Cells, Cancer, and More

 

Marina Explains… a series of tutorials

This series of tutorials on cell biology are written by Marina Syncox, Ph.D., a valued member of GSI.  Click the title to view the topic as a pdf.

 

 

Below we provide links to excellent materials, videos, and web presentations about cell biology and cancer that are available elsewhere on the internet.

Landmark paper “The Hallmarks of Cancer”

Hanahan D, Weinberg RA.  The hallmarks of cancer.  Cell. 2000 Jan 7;100(1):57-70.
This paper explaining cancer’s characteristics is available at this link.

The Inner Life of the Cell

Pictures are indeed worth a thousand words.  When gorgeous computer graphics about cell biology are combined with expressive music then the results can be described as the Fantasia of Biology.  One cancer patient stated that she almost forgave her cancer cells as she watched the short computer animation “The Inner Life of a Cell” from Harvard’s Biovision.  This piece of art dazzles the viewer with images as graceful as a ballet while illustrating many of the key cellular processes of living cells.  For those cancer patients familiar with cell processes, watching the video becomes a game to identify the types of processes and molecules as the video unfolds.  For those still learning about cells and their functions, the video may serve as an enticement encouragement to pursue more self education about cell biology, which is an exciting field of highest relevance to cancer and medicine.  The first link is a 3-minute version with music and no explanations.  The second video link listed lasts 8 minutes and includes explanations of the images shown (without music).
3-MINUTE VIDEO WITH MUSIC

Videos About Cell Processes

At the website of 1lec.com  you can watch numerous excellent short videos illustrating cellular processes.

  • Under the Biochemistry tab there is one video on the Krebs cycle (cellular respiration) which is relevant to the state of hypoxia (inadequate oxygen) shown in tumors.
  • Under the Genetics tab are the following videos:
    • Addition and Deletion Mutations
    • cDNA (Complementary DNA)
    • Cell Cycle (Control)
    • Cell Growth (Cell Proliferation Signalling Pathway)
    • Chromosomes Structure
    • Circular DNA Replication
    • Cloning Gene

Inside the Cell

from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (part of NIH)
http://publications.nigms.nih.gov/insidethecell/

Inside Cancer

a multimedia guide to cancer biology funded by the National Institutes of Health
http://www.insidecancer.org/

DNA from the Beginning

Information and pictures about classical genetics, molecules of genetics, and genetic organization and control.
www.dnaftb.org/

Genetics Home Reference

This National Institutes of Health guide to understanding genetics and genetic conditions includes sections on basic genetics, mutations, inheritance, and more.
http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM)

This federal site contains results from the Human Genome Project.  For a tutorial on searching OMIM, link to the following address.
http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/posters/chromosome/omim.shtml

Genetics Science Learning Center

This self-study interactive website about genetics is from the University of Utah.
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu

Gene Gateway: Exploring Genes and Genetic Disorders

This website concerns the Genome Programs of the US Department of Energy Office of Science.  It includes very nice graphics.
http://genomics.energy.gov/

ASCO 2016: Exploring Immunotherapy’s Present and Future

http://am.asco.org/exploring-immunotherapys-present-and-future

Checkpoint Inhibitors

This 2016 ASCO article by Prateek Meniratta MD explains how checkpoint inhibitors work in a graphic and easy to understand way. “How Pac-Man Can Help Patients Understand Checkpoint Inhibitors”.

http://connection.asco.org/blogs/how-pac-man-can-help-patients-understand-checkpoint-inhibitors

Microarrays: Chipping Away at the Mysteries of Science and Medicine

This NCBI tutorial on how microoarrays are used to identify genetic abnormalities is from the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
http://www.ele.uri.edu/courses/bme462/handouts/Microarrays.pdf