In this short video from the Koch Institute at MIT, Erik Dreaden, a postdoctoral researcher, discusses his award-winning image, titled "Pushing Boundaries." He works with the Hammond Laboratory and the Yaffe Laboratory, where he is trying to improve the treatment of ovarian cancer.
In the image, metastatic cancer is seen invading the front abdominal wall of a mouse, at single-cell resolution. Antibodies have been used to label cells that are proliferating; in the image, they are seen in white, while at the bottom right of the picture is the abdominal wall. Metastatic cancer is unique and very difficult to treat, and researchers are particularly interested in developing better treatment strategies.
In this project, the scientists are trying to disrupt proteins that contribute to chemotherapy resistance. Such disruption would likely improve the ability of doctors to treat cancers effectively, especially extremely deadly metastatic cancer. They are trying a technique called RNA interference to help improve treatment response and improve patient survival. Learn more from the video.