“For the past three years, cancer researchers at two of the UK’s leading institutes have been showcasing the unexpectedly beautiful side of their work through a special award.
Staff from the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, both in London, submitted the images they felt exemplified the beauty and complexity of their work for the ICR Science and Medical Imaging Competition.”
Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2234301-close-up-image-of-brain-cancer-cells-wins-photography-prize/#ixzz6EUr9MNgH
Two scaning electron microsope images of a melanoma cell get mentioned among the top six images in a medical imaging competition.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2234301-close-up-image-of-brain-cancer-cells-wins-photography-prize/
1. Melanoma cell invasion in 3D
Vicky Bousgouni and Chris Bakal
“This picture of an aggressive melanoma cell (green) growing into a matrix of collagen was taken by Vicky Bousgouni, Chris Bakal and David Robinson. It is one of the first 3D images of cancer cells to be taken using scanning electron microscopy. Collagen matrices are used to model how cancers invade tissues during the metastatic process. Here, the cancer cell pulls on its fibres and wraps itself in collagen to remodel its environment and increase the chances of survival.”
2. Melanoma on a Chip
“A metastatic melanoma cell that has been blasted open
Nick Moser and Chris Bakal
Imagine cutting an apple in half and looking at its core – that is a little like what has happened to this metastatic melanoma cell. Nick Moser and Chris Bakal used an ion beam to blast away part of the cell, a technique known as ion-beam milling.
The triangular shape was caused by the angle of the beam as it cut into the cell and the silica substrate it is growing on, creating the illusion of depth. The method allows researchers to see inside cancerous cells in unprecedented detail and understand what is going on internally.
As melanoma cells attach to surfaces using structures called focal adhesions, removing part of the cell lets them see what happens when these structures form. The spread of cancers around the body is the primary cause of death from the diseases, so understanding how such cells attach to tissues is vital to cutting death rates.”
I am sharing this article I came across in hope that these bring more insight into the world of melanoma and also help us visualize melanoma demise.
Melanie
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