米碳管是由碳原子 所構成的細長管柱

直徑只有頭髮的五萬分之一

And despite their extremely small sizes,

儘管體積這麼小

they have these incredible properties.

它們卻有不可思議的特性

They're kind of like the superheroes of material science.

就像是材料科學中的超級英雄

上生物課時 我在桌子底下

And while I was sneakily reading this article under my desk in my biology class,

偷偷看這篇文章

we were supposed to be paying attention to these other kind of cool molecules,

本來我應該專心上課

學習另一種名為「抗體」的超酷分子

called antibodies.

And these are pretty cool because they only react

很酷的原因是它們只會

with one specific protein,

對特定蛋白質產生反應

but they're not nearly as interesting as carbon nanotubes.

但沒有奈米碳管那麼有趣

所以我坐在教室裡

And so then, I was sitting in class, and suddenly it hit me:

突然天外飛來一筆

I could combine what I was reading about, carbon nanotubes,

我可以將我在書上讀到的

奈米碳管

with what I was supposed to be thinking about, antibodies.

與課堂上教的抗體作結合

Essentially, I could weave a bunch of these antibodies

基本上我可以上把這些抗體

into a network of carbon nanotubes,

交織在奈米碳管的網狀織物上

such that you have a network that only reacts with one protein,

那就成了一個會針對 特定蛋白質有反應的網狀系統

那就成了一個會針對 特定蛋白質有反應的網狀系統

but also, due to the properties of these nanotubes,

由於奈米碳管的特性

it will change its electrical properties,

它會依據蛋白質的數量

based on the amount of protein present.

改變其導電性

However, there's a catch.

然而有一個必須克服的問題

These networks of carbon nanotubes are extremely flimsy.

奈米碳管的架構非常脆弱

因此需要一些物體支撐著它

And since they're so delicate, they need to be supported.

So that's why I chose to use paper.

這就是我選擇紙張的原因

Making a cancer sensor out of paper is about as simple

用紙製造出檢測癌症的工具

就像做巧克力餅乾一樣簡單

as making chocolate chip cookies, which I love.

我很喜歡巧克力餅乾

(Laughs)

You start with some water, pour in some nanotubes,

首先先將一些水到入奈米碳管裡

add antibodies, mix it up, take some paper, dip it, dry it,

再加入抗體 把兩者均勻混合

拿張試紙 沾濕後 再晾乾

and you can detect cancer.

你就可以檢驗出癌症

（掌聲）

(Applause)

Then, suddenly, a thought occurred

但我突然想起

that kind of put a blemish on my amazing plan here.

這個完美的計畫有個致命傷

I can't really do cancer research on my kitchen countertop.

我總不能在廚房工作檯上

進行癌症研究

My mom wouldn't really like that.

我媽絕對不會讓我這麼做的

So instead, I decided to go for a lab.

因此我決定去找間實驗室

So I typed up a budget, a materials list, a timeline, and a procedure,

我擬定預算、材料清單

時間表、流程

and I emailed it to 200 different professors

用電子郵件寄給200位教授

at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health --

包括約翰‧霍普金斯大學

國立衛生研究院 (NIH)

essentially, anyone that had anything to do with pancreatic cancer.

任何一位有關胰臟癌研究的教授

I sat back waiting for these positive emails to be pouring in,

接著我就慢慢等他們回信

saying, "You're a genius! You're going to save us all!"

說：「你真是個天才！

你是全人類的救星！」

And --

（笑聲）

(Laughter)

Then reality took hold, and over the course of a month,

然後現實擺在眼前

一個月過去了

I got 199 rejections out of those 200 emails.

我收到了 199 封拒絕信

有一位教授甚至煞費苦心地 看完整個流程

One professor even went through my entire procedure,

painstakingly -- I'm not really sure where he got all this time --

我不知道他哪來這麼多時間

and he went through and said why each and every step

他看完後告訴我 為什麼每個步驟

was like the worst mistake I could ever make.

我都錯得非常離譜

Clearly, the professors did not have as high of an opinion of my work as I did.

很明顯 這位教授的看法和我不同

他對我的成果沒有太高的評價

但是 終於出現一絲希望

However, there is a silver lining.

One professor said, "Maybe I might be able to help you, kid."

一位教授說：「孩子，也許我能幫你。」

So, I went in that direction.

所以我就去找他了

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

As you can never say no to a kid.

畢竟沒有人會拒絕一個小孩子的

And so then, three months later,

就這樣 三個月後

I finally nailed down a harsh deadline with this guy,

我和這位教授敲定的截止日 距離現在不遠了

and I get into his lab, I get all excited, and then I sit down,

我進到他的實驗室

非常興奮 坐下之後

I start opening my mouth and talking,

我開始進行面談

五秒後 他叫另一位博士進來

and five seconds later, he calls in another Ph.D.

Ph.D.s just flock into this little room,

這幾位博士和我們擠在小實驗室內

and they're just firing these questions at me,

他們就開始不斷問我問題

and by the end, I kind of felt like I was in a clown car.

最後 我覺得空間越來越擠

There were 20 Ph.D.s, plus me and the professor

房間裡有 20 位博士和我 還有那位教授

全都擠在這間小小的研究室裡

crammed into this tiny office space,

with them firing these rapid-fire questions at me,

不斷向我提問

trying to sink my procedure.

試著要找到我實驗流程的漏洞

How unlikely is that? I mean, pshhh.

這可能嗎？我的意思說 怎麼可能

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

However, subjecting myself to that interrogation --

但是，遭受質問後

I answered all their questions, and I guessed on quite a few

我回答了他們全部的問題

有些答案是用猜的 但也都有答對

but I got them right --

終於我找到一間 符合我需求的實驗室

and I finally landed the lab space I needed.

But it was shortly afterwards that I discovered my once brilliant procedure

但沒過多久我就發現

原本很棒的實驗流程

had something like a million holes in it,

原來是漏洞百出

and over the course of seven months,

再經過七個月的時間

I painstakingly filled each and every one of those holes.

我小心謹慎地填補每一個漏洞

The result?

結果呢？ 一小張試紙

One small paper sensor that costs three cents and takes five minutes to run.

只需3分美金 花5分鐘進行檢測

This makes it 168 times faster,

比原本快了168倍

over 26,000 times less expensive,

也便宜了26,000倍

and over 400 times more sensitive than our current standard

靈敏度提升了400倍

跟現有的胰臟癌測試流程相比

for pancreatic cancer detection.

（掌聲）

(Applause)

One of the best parts of the sensor, though,

這種試紙最棒的就是

準確度幾乎達到百分之百

is that it has close to 100 percent accuracy,

and can detect the cancer in the earliest stages,

而且能夠偵測到初期的癌症

在初期就發現罹患癌症的話 患者的存活率是接近百分之百

when someone has close to 100 percent chance of survival.

And so in the next two to five years,

所以未來二至五年

this sensor could potentially lift the pancreatic cancer survival rates

這試紙就有可能提升 胰臟癌患者的存活機率

from a dismal 5.5 percent to close to 100 percent,

從非常低的百分之五點五

驟升至將近百分之百

and it would do similar for ovarian and lung cancer.

也可應用至檢驗卵巢癌及肺癌

而且還不僅於此

But it wouldn't stop there.

By switching out that antibody,

只要替換抗體

you can look at a different protein, thus, a different disease --

你就可以檢查不同的蛋白質

也就是可以檢查出不同的疾病

potentially any disease in the entire world.

可能是這世上任何的疾病

So that ranges from heart disease, to malaria, HIV, AIDS,

包括心臟病

瘧疾、人類免疫缺陷病毒、愛滋病

as well as other forms of cancer -- anything.

以及其他種類的癌症 - 任何一種

And so, hopefully one day,

所以希望有一天

we can all have that one extra uncle,

我們都能多一位叔叔

that one mother, that one brother, sister,

母親、兄弟、姊妹

多一位家庭成員去愛

we can have that one more family member to love.

我們也可擺脫疾病的困擾

And that our hearts will be rid of that one disease burden

that comes from pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer,

無論是胰臟癌、卵巢癌或肺癌

and potentially any disease.

甚至任何疾病都可以

But through the Internet, anything is possible.

只要透過網際網路 凡事皆可能

Theories can be shared,

可以與大家分享你的理論

and you don't have to be a professor with multiple degrees

你不用是一位擁有許多學位教授

才能讓你的想法受人重視

to have your ideas valued.

It's a neutral space, where what you look like, age or gender --

這是一個中立的空間

不管外表好看與否 年紀幾歲 是男是女

it doesn't matter.

都不重要

It's just your ideas that count.

重要的是你的想法

對我而言，我們必須以

For me, it's all about looking at the Internet in an entirely new way,

另一種全新觀點來看待網際網路

to realize that there's so much more to it

才會發現還有許多網路資源 有待我們善加利用

than just posting duck-face pictures of yourself online.

而不是在網路上張貼 一些嘟嘴的自拍照

(Laughter)

你也能改變世界

You could be changing the world.

So if a 15 year-old who didn't even know what a pancreas was

所以如果一個15歲的孩子

甚至不知道胰臟是什麼器官

could find a new way to detect pancreatic cancer --

都能找出檢測胰臟癌的新方法

想想看你能做些什麼吧!

just imagine what you could do.

Thank you.

謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）