TED2015
Patience Mthunzi: Could we cure HIV with lasers?
佩西恩斯·穆圖茲: 我們能夠用雷射光治療愛滋病嗎？
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口服藥物來治療疾病是一種快捷、無痛的方法，但同時存在效率不高的問題。是否有更好地辦法呢？雷射光。在這篇激動人心的講演裡，TED 演講者佩西恩斯·穆圖茲闡述了她關於利用雷射光直接向 HIV 感染的細胞內注入藥物的想法。它離成功還很遙遠，但它能為治癒 HIV 帶來曙光嗎？
Patience Mthunzi - Laser scientist
Patience Mthunzi wants to use lasers to deliver medicines more effectively. Full bio
Patience Mthunzi wants to use lasers to deliver medicines more effectively. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
What do you do when you have a headache?
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當你頭疼時你會怎麼辦？
00:15
You swallow an aspirin.
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你會吞下一片阿司匹林。
00:18
But for this pill to get
to your head, where the pain is,
to your head, where the pain is,
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但要使這片藥到達你的頭，
也就是疼痛的地方，
也就是疼痛的地方，
00:22
it goes through your stomach, intestines
and various other organs first.
and various other organs first.
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它要經過你的胃，腸，和許多其他器官。
00:28
Swallowing pills is the most effective
and painless way of delivering
and painless way of delivering
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口服藥片是最有效且無痛的給藥方式，
00:34
any medication in the body.
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對於任何治療都是這樣。
00:37
The downside, though, is that swallowing
any medication leads to its dilution.
any medication leads to its dilution.
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然而不利之處在於，
口服藥品會引起藥物的稀釋。
口服藥品會引起藥物的稀釋。
00:43
And this is a big problem,
particularly in HIV patients.
particularly in HIV patients.
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這是個大問題，尤其對於HIV患者來說。
00:48
When they take their anti-HIV drugs,
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當他們使用抗HIV藥物時，
00:51
these drugs are good for lowering
the virus in the blood,
the virus in the blood,
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這些藥物能夠降低血液中病毒的含量，
00:56
and increasing the CD4 cell counts.
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并提升CD4細胞(一種免疫細胞)的數量。
00:58
But they are also notorious
for their adverse side effects,
for their adverse side effects,
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但它們也擁有很嚴重的副作用，
01:03
but mostly bad, because they get diluted
by the time they get to the blood,
by the time they get to the blood,
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其中最大的問題在於，它們在
到達血液的時候已經稀釋，
到達血液的時候已經稀釋，
01:08
and worse, by the time
they get to the sites
they get to the sites
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在到達作用位置時就更糟了。
01:11
where it matters most:
within the HIV viral reservoirs.
within the HIV viral reservoirs.
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這是最重要的地方：
當HIV病毒潛伏在宿主體內時，
當HIV病毒潛伏在宿主體內時，
01:17
These areas in the body --
such as the lymph nodes,
such as the lymph nodes,
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它們存在於身體裡面，諸如淋巴結、
01:22
the nervous system,
as well as the lungs --
as well as the lungs --
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神經系統，以及肺部﹣﹣
01:25
where the virus is sleeping,
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這裡的病毒處於休眠狀態，
01:27
and will not readily
get delivered in the blood
get delivered in the blood
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不會很快進入血液，
01:30
of patients that are under
consistent anti-HIV drugs therapy.
consistent anti-HIV drugs therapy.
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只要病人持續使用抗HIV的藥物。
01:36
However, upon discontinuation of therapy,
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然而，一旦治療中斷，
01:40
the virus can awake
and infect new cells in the blood.
and infect new cells in the blood.
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病毒就會甦醒並侵染血液中的新細胞。
01:44
Now, all this is a big problem in treating
HIV with the current drug treatment,
HIV with the current drug treatment,
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如今，上述弊端已成為運用
目前藥物治療HIV的大問題。
目前藥物治療HIV的大問題。
01:51
which is a life-long treatment
that must be swallowed by patients.
that must be swallowed by patients.
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也就意味著病人需要終身服藥。
01:55
One day, I sat and thought,
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有一天，我突然想到，
01:57
"Can we deliver anti-HIV directly
within its reservoir sites,
within its reservoir sites,
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“我們能否直接向
病毒的潛伏處注入抗HIV藥物，
病毒的潛伏處注入抗HIV藥物，
02:03
without the risk of drug dilution?"
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從而降低藥物稀釋的風險？“
02:06
As a laser scientist,
the answer was just before my eyes:
the answer was just before my eyes:
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作為一名雷射光科學家，答案是顯而易見的：
02:11
Lasers, of course.
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雷射光，當然了。
02:12
If they can be used for dentistry,
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如果雷射光可以被用於牙科，
02:15
for diabetic wound-healing and surgery,
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糖尿病傷口修復以及外科手術，
02:18
they can be used for anything imaginable,
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那麼它們可以被運用於任何可以想到的領域，
02:21
including transporting drugs into cells.
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包括向細胞內注入藥物。
02:25
As a matter of fact,
we are currently using laser pulses
we are currently using laser pulses
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事實上，我們正在運用雷射光脈衝
02:30
to poke or drill extremely tiny holes,
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在HIV感染的細胞上戳或鑽出極小的孔，
02:34
which open and close almost
immediately in HIV-infected cells,
immediately in HIV-infected cells,
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這些孔開啟后會立即關閉，
02:39
in order to deliver drugs within them.
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由此可以向其中注入藥物。
02:42
"How is that possible?" you may ask.
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”這怎麼可能？“你可能會問。
02:45
Well, we shine a very powerful
but super-tiny laser beam
but super-tiny laser beam
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是這樣，我們將一束能量極高且極其細的雷射光
02:51
onto the membrane of HIV-infected cells
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照射在被HIV感染細胞的細胞膜上
02:55
while these cells are immersed
in liquid containing the drug.
in liquid containing the drug.
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這些細胞被侵泡在含有藥物的液體里。
03:00
The laser pierces the cell,
while the cell swallows the drug
while the cell swallows the drug
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激光將細胞刺破，毫秒之間，
03:05
in a matter of microseconds.
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細胞就吞下了藥物。
03:07
Before you even know it,
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在你察覺到之前，
03:09
the induced hole
becomes immediately repaired.
becomes immediately repaired.
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被鑽出的孔就自動修復了。
03:13
Now, we are currently testing
this technology in test tubes
this technology in test tubes
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現在，我們正在培養皿或者試管中，
03:17
or in Petri dishes,
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測試這項技術，
03:19
but the goal is to get
this technology in the human body,
this technology in the human body,
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目標在於將這項技術運用於人體，
03:23
apply it in the human body.
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使它在人體內發揮作用。
03:25
"How is that possible?" you may ask.
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“這怎麼可能？”你也許會問。
03:28
Well, the answer is:
through a three-headed device.
through a three-headed device.
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是這樣的，通過一種三頭儀器。
03:33
Using the first head, which is our laser,
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第一個頭就是我們的激光，
03:36
we will make an incision
in the site of infection.
in the site of infection.
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我們會用它對感染部位經行切割。
03:40
Using the second head, which is a camera,
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第二個頭是一個攝像頭，
03:43
we meander to the site of infection.
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我們用它來找到感染部位。
03:45
Finally, using a third head,
which is a drug-spreading sprinkler,
which is a drug-spreading sprinkler,
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最後，第三個頭是一個噴藥頭，
03:50
we deliver the drugs directly
at the site of infection,
at the site of infection,
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我們將藥物直接注入到感染部位，
03:53
while the laser is again used
to poke those cells open.
to poke those cells open.
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與此同時，激光將細胞刺穿一個孔。
03:58
Well, this might not seem
like much right now.
like much right now.
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目前這看起來還不是那麼成熟。
04:02
But one day, if successful,
this technology can lead
this technology can lead
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但終有一天，如果我們能夠成功，這項技術將
04:07
to complete eradication
of HIV in the body.
of HIV in the body.
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完全根除人體內的HIV病毒。
04:11
Yes. A cure for HIV.
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沒錯，治癒HIV。
04:14
This is every HIV researcher's dream --
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這是每一個HIV研究者的夢想﹣﹣
04:17
in our case, a cure lead by lasers.
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對於我們來說，就是雷射光治療法。
04:20
Thank you.
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謝謝。
04:21
(Applause)
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（掌聲）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Patience Mthunzi - Laser scientistPatience Mthunzi wants to use lasers to deliver medicines more effectively.
Why you should listen
Patience Mthunzi is a research group leader at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in Pretoria, South Africa. There, she uses laser "tweezers" to try and separate diseased cells from healthy ones. She's also developed a way to use laser pulses to target drug delivery into cells.
Born in Soweto, Patience got her PhD in physics from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In 2012, she was named one of 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa by Forbes magazine; that same year she was given the Order of Mapungubwe for her contribution in the field of biophotonics. She's also a TED Fellow.
Patience Mthunzi | Speaker | TED.com