Students learn about the biomedical use of nanoparticles in the detection and treatment of cancer, including the use of quantum dots and lasers that heat-activate nanoparticles. They also learn about electrophoresis a laboratory procedure that uses an electric field to move tiny particles through a channel in order to separate them by size. They complete an online virtual mini-lab, with accompanying worksheet, to better understand gel electrophoresis. This prepares them for the associated activity to write draft research proposals to use nanoparticles to protect against, detect or treat skin cancer.

In this course, we will survey the primary systems biology literature, particularly as it pertains to understanding and treating various forms of cancer. We will consider various computational and experimental techniques being used in the field of systems biology, focusing on how systems principles have helped advance biological understanding. We will also discuss the application of the principles of systems biology and network biology to drug development, an emerging discipline called "network medicine." This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

This lesson culminates the unit with the Go Public phase of the legacy cycle. In the associated activity, students depict a tumor amidst healthy body tissue using a Microsoft Excel® graph. In addition, students design a brochure for both patients and doctors advertising a new form of painless yet reliable breast cancer detection. Together, the in-class activity and the take-home assignment function as an assessment of what students have learned throughout the unit.

Covers current understanding of and modern approaches to human disease, emphasizing the molecular and cellular basis of both genetic disease and cancer. Specific topics include the genetics of simple and complex traits; Karyotypic analysis and positional cloning; genetic diagnosis; the roles of oncogenes and tumor suppressors in tumor initiation, progression and treatment; the interaction between genetics and environment; animal models of human disease; cancer; and conventional and gene therapy treatment strategies.

Students are introduced to the physical concept of the colors of rainbows as light energy in the form of waves with distinct wavelengths, but in a different manner than traditional kaleidoscopes. Looking at different quantum dot solutions, they make observations and measurements, and graph their data. They come to understand how nanoparticles interact with absorbing photons to produce colors. They learn the dependence of particle size and color wavelength and learn about real-world applications for using these colorful liquids.

In this course, we will address how transcriptional regulators both prohibit and drive differentiation during the course of development. How does a stem cell know when to remain a stem cell and when to become a specific cell type? Are there global differences in the way the genome is read in multipotent and terminally differentiated cells? We will explore how stem cell pluripotency is preserved, how master regulators of cell-fate decisions execute developmental programs, and how chromatin regulators control undifferentiated versus differentiated states. Additionally, we will discuss how aberrant regulation of transcriptional regulators produces disorders such as developmental defects and cancer. This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

This course focuses on current research, controversial issues, and methodological problems in the epidemiology of reproductive and perinatal health. Lectures and analyses of research papers present reproductive health issues such as conception and infertility, contraception and hormone supplementation safety including effects on reproductive cancers , as well as perinatal issues such as complications of pregnancy, infections in pregnancy, maternal mortality, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and birth defects.

Through this concluding lesson and its associated activity, students experience one valuable and often overlooked skill of successful scientists and engineers communicating your work and ideas. They explore the importance of scientific communication, including the basic, essential elements of communicating new information to the public and pitfalls to avoid. In the associated activity, student groups create posters depicting their solutions to the unit's challenge question accurate, efficient methods for detecting cancer-causing genes using optical biosensors which includes providing a specific example with relevant equations. Students are also individually assessed on their understanding of refraction via a short quiz. This lesson and its associated activity conclude the unit and serve as the culminating Go Public phase of the Legacy Cycle, providing unit review and summative assessment.

By this point in the unit, students have learned all the necessary information and conceptualized a design for how an optical biosensor could be used to detect a target strand of DNA associated with a cancer-causing gene as their solution to the unit's challenge question. Now student groups act as engineers again, using a poster format to communicate and prove the validity of the design. Successful posters include a description of refraction, explanations of refraction in a thin film, and the factors that can alter the interference pattern of a thin film. The posters culminate with an explanation of what is expected to be seen in a biosensing device of this type if it were coupled to a target molecule, proven with a specific example and illustrated with drawings and diagrams throughout. All the poster elements combine to prove the accuracy and viability of this method of gene detection. Together with its associated lesson, this activity functions as part of the summative assessment for this unit.

Albendazole (ABZ) is an antihelminthic drug used for the treatment of several parasitic infestations. In addition to this, there are reports on the anticancer activity of ABZ against a wide range of cancer types. However, its effect on glioma has not yet been reported. In the present study, cytotoxicity of ABZ and ABZ loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (ASLNs) was tested in human glioma/astrocytoma cell line (U-87 MG). Using glyceryl trimyristate as lipid carrier and tween 80 as surfactant spherical ASLNs with an average size of 218.4 ± 5.1 nm were prepared by a combination of high shear homogenization and probe sonication methods. A biphasic in vitro release pattern of ABZ from ASLNs was observed, where 82% of ABZ was released in 24 h. In vitro cell line studies have shown that ABZ in the form of ASLNs was more cytotoxic (IC50 = 4.90 µg/mL) to U-87 MG cells compared to ABZ in the free form (IC50 = 13.30 µg/mL) due to the efficient uptake of the former by these cells.

Students are introduced to Hooke's law as well as stress-strain relationships. First they learn the governing equations, then they work through several example problems, first individually, then as a class. Through the lesson's two-part associated activity, students 1) explore Hooke's law by experimentally determining an unknown spring constant, and then 2) apply what they've learned to create a strain graph depicting a tumor using Microsoft Excel®. After the activities, the lesson concludes with a stress-strain quiz to assess each student's comprehension of the concepts.

Students are introduced to the unit challenge discovering a new way to assess a person's risk of breast cancer. Solving this challenge requires knowledge of refraction and the properties of light. After being introduced to the challenge question, students generate ideas related to solving the challenge, and then read a short online article on optical biosensors that guides their research towards solving the problem.

Through four lessons and three hands-on activities, students learn the concepts of refraction and interference in order to solve an engineering challenge: "In 2013, actress Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy, not because she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, but merely to lower her cancer risk. But what if she never inherited the gene(s) that are linked to breast cancer and endured surgery unnecessarily? Can we create a new method of assessing people's genetic risks of breast cancer that is both efficient and cost-effective?" While pursuing a solution to this challenge, students learn about some high-tech materials and delve into the properties of light, including the equations of refraction (index of refraction, Snell's law). Students ultimately propose a method to detect cancer-causing genes by applying the refraction of light in a porous film in the form of an optical biosensor. Investigating this challenge question through this unit is designed for an honors or AP level physics class, although it could be modified for conceptual physics.

Student teams conduct an experiment that uses gold nanoparticles as sensors of chemical agents to determine which of four sports drinks has the most electrolytes. In this way, students are introduced to gold nanoparticles and their influence on particle or cluster size and fluorescence. They also learn about surface plasmon resonance phenomena and how it applies to gold nanoparticle technologies, which touches on the basics of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, electrolyte chemistry and nanoscience. Using some basic chemistry and physics principles, students develop a conceptual understanding of how gold nanoparticles function. They also learn of important practical applications in biosensing.

Tumor pathophysiology plays a central role in the growth, metastasis, detection, and treatment of solid tumors. Principles of transport phenomena are applied to develop a quantitative understanding of angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels), blood flow and microcirculation, metabolism and microenvironment, transport and binding of small and large molecules, movement of cancer and immune cells, metastatic process, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hyperthermia, and photodynamic therapy of solid tumors.

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Cancer involves uncontrolled cell growth, resistance to cell death, failure to differentiate into a particular cell type, and increased cellular motility. A family of gate-keeper genes, known as tumor suppressor genes, plays important roles in preventing the initiation and progression of cancer. Among these, p53 is the most famous. Because of its essential role in maintaining genomic integrity, p53 is often called the guardian of the genome. During this course, we will study how p53 serves as a pivotal tumor suppressor gene in preventing cancer.This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting. Many instructors of the Advanced Undergraduate Seminars are postdoctoral scientists with a strong interest in teaching.

This unit on nanoparticles engages students with a hypothetical Grand Challenge Question that asks about the skin cancer risk for someone living in Australia, given the local UV index and the condition of the region's ozone layer. The question asks how nanoparticles might be used to help detect, treat and protect people from skin cancer. Through three lessons, students learn about the science of electromagnetic radiation and energy waves, human skin and its response to ultraviolet radiation, and the state of medical nanotechnology related to skin cancer. Through three hands-on activities, students perform flame tests to become familiar with the transfer of energy in quantum form, design and conduct their own quality-control experiments to test sun protection factors (SPFs), and write nanotechnology grant proposals.

Students are presented with a biomedical engineering challenge: Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death among women and the American Cancer Society says mammography is the best early-detection tool available. Despite this, many women choose not to have them; of all American women at or over age 40, only 54.9% have had a mammogram within the past year. One reason women skip annual mammograms is pain, with 90% reporting discomfort. Is there a way to detect the presence of tumors that is not as painful as mammography but more reliable and quantifiable than breast self-exams or clinical breast exams? This three lesson/three activity unit is designed for first-year accelerated or AP physics classes. It provide hands-on activities to teach the concepts of stress, strain and Hooke's law, which students apply to solve the challenge problem.

Animation of the top two causes of death in 1900 - Influenza and Pneumonia & Tuberculosis, compared to the top two causes of death in 2010 - Cancer and Heart disease. Created using StatTrends.

What happens to cells for cancerous growths to occur? Your body is made up of millions and millions of cells. In fact there are between 50 and 75 trillion cells in the body.

These cells are dying and being replaced all the time. Cancer can start when just one of the trillions of cells begins to grow and multiply too much. The result is a mass of cells called a tumour. The starting place of abnormal cell growth and division is called the primary tumour, and they can start almost anywhere in the human body.

Changes take place within the genes of a cell or group of cells, resulting in the abnormal cell division. Genes are specific codes of DNA that tell the cell what to do by coding for specific proteins or an RNA molecule. Proteins and RNA together control the cell. They decide what type of cell it is, what it does, when it divides and when the cell will die. When cells divide by mitosis, the DNA is replicated and sometimes mistakes are made. These are called mutations.

Lots of mutations are silent; they have no effect on the cell because they occur in non-coding regions of the DNA. But sometimes, mutations in certain genes may mean that too many proteins are produced that trigger a cell to divide. Or proteins that normally tell a cell to stop dividing may not be produced. The cells starts to grow out of control. There have to be at least about 6 or more mutations to coding DNA before a normal cell turns into a cancer cell.

Cells are usually very good at repairing damage to genes; they have special repair mechanisms in place. But over time, the damage may build up. And then it can be a domino effect; once the cells start growing too fast and dividing rapidly, they are more likely to pick up even more mutations and less likely to repair the damage.

So mutations do the damage, but what causes them to happen? Whilst mutations can happen by natural processes, they can also be triggered by lifestyle. For example, there are cancer-causing substances, known as carcinogens, in tobacco smoke. In fact, more than 4 out of 5 cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking. Genetics also have a role to play; faulty genes can be passed from parent to offspring. Most inherited cases of breast cancer are associated with two abnormal genes: BRCA1 and BRCA2. Other cancer-causing factors include exposure to radiation, exposure to UV radiation from the sun and some chemicals in the environment amongst other things.