Could We Cure HIV with Lasers? | Patience Mthunzi | TED Talks

譯者: Anbang Chai 審譯者: Xiaoya Song

What do you do when you have a headache?

當你頭疼時你會怎麼辦？

You swallow an aspirin.

你會吞下一片阿司匹林。

But for this pill to get to your head, where the pain is,

但要使這片藥到達你的頭， 也就是疼痛的地方，

it goes through your stomach, intestines and various other organs first.

它要經過你的胃，腸，和許多其他器官。

Swallowing pills is the most effective and painless way of delivering

口服藥片是最有效且無痛的給藥方式，

any medication in the body.

對於任何治療都是這樣。

The downside, though, is that swallowing any medication leads to its dilution.

然而不利之處在於， 口服藥品會引起藥物的稀釋。

And this is a big problem, particularly in HIV patients.

這是個大問題，尤其對於HIV患者來說。

When they take their anti-HIV drugs,

當他們使用抗HIV藥物時，

these drugs are good for lowering the virus in the blood,

這些藥物能夠降低血液中病毒的含量，

and increasing the CD4 cell counts.

并提升CD4細胞(一種免疫細胞)的數量。

But they are also notorious for their adverse side effects,

但它們也擁有很嚴重的副作用，

but mostly bad, because they get diluted by the time they get to the blood,

其中最大的問題在於，它們在 到達血液的時候已經稀釋，

and worse, by the time they get to the sites

在到達作用位置時就更糟了。

where it matters most: within the HIV viral reservoirs.

這是最重要的地方： 當HIV病毒潛伏在宿主體內時，

These areas in the body -- such as the lymph nodes,

它們存在於身體裡面，諸如淋巴結、

the nervous system, as well as the lungs --

神經系統，以及肺部﹣﹣

where the virus is sleeping,

這裡的病毒處於休眠狀態，

and will not readily get delivered in the blood

不會很快進入血液，

of patients that are under consistent anti-HIV drugs therapy.

只要病人持續使用抗HIV的藥物。

However, upon discontinuation of therapy,

然而，一旦治療中斷，

the virus can awake and infect new cells in the blood.

病毒就會甦醒並侵染血液中的新細胞。

Now, all this is a big problem in treating HIV with the current drug treatment,

如今，上述弊端已成為運用 目前藥物治療HIV的大問題。

which is a life-long treatment that must be swallowed by patients.

也就意味著病人需要終身服藥。

One day, I sat and thought,

有一天，我突然想到，

"Can we deliver anti-HIV directly within its reservoir sites,

“我們能否直接向 病毒的潛伏處注入抗HIV藥物，

without the risk of drug dilution?"

從而降低藥物稀釋的風險？“

As a laser scientist, the answer was just before my eyes:

作為一名雷射光科學家，答案是顯而易見的：

Lasers, of course.

雷射光，當然了。

If they can be used for dentistry,

如果雷射光可以被用於牙科，

for diabetic wound-healing and surgery,

糖尿病傷口修復以及外科手術，

they can be used for anything imaginable,

那麼它們可以被運用於任何可以想到的領域，

including transporting drugs into cells.

包括向細胞內注入藥物。

As a matter of fact, we are currently using laser pulses

事實上，我們正在運用雷射光脈衝

to poke or drill extremely tiny holes,

在HIV感染的細胞上戳或鑽出極小的孔，

which open and close almost immediately in HIV-infected cells,

這些孔開啟后會立即關閉，

in order to deliver drugs within them.

由此可以向其中注入藥物。

"How is that possible?" you may ask.

”這怎麼可能？“你可能會問。

Well, we shine a very powerful but super-tiny laser beam

是這樣，我們將一束能量極高且極其細的雷射光

onto the membrane of HIV-infected cells

照射在被HIV感染細胞的細胞膜上

while these cells are immersed in liquid containing the drug.

這些細胞被侵泡在含有藥物的液體里。

The laser pierces the cell, while the cell swallows the drug

激光將細胞刺破，毫秒之間，

in a matter of microseconds.

細胞就吞下了藥物。

Before you even know it,

在你察覺到之前，

the induced hole becomes immediately repaired.

被鑽出的孔就自動修復了。

Now, we are currently testing this technology in test tubes

現在，我們正在培養皿或者試管中，

or in Petri dishes,

測試這項技術，

but the goal is to get this technology in the human body,

目標在於將這項技術運用於人體，

apply it in the human body.

使它在人體內發揮作用。

"How is that possible?" you may ask.

“這怎麼可能？”你也許會問。

Well, the answer is: through a three-headed device.

是這樣的，通過一種三頭儀器。

Using the first head, which is our laser,

第一個頭就是我們的激光，

we will make an incision in the site of infection.

我們會用它對感染部位經行切割。

Using the second head, which is a camera,

第二個頭是一個攝像頭，

we meander to the site of infection.

我們用它來找到感染部位。

Finally, using a third head, which is a drug-spreading sprinkler,

最後，第三個頭是一個噴藥頭，

we deliver the drugs directly at the site of infection,

我們將藥物直接注入到感染部位，

while the laser is again used to poke those cells open.

與此同時，激光將細胞刺穿一個孔。

Well, this might not seem like much right now.

目前這看起來還不是那麼成熟。

But one day, if successful, this technology can lead

但終有一天，如果我們能夠成功，這項技術將

to complete eradication of HIV in the body.

完全根除人體內的HIV病毒。

Yes. A cure for HIV.

沒錯，治癒HIV。

This is every HIV researcher's dream --

這是每一個HIV研究者的夢想﹣﹣

in our case, a cure led by lasers.

對於我們來說，就是雷射光治療法。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）