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Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
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Baltimore demystifies a specialised field of research

Deepa Kurup

Nobel laureate speaks about micro RNAs and their relevance in understanding cancer

— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Captive audience: Nobel laureate David Baltimore, President Emeritus, California Institute of Technology, addressing the gathering at a lecture on "Micro RNAs in Inflammation and Cancer" at the J. N. Tata Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, on Wednesday.

BANGALORE: Nobel laureate David Baltimore’s account of research and experimental data on “Micro RNAs in Inflammation and Cancer” — which promises a breakthrough in cancer treatment — held hundreds of students and research scholars captive here on Wednesday.

Facing the packed audience at the J.N. Tata auditorium, Prof. Baltimore, during the second chapter of a three-part lecture series, got to know firsthand why Bangalore was called the Knowledge Capital of India. He termed it “the largest audience in the world to gather under a roof to listen to a talk on micro RNA.”

He later told the media that the response was overwhelming. “There were a couple of hundred people in Delhi, but this is simply amazing and phenomenal.”

Prof. Baltimore, who was co-recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1975, spoke about the two types of micro RNA (miRNA) — miR146 and miR155 — and their relevance in the understanding of cancer. While miR146 is associated with inflammatory responses or the defence mechanism of the body, miR155 is associated with cancer. He explained the correlation between the presence of miRNA and the increase in myeloid cells, which are indicative of cancer (in mice).

Demystifying this very specialised field of research, Prof. Baltimore spoke about the influence of miRNA — short strands of genetic material in the genome, which have recently been linked to as many as 200 regulatory functions. MiRNA has taken centre stage in the field of medicine and cancer research.

“This is a very important field and it is a big opportunity to listen to him. This kind of thing helps spark interest in research,” said Vinod Kumar S., who works in the Manipal Hospital (Genetics).

Interactive session

In an interactive session, Prof. Baltimore fielded questions from science students and research scholars on subjects ranging from technical aspects such as the structure of micro RNAs to their role in the nervous system. Prof. Baltimore, who said he was always pleased to take questions, got more than what he asked for from the eager audience.

Speaking to mediapersons, he said it took a lot of research to understand the role of drugs in inhibiting cells, and the road ahead was long as well as challenging.

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