Your neighbour the scientist – a cow’s prespective

Cancer research. From “Slash, Burn and Poison” to scientific medicine
Dr Adrienne Morgan (Honorary senior Lecturer at the Centre for Tumour Biology (Barts Cancer Institute) )
Adrienne is a scientist at Barts Cancer Institute, although being diagnosed with breast cancer herself 10 years ago, this has only fueled her persistence in researching this disease. In her talk, she will describe what cancer is and what it is about cancer cells that make them behave differently from normal cells – and how this allows scientists to develop new treatments. The talk will close with some sea lions!!

How cows help cure cancer
Professor John Marshall (Professor of Tumor Biology at Barts Cancer Institute)
I study the molecules that cancer cells use to invade and spread around the body. These molecules are called integrins. The integrin avb6 is not found on normal cells but is found on 1/3 of carcinomas. Interestingly the foot and mouth diseases virus that infects cattle also uses avb6 to enter cattle cells. Based on this, we have developed a new imaging technique that will help clinicians to detect aggressive cancers more accurately and to direct their therapy more effectively.