Researchers look at several cancers, including breast and prostate cancers and melanomas. They also study what makes cells turn cancerous and the effects cancerous cells have on healthy ones. The center itself is 10 years old, but it has really developed in the last two years, said Gary Meadows, Dorothy O. Kennedy professor of pharmaseutical sciences and director of WSU's Cancer Prevention and Research Center. Hosick works specifically with students who study what makes breast cancer cells grow. That information could be useful for studying other cancers, Hosick said.
Different cancers can be very different from each other with a few common characteristics.
Often, the cancerous cells kind of eat their way through the body, killing different cells along the way. The defining characteristic of any cancer cell is its abnormally high rate of growth, he said. Lab scientists use a microscope to study how cancer cells move throughout the body, Meadows said. Microscopes also can help researchers identify cancer cells with irregular shapes. Chemical assays help researchers identify what proteins are present in the cells.