One highlight of my time in VECR was the career panel given by Dr. Raabya Rossenkhan, Liszet Bigelow, and Monet Jimenez. During the career panel, they all shared the different ways in which they became involved in the medical field, what drove them, and how they got to where they were despite difficulties. As a Hispanic girl, I rarely ever see other people like me in important positions and doing what I want to do. For this reason, it was really inspiring to see three women of color, specifically two Hispanic women, speak about their achievements in science and medicine. One piece of advice given by Dr. Rossenkhan especially spoke to me. Being a relatively introverted person, I tend to avoid putting myself in situations that make me known to more people than is absolutely necessary, which often results in me not taking advantage of opportunities presented to me. Dr. Rossenkhan strongly suggested talking to researchers and doctors about their work and even explained how asking just one question helped launch her into the career she has now.
Fred Hutch Study of Interest
This study looked into the self-correcting nature of skin stem cells. Specifically, it answered the question of how skin stem cells adjust themselves to deal with widespread mutations and reduce the risk of cancer from one of these mutations. Skin stem cells can take one of three paths when they divide (as shown in the diagram). In an earlier study it was found that in skin stem cells with acquired mutations, the cells took the first path to rid the body of the mutated cells faster. However, with genetic mutations, such as the H-ras mutation which was studied here, all cells are mutated, so the process described above wouldn’t work. In this study, it was found that in mice with the H-ras mutation, the renewal rate was lower, meaning that more specialized skin cells were made than skin stem cells. Past studies established that a lower renewal rate and increased cell growth and division were correlated with a higher rate of translation. This study saw that in mice whose skin had the H-ras mutation, the translation rate was higher than in mice without the mutation. With further research, it was then discovered that when levels of the eIF2B5 gene (which initiates translation) were lowered in both mutant and normal mice, translation rates decreased only in mutant mice.
This diagram shows the three paths a skin stem cell (blue) can take when dividing. A balance of the three ensures adequate stem cell renewal and skin cell replacement.
As I read this study, I wondered about why the Beronja Lab (which originated this study) chose to focus on skin cancer. I found that skin is relatively easy to study because of its defined physiological system and also that skin cancer, specifically epidermal squamous cell carcinoma, is the second most common cancer, so this research would have a wide application. This study is important because it helped explain a previously more mysterious phenomenon of the skin. Additionally, it showed that translation as a cellular process is more specific than was previously thought and provides a jumping-off point for future studies about the relationship between translation and cancer. I chose this study because, in addition to seeming extremely interesting, it also brought a new light of concepts that I had already learned at school, specifically, translation. I remember learning about translation in Honors Biology and thinking that it was impossible to understand and quite irrelevant to the area of science in which I was interested (cancer research). This study not only helped me better understand translation, it also showed me that translation and by extension other cellular processes that they teach in high school are truly relevant even in more advanced science.
Original Article: https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2020/06/-mutated-skin-stem-cells-self-correct-prevent-cancer.html
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