Word Games

In 2006 Sony introduced the PlayStation 3, and it was a huge leap forward in gaming systems. In one console you had a Blu-Ray player for movies, a high-definition gaming system, storage space for music and videos, an internet connection, and a bunch of other cool features. I really wanted one, and a couple of year later I bought one. My first game purchase had to be something cool – and I think it was – Resistance: Fall of Man – which was also the launch game for PlayStation 3 in 2006.

Briefly, Resistance is an alternate history game set right after World War II in which a race of alien-like creatures take over Russia, head west through Europe, and then tunnel into Great Britain. Game play begins in England as a contingent of American troops arrive to help in the fight. As a “first-person shooter” you play as Nathan Hale, one of the troops in the contingent.

Interestingly, the “aliens” are referred to as the “Chimera”, described in the games’ Wiki as “parasitic organisms created through the fusion of human, animal and Chimera DNA by a virus-like bioweapon.” Probably one of the most controversial aspects of the game is that you can’t advance as Nathan Hale until you get bitten by a Chimera which then gives you the ability to heal yourself.

Remember, this game was introduced in 2006, long before the first chimeric antigen receptor T-Cell (CAR-T) therapy demonstrated any potential. According to my research the first successful use of CAR-T cells for cancer was reported in 2010 by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, who treated a patient with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and achieved complete remission. This pivotal event marked the beginning of CAR-T cell therapy's clinical impact in oncology.

So, given the game’s use of the word “chimera” and its subsequent use in CAR-T. I had to do some digging.

Again, my research shows that a chimera is defi ned as an organism or individual composed of cells or tissues from two or more genetically distinct sources. This can occur naturally, as in cases where two embryos fuse early in development, or artificially through scientific techniques such as grafting or genetic engineering. In medicine, a chimera is specifically a person with two genetically distinct types of cells, often discovered through blood typing or organ transplantation.

The word "chimera" originates from Greek mythology. The Chimera was a legendary fi re-breathing monster described as having the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a serpent. The term comes from the Greek "khimaira," meaning "she-goat," and was first used in English in the late 14th century, initially referring to this mythical beast.

Over time, the meaning expanded. By the 16th century, "chimera" was used metaphorically for any grotesque or fanciful creature, and soon after, for wild or impossible ideas.

If you have read this far, you might be asking yourself, “What’s the point?”

Honestly, I’m not sure. When I come across words that span various interests and disciplines, I like to see what their origins are and why they are used.

Plus you might find yourself on Jeopardy! and a category of answers is named “CAR-T.”

It could happen.