1417: "Dr. Green’s Light"

HistoryPodcastScienceNews
Written By JC

Interesting Things with JC #1417: "Dr. Green’s Light" – What if curing cancer didn’t require cutting, poisoning, or burning? One physicist is turning light and gold into a revolution in care.

Curriculum - Episode Anchor

Episode Title: Dr. Green’s Light
Episode Number: #1417
Host: JC
Audience: Grades 9–12, college intro, homeschool, lifelong learners
Subject Area: Biology, Physics, Biomedical Technology, Medical Ethics

Lesson Overview
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Define photothermal therapy and explain its mechanisms.

  • Compare traditional cancer treatments with Laser Activated NanoTherapy (LANT).

  • Analyze how nanotechnology enables targeted cancer therapies.

  • Explain the significance of Dr. Hadiyah Nicole Green’s work within modern medicine and cancer research.

Key Vocabulary

  • Photothermal Therapy (foh-toh-THER-muhl THER-uh-pee) — A medical technique where light is converted into heat to damage or destroy cancer cells.

  • Nanorods (NA-noh-rods) — Tiny, rod-shaped particles, often made of gold, used at the nanoscale level in scientific research and medicine.

  • Infrared Laser (IN-fruh-red LAY-zur) — A type of laser that emits light in the infrared spectrum, used to penetrate skin without harming healthy tissue.

  • Chemotherapy (KEE-moh-THER-uh-pee) — A traditional method of treating cancer using drugs that kill or stop the growth of cancer cells.

  • Experimental Treatment (ik-SPAIR-uh-men-tl TREET-ment) — A new or unapproved medical procedure that is still being tested for safety and effectiveness.

Narrative Core (Based on the PSF – relabeled)

  • Open: The episode begins with the sobering reality that cancer has taken millions of lives, setting the emotional and scientific stakes.

  • Info: Introduces Dr. Hadiyah Nicole Green and the core concept of Laser Activated NanoTherapy (LANT) as a possible alternative to surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

  • Details: Describes the mechanism of action—gold nanorods injected into tumors and activated by infrared light to destroy cancer cells while preserving healthy tissue. Shares lab success in animal trials.

  • Reflection: Connects the research to a personal story—Dr. Green’s motivation through her aunt, Ora Lee Smith—and explores the possibility of less invasive, more humane cancer care.

  • Closing: “These are interesting things, with JC.”

A smiling woman with braided hair, wearing a white shirt, sits behind scientific equipment in a lab. She is Dr. Hadiyah Nicole Green, pictured at a workbench with metal instruments and optical devices in the foreground. The top of the image has bold text that reads, “Interesting Things with JC #1417 – Dr. Green’s Light.”

Transcript
Cancer has taken millions of lives, and for decades treatment has meant surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy, each with heavy costs. Dr. Hadiyah Nicole Green (hah DEE yah nuh COLE green), a medical physicist, has been working on a different path.

Her research is called Laser Activated NanoTherapy, or LANT. It combines light and gold. In lab experiments, gold nanorods, particles so small that tens of thousands can fit across a single human hair, are delivered into tumors. Because cancer blood vessels leak, the particles can get trapped inside. Then a near infrared laser shines through the skin. The gold absorbs the light, heats up, and damages the tumor cells while sparing much of the healthy tissue.

This is called photothermal therapy. At about 120 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit, or 50 to 70 Celsius, proteins inside cancer cells break apart. In animal studies, this rise in temperature has shrunk tumors without the sickness and fatigue that usually come with chemotherapy. In one study, mice given a single ten minute treatment showed tumors vanish in about fifteen days with no major side effects. That was in animals, not humans, but it showed real potential.

Light in medicine isn’t new. In the 1950s doctors used blue light to treat jaundice in newborns. Today lasers remove skin lesions, and light boxes help with seasonal depression. Photothermal therapy builds on that history, but on the nanoscale. Gold is stable, it doesn’t rust or corrode, and it interacts with light in predictable ways. That makes it a safe carrier for heat, as long as the particles are delivered where they are needed.

The Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation, named after her aunt who died of the disease, is raising money to move this approach into human trials. It’s still experimental, but the hope is real. If it works, cancer care may not always mean surgery, radiation, or heavy drugs. It could instead be a beam of light, guided by gold, targeting the disease at its source.

These are interesting things, with JC.

Student Worksheet

  1. What is Laser Activated NanoTherapy (LANT), and how does it work?

  2. Why are gold nanorods effective for targeting cancer cells?

  3. How is photothermal therapy different from chemotherapy?

  4. What historical uses of light in medicine were mentioned in the episode?

  5. Imagine this therapy succeeds in human trials—how might it change cancer treatment for future patients?

Teacher Guide

Estimated Time
45–60 minutes

Pre-Teaching Vocabulary Strategy

  • Use visual aids to show nanorods and lasers.

  • Word wall with phonetic pronunciations and images.

  • Quick paired discussions to contextualize unfamiliar terms.

Anticipated Misconceptions

  • Students may believe this therapy is already available to patients.

  • Confusion between nanorods and nanoparticles in general.

  • Misunderstanding that "light therapy" implies no risks.

Discussion Prompts

  • Should new cancer treatments be prioritized over traditional methods?

  • How does Dr. Green’s story show the relationship between personal experience and scientific innovation?

  • What challenges exist in bringing experimental treatments to human trials?

Differentiation Strategies

  • ESL: Use translated vocabulary handouts with visuals.

  • IEP: Scaffold comprehension questions using sentence starters.

  • Gifted: Research other light-based therapies in development and present findings.

Extension Activities

  • Research and create a presentation on the physics of lasers.

  • Write a short biography of Dr. Hadiyah Nicole Green highlighting her contributions to science.

  • Debate: "Should governments fund experimental treatments before proven in humans?"

Cross-Curricular Connections

  • Physics: Light and heat transfer, properties of infrared radiation.

  • Biology: Cancer cell biology, protein denaturation.

  • Ethics: Human testing, medical innovation funding.

  • History of Science: Evolution of cancer treatments over the decades.

Quiz
Q1. What material is used in LANT to absorb laser light?
A. Silver
B. Gold
C. Copper
D. Zinc
Answer: B

Q2. What is the temperature range that damages cancer cells in photothermal therapy?
A. 30–40°C
B. 90–110°C
C. 50–70°C
D. 160–180°C
Answer: C

Q3. What makes nanorods get trapped inside tumors?
A. Tumors are magnetic
B. Tumors generate electricity
C. Tumor blood vessels leak
D. Tumors attract metal
Answer: C

Q4. What is one benefit of photothermal therapy over chemotherapy mentioned in the episode?
A. Lower cost
B. No lasers needed
C. Fewer side effects
D. Works instantly
Answer: C

Q5. What foundation is working to fund human trials for this therapy?
A. Green Light Foundation
B. NanoMed Fund
C. Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation
D. Cancer Hope Alliance
Answer: C

Assessment

Open-Ended Questions

  1. In your own words, explain how LANT works and why it shows promise.

  2. Reflect on the role of innovation in medicine. How do scientists like Dr. Green challenge existing treatment norms?

3–2–1 Rubric

  • 3 = Accurate, complete, thoughtful

  • 2 = Partial or missing detail

  • 1 = Inaccurate or vague

Standards Alignment

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

  • HS-PS4-5: Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be used to transfer energy.

  • HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs.

  • HS-LS1-1: Explain how the structure of cells determines their function, especially under treatment stress like heat.

Common Core State Standards (CCSS)

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.11-12.2: Determine the central ideas of a scientific text and summarize them.

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1: Initiate and participate in collaborative discussions on scientific issues.

Career & Technical Education (CTE – Health Science)

  • HLTH 4.2: Examine current healthcare technologies and treatments, such as photothermal therapy.

International Equivalent Standards

  • IB MYP Science Criterion D: Reflecting on the impacts of science—students evaluate ethical implications of experimental treatments.

  • Cambridge IGCSE Physics 0625 Topic 5: Thermal physics—understanding heat energy and its biological effects.

  • UK GCSE Combined Science AQA 4.3: Infection and response—recognizing the development of treatment methods.

Show Notes
This episode of Interesting Things with JC introduces Dr. Hadiyah Nicole Green’s groundbreaking work in using nanotechnology and light to treat cancer. Laser Activated NanoTherapy (LANT) represents a potential revolution in medical treatment, offering a way to target tumors without harming healthy cells. Students explore how physics, biology, and compassion intersect in cutting-edge science. By learning about the mechanisms and promise of photothermal therapy, students understand both the science behind innovation and the human stories driving medical advancement. This topic is particularly relevant today as researchers push for less invasive, more effective cancer treatments while grappling with ethical and financial barriers to innovation.

References

JC https://jimconnors.org
Previous

1418: "What is Leucovorin?"
Next

1416: "Water on Mars"