HHMI BioInteractive

The goal of these multi-week activities is to use Cancer Biology as a theme to introduce concepts in the cell cycle, cell biology, genetics and signal transduction.

These activities are appropriate for high school and Introductory Biology classes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the different stages of the cell cycle.
2. Estimate the duration of the different stages of the cell cycle from microscopic examination of onion root tips slides.
3. Relate deficiencies in cell cycle regulation to development of cancer
4. List the names, chromosomal location and functions of genes identified in various types of cancer
5. Describe how mutations in cancer driver genes can result to abnormal cell biology and development of cancer cells

Uses:

• Cell cycle introduction/review 
  • High school
  • Undergraduate introductory biology course
  • Upper level biology course for review/introduction to an advanced topic such as cancer pathophysiology
• Benefits:  Helps students identify the importance of the cell cycle and its relationship to cancer cell development
• How I use this activity:
  • Student population: BSN nursing students enrolled in a pathophysiology course
  • Review the cell cycle & introduce relationship of cell cycle to cancer in the genetic disease unit (genetic disease unit covers epigenetics, inherited diseases, diseases of nondisjunction, and cancer)

     

In the 2013 Holiday Lectures on Science, leading medical researchers explain how advances in genomics are revolutionizing their work, leading to a better understanding of disease and to improved treatments.

Explore the phases, checkpoints, and protein regulators of the cell cycle in this highly interactive Click and Learn and find out how mutated versions of these proteins can lead to the development of cancer.

These two hands-on activities are based on a Howard Hughes Medical Institute 2013 Holiday Lectures on Science video featuring researcher Dr. Charles L. Sawyers.

Abstract: Over the past decade, comprehensive sequencing efforts have revealed the genomic landscapes of common forms of human cancer. For most cancer types, this landscape consists of a small number of “mountains” (genes altered in a high percentage of tumors) and a much larger number of “hills” (genes altered infrequently). To date, these studies have revealed ~140 genes that, when altered by intragenic mutations, can promote or “drive” tumorigenesis. A typical tumor contains two to eight of these “driver gene” mutations; the remaining mutations are passengers that confer no selective growth advantage. Driver genes can be classified into 12 signaling pathways that regulate three core cellular processes: cell fate, cell survival, and genome maintenance. A better understanding of these pathways is one of the most pressing needs in basic cancer research. Even now, however, our knowledge of cancer genomes is sufficient to guide the development of more effective approaches for reducing cancer morbidity and mortality.