Cell Biology of Cancer
Our cells are controlled by a complex network of genes that are switched on and off throughout our lifetime. This program goes awry in cancer, where a normal cell grows uncontrollably, becoming a tumour. Most cells in the body have the potential to become cancer cells. In fact, potential cancer cells arise everyday in a normal individual - but usually the body's immune system recognises the problem and kills the aberrant cel before it has time to multiply. Scientists in laboratories at QIMR investigate the steps in the process of normal cell behaviour, because this information is important for understanding which of these many steps has been altered in any individual type of cancer.
The following key areas of basic research into cancer cell biology are being investigated at QIMR, yielding results that have application for understanding a wide range of cancers: