Cure Cancer

About

Disclaimer: This is a theoretical approach to solving cancer. Cancer therapies must be approved by the FDA. Cancer cells often survive because they disable the body's natural self-destruct mechanism, called apoptosis. Instead of dying when they become damaged or genetically unstable, many cancer cells overexpress survival proteins such as Bcl-2 and Mcl-1, while suppressing important pro-apoptotic proteins including Bax, Bak, and p53. This imbalance allows tumors to continue growing, resist chemotherapy, and evade the immune system. These molecular processes occur inside cells and are difficult to visualize, making them challenging for students, researchers, and the general public to understand. Cure Cancer is an interactive educational simulation that visualizes how CRISPR-engineered stem cell therapy can restore the apoptotic pathway in a cancer cell. The app demonstrates how stem cells deliver CRISPR gene-editing components, how CRISPR-Cas9 and CRISPR-Cas3 modify targeted genes, how Bax, Bak, and p53 activity increases while Bcl-2 and Mcl-1 decrease, and how these molecular changes trigger mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization (MOMP), cytochrome c release, apoptosome formation, caspase activation, and ultimately programmed cell death. The simulation concludes by showing macrophages recognizing, engulfing, and safely clearing apoptotic cell fragments. By presenting each biological stage through interactive animation and scientific explanations, the app transforms complex molecular biology into an intuitive learning experience while illustrating one potential strategy researchers are investigating for targeted cancer therapies.