Having been granted the opportunity to present a workshop at these Science Museum Lates,
we decided to play a high stakes game with the
public: We assumed no prior knowledge, but
still wanted to show the science directly as it
is, through no filter of oversimplification. We
argued we could get away with it because of the
sheer beauty of science, working with its inherently visual nature. It is tricky to capture nature
in words, but the thousand words that a picture
paints contain no jargon.
trick of the development of targeted therapy is
knowing exactly what the molecular structure
of the target proteins is, and designing drugs
that block the activity of that particular protein specifically. In order to illustrate this, we
used 3D-printed models of the exact structure
of the active part of the HER2 protein. These
models were given to the audience, constructed
large enough to let visitors fully appreciate
the unique structure of this protein, to feel
its bumps, grooves, hollows, and protrusions.
We then set them a
challenge to find one
the correct drug, used
in the clinic against
HER2-driven breast
cancer, from a selection of four 3D-printed
therapeutics, made
in flexible material to
mimic the plasticity of
bio-molecules. We were
delighted to find that
our audience enthusiastically engaged with
the models, and were
incredibly competent
at solving the task at
hand.
We wanted to tell
the story of targeted
therapy, or personalized
medicine: the attempt
to progress away from
the carpet-bomb that is
classical chemotherapy.
Instead, the molecular
characteristics of a specific patient’s disease
are now being taken
into account, with
sharpshooter drugs targeting the very features
that differentiate between the healthy cell
and the tumor cell. Our
case in point was a specific type of breast canOur workshop
cer, which is driven by a
showed that by using
receptor protein called
appropriate technology,
HER2. In a normal cell,
it is possible to forge
HER2 is responsible
the visual qualities of
for transmitting the
science in a way that
signal that tells the cell
everyone can directly
to grow and divide. In
engage with. There is
about 20 percent of all
no necessity for overly
breast cancer, there is a
diluting the underlying
massive increase in the
scientific principles and
Photo credit: Rosanne Roobeek.
number of HER2 proteins,
alienating an audience
causing a hyperactivation
through condescension
of the growth-/division-signal, which can lead
when a participant is able to learn exactly how
to tumor formation. HER2 has been studied
nature works by sight, and touch. We have the
extensively to the extent that targeted therapy
technology to provide this kind of an immeragainst it is now in use in the clinic.
sive, high-content communication of cuttingedge biomedical research in a way that is engagIn order to set the scene, we made an animaing and empowering to the general audience.
tion that tracks the normal, and subsequently
This should be cherished, nurtured, and develcancerous, behavior of HER2 receptors on the
oped in order to let that same audience apprecell surface. The main objective, however, was
ciate the marvel of biomolecular science—and
to transgress beyond the mere video introducnot be wary of it.
tion right into the molecular nitty-gritty. A key
SciArt in America April 2014
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