The Biology of Cancer

This course explores the biology of cancer. We begin by examining the personal, social, and economic consequences of this disease, and then we focus on the cellular and molecular biology of cancer. Specifically, we study the nature of cancer, the role of viruses in cancer, cellular oncogenes, cellular signaling mechanisms, tumor suppressor genes, and the maintenance of genomic integrity. We also examine the regulation of the cell cycle, apoptosis, cellular immortalization, tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Finally, we examine how modern molecular medicine is being used to treat cancer.