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Science Podcasts

Sun, 8th Oct 2006

How Cancers Form, Cancer Biology and Future Therapies

Cancer biology goes under the microscope this week, as Professor Gerard Evan from the University of California San Francisco talks about the causes of cancer and how cancer spreads around the body. Also on the show, and joining us live from the National Cancer Research Institute Conference, is Professor Fran Balkwill from Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, who will be discussing cancer treatments and the development of targeted therapies, and Dr Kat Arney, who will be talking about the latest news in cancer research. We also travel Stateside for a Science Update from Bob and Chelsea, hear from Dr Michael Halpern from the Union of Concerned Scientists about governments interfering with scientific research, and experience the deep freeze with a couple of balloons and some liquid nitrogen in Kitchen Science.

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What is the 21 grams postulate from 1907?

I'm researching the 21 grams postulate from 1907. What can you tell me about it or refer me to in order to prove or disprove this urban myth?
Do mitochondria produce free radicals?

I've just been reading Superhuman by Robert Winston this week and never realised that mitochondria, the power houses of our cells, produce the majority of free radicals in our body.

Why don't they use radiation for brain tumors?

If radiation is so dangerous to cells, why don't they use it more for brain tumours?
Does radiotherapy or chemotherapy make hair fall out?

Upon-Tyne - My mum is currently having chemotherapy and radiotherapy. What makes her hair fall out, and is radiotherapy worse if it's directed at one point in the body only?

How can I get bladder cancer at 24?

I'm 24 and I was diagnosed with bladder cancer earlier this year. How did this happen? I'm only 24?
Why does cancer kill you?

Gerard said earlier that all cells want to expand and grow and live. So why does cancer kill you? Why don't you just end up as some massive big cancerous blob that lives forever rather than die?

Could we cure cancer with blood transfusion?

A while ago I was in an experiment where we were told that some people's blood fights cancer. Her idea was that once you've had an operation for cancer, you then have a blood transfusion with this blood for cancer to sort of mop up any bits that they missed. Is that still going o...
How are stem cells being used in cancer research?

How are stem cells being used in cancer research?

How does mRNA get from the nucleus to make proteins?

I'm an A-level biology student and I'm interested in knowing how mRNA from a gene gets from the gene in the nucleus out to the right place in the cytoplasm where the protein is made.
Experimenting with gases and liquid nitrogen

This week Derek is with Dr Chris Muirhead from Birmingham University and student volunteer Mary from Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge. They'll be using liquid nitrogen, which is very cold and can be very dangerous. Chris has special liquid nitrogen safety training, and...