How cancer cells can become immortal – new research finds a mutated gene that helps melanoma defeat the normal limits on repeated replication
- Written by Pattra Chun-On, Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental and Occupational Health, University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences
Melanoma is a particularly aggressive form of skin cancer.Dlumen/iStock via Getty Images PlusA defining characteristic of cancer cells is their immortality. Usually, normal cells are limited in the number of times they can divide before they stop growing. Cancer cells, however, can overcome this limitation to form tumors and bypass...