| If you've ever had to do research and at some | | | | normal cells. MCM5 is found in cervical, bladder, |
| stage everyone has had to, you will know that it is | | | | prostate and bowel cancer cells. The presence of |
| one of the driest things in the world to do. It is as | | | | MCM5 in a Pap Smear improves the accuracy in |
| dry as sawdust. You just have to put your head | | | | diagnosis for cervical cancer. Translational research |
| down and work your way through. You do stumble | | | | bridges the gap between researcher and patients. It |
| across some interesting facts, it is rather the point of | | | | also involves investigating why a treatment may |
| the whole venture, but it is somehow never enough | | | | suddenly stop working after it has been working for |
| to get you really excited about the process. Some | | | | a while or why a treatment produces unwanted side |
| research does not involve trawling through aeons | | | | effects. One of the most important tasks of |
| worth of library books or internet pages, some | | | | translation researchers is to improve current |
| research is a bit more practical. Scientific and medical | | | | treatments. |
| research for example, reading is involved of course, | | | | Clinical research: The goal of clinical research is to |
| but those involved also get to examine specimens | | | | develop more effective treatments. The scientists |
| under microscopes and make enlightened "aha, hmm" | | | | try new combinations and doses of existing |
| noises. In terms of dryness that type of research is | | | | treatments to see if they can come up with |
| practically sopping. | | | | something that works better than the standard |
| "Cancer research", funnily enough, is the study of | | | | treatments in use. They also make use of |
| cancer. Cancer research ranges from the basic | | | | translational research to develop new treatments. |
| biology of the disease to the effects of different | | | | These scientists work in hospitals and not in labs like |
| types of treatment. Every aspect of the disease is | | | | the two types above, this is so that they can have |
| studied i.e. causes of cancer, how cancer forms, | | | | access to the patients. But not in a mad scientists |
| methods of treatment and methods of prevention | | | | way, they're allowed access to the patients in order |
| etc etc. The primary goal of cancer research is to | | | | to conduct clinical trials, which are regulated and ruled |
| produce effective treatment and prevention for all | | | | strictly. Cancer patients, usually in advanced stages of |
| types of cancer. | | | | cancer, who have tried standard treatments and who |
| There are different areas of cancer research all of | | | | have not benefited from them, volunteer to take |
| which are interrelated and affect one another. Basic | | | | part in these clinical trials. There are 4 phases to each |
| Research: Tries to answer some very general | | | | trial. Phase 1 - to find out if a new drug or treatment |
| questions such as how do cells work? Why do cells | | | | is safe in people and how much of it should be given. |
| grow? How do cells know when to divide? The main | | | | This is the first time that the drug is tested on |
| aim of basic research is to find out what makes | | | | people. Phase 2 - to see if the drug is effective. |
| cancer cells different from normal cells. They look at | | | | Phase 3 - directly compares the new treatment with |
| molecules and the building blocks of molecules, protein | | | | the standard treatment to see if the new treatment |
| and DNA. They try to find out what goes wrong in | | | | is better. Phase 4 - looks at the long-term safety and |
| cells when cancer develops. As an example, in a | | | | benefits of the treatment/drug. |
| study in Scotland, scientists were studying proteins | | | | Behavioural and population research: This type of |
| and they found a protein called MYC that contributes | | | | research is undertaken in order to identify factors |
| to 1 in 7 cancer deaths. Our cells actually need this | | | | that influence our risk of getting cancer. They take a |
| protein, MYC, so that they can divide, but when we | | | | look at things like lifestyle choices, patterns, trends |
| have cancer the cells are faulty and go into | | | | and incidences of different types of cancers so that |
| overdrive, the MYC turns on a specific proteins that | | | | they can develop strategies for prevention and good |
| cause rapid cell growth and division of cells. If | | | | health. |
| scientists could find which of the proteins are | | | | Psychosocial research: This is research on the |
| activated they might be able to find ways to slow | | | | emotional and social impact that cancer has on |
| down their division or growth. Basic research is the | | | | patients, families and carers. It looks at the |
| foundation on which all other research in built. | | | | importance of support and help and tries to measure |
| Translational research: takes discoveries from the lab | | | | the quality of life, which is how the physical and |
| (i.e. basic research) and turns them into potential new | | | | psychological health affects enjoyment of life. Some |
| treatments or diagnostic tests for patients. For | | | | questions that they consider and try to answer are: |
| example there is a study in Cambridge on how cells | | | | how do people react to the news that they have |
| divide, where they found a group of proteins called | | | | cancer? How do they cope with the treatment? Are |
| MCM proteins, which are essential to the division | | | | people with cancer more likely to have mental health |
| process. One protein, MCM5, is being used to develop | | | | problems? How do cancer and its treatment affect |
| a diagnostic test for some cancers. MCM is found in | | | | daily life? Why do some patients decide not to finish |
| high level in all dividing cells. Cancer occurs when cells | | | | treatment? How do families react to having a relative |
| go wrong and start multiplying out of control. MCM5 | | | | with cancer? |
| is found in many these out of control cells and not in | | | | |