Synthetic lethality – a new method of fighting cancer, Anna Bartosik
A century ago, American geneticist Calvin Bridges observed that mutations in certain genes in fruit fly offspring were lethal, while parents with a single mutant gene developed normally. Theodosius Dobzhansky made similar observations in a different species of fruit fly in 1946, and it was he who termed this type of relationship "synthetic lethality." In the 21st century, it has become the basis for modern cancer therapy. It was first used in patients participating in a clinical trial in 2005, and a decade later, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug based on this mechanism.
In her lecture, Dr. Anna Bartosik will discuss the latest research on the genetic basis of synthetic lethality, the search for anticancer therapies that exploit this phenomenon, and the advantages of this approach over other forms of therapy.
Dr. Anna Bartosik is a biologist and science communicator who has conducted research at the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology in Warsaw. She currently conducts research at Ryvu Therapeutics. Her popular science articles can be found at: https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/aut...
Funded by the Ministry of Education and Science under the Social Responsibility of Science program as part of the "Live Science: Universe, Life, Mind" project. Funding amount: PLN 540,200.00, total project value: PLN 600,200.
Miniature image based on Cancer cells - Sam Levin (CC-BY).