S5.05 Sex and the Single Cell
Genetics Unzipped
00:00
Cancer Cell Fusions
Large cells have also been observed in cancer for more than a hundred and 50 years, going back to the early german pathologist rudolf verchov. Fusions between cancer and immune cells have been found in several tumor types, including pancreatic cancer and melanoma. The resulting freakish hybrid cells were believed to be unable to divide and destined to die. But new technique called image base cytometry has shown that some of these cell fusions can proliferate - both in the lab and when transplanted into animals. This suggests they could play a role in the development of aggressive tumors in real life situations.
Transcript
Play full episode
