2 . The liver (肝脏) cleans the blood and helps remove poison from the body. But liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world, and now researchers are developing a new form of treatment. They say it reduces the chances of harming the patient.

This treatment involves the use of natural, non-poisonous chemicals from plants.That is why the researchers call it a “green” method for fighting cancer.

Kattesh Katti is a professor of radiology and physics at the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine. For more than 10 years, he has studied the use of nanotechnology (纳米技术) to fight cancer.

Nanotechnology is the science of making things unimaginably small. For this study, Katti used extremely small objects to target and destroy cancer cells in the livers of mice and human cells in the laboratory.

Kattesh Katti used very small particles (颗粒) of gold. The gold was covered in a protective material. He says the particles attract cancer cells. Those cells are far more affected by lower levels of heat than healthy cells.

Once the particles travel to and connect with the cells, they are heated with a laser. That destroys the cancer cells, but the healthy ones around them live.” The patient will be administered with these nano particles. Within a couple of hours, the patient will be treated with lasers, and then the patient can go home. So, there is no radioactivity. There is no harmful waste. There is no bad effect on the patient.”

What that means is that the patient would not have the same side effects that one can have from radiation and chemotherapy (化疗).Chemotherapy drugs often are poisonous. While they kill off the cancer cells, they are also poisonous to the healthy cells and the patient can get very sick.

3 . At the White Coat Ceremony, first-year medical students received their medical jackets and swore, marking a transition into the world of medicine. This historic ceremony was especially moving as it meant a new era of inclusion of Native Americans entering medicine.

On July 31, 2020, 54 future doctors were welcomed to the College of Osteopathic Medicine at the Cherokee Nation, the first ever tribally affiliated (部落附属的) medical school in the US. Within this first Class of 2024, 20 percent are of Native American heritage, while 40 percent come from rural communities.

The Cherokee Nation paid $40 million for the construction of the medical school, a modern 84,000-square-foot facility. Construction on the site is expected to be completed this year. The campus officially sits on Cherokee tribal land, but four other tribal nations agreed to share the burden of supporting the new institution. The five native nations have promised to provide financial backing for scholarships, as well as allowing students to make use of tribal clinics for clinical rotations (换班).

Student Ashton Glover-Gatewood, a member of the Choctaw Nation and first year medical student said, “Being able to practice within Indian Health Service allows me to serve a great need in my own native community. Not only is a trusting relationship promoted by patients having access to medical doctors who look like them, but also higher quality of health care delivery can be enjoyed by both patients and physicians.”

As the first ever tribally affiliated medical school, the program aims to shape future doctors to work with communities who have lacked medical care and resources. By focusing on community-based, holistic (整体的) frameworks, it is clear that the school is well on the way to training medical professionals who can fulfill that mission.

Having a focus on giving back and cultural sensitivity, the Class of 2024 put on their white coats with a vision to make a positive impact.