Wednesday, June 13, 2012

What is Happening Now In Cancer Research

Research for a cure for cancer is moving at a rapid pace. Labs are thinking outside the box and finding ways to kill cancer cells of one's type of cancer. . Areas of active basic cancer research in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology include tumor cell biology; the use of model systems to discover novel genes involved in carcinogenesis; tumor immunology and immunotherapeutics; and structural biology of protein targets for cancer therapeutics.


Cancer arises by a multi-step involving the accumulation of activating mutations in proto-oncogenes and inactivating mutations in tumor suppressor genes. The process is accelerated by the genetic instability of cancer cells, which is believed to result from passage through “telomere crisis.” Thus, cancer cells may contain many – perhaps hundreds – of genetic changes. One of the challenges we now face is to be able to develop a complete description of the genetic changes that have taken place in each individual tumor, so that therapies can be targeted that are specific for the tumors of each individual patient.
                                                       Tumor Genetics-Sloan Kettering


Below is a chart of Tumor Immunology








                                        

Prof. Ofer Mandelboim, IMRIC Researcher - General and Tumour Immunology - 1 of 3