Part 3: Cancer

Part 3: Cancer. 

Make your way to the center of three yellow and white wedge-shaped exhibit structures in the front corner of the museum. Here you will find our gallery dedicated to cancer research. 

Cancer occurs when a healthy cell mutates. It stops working normally and begins multiplying at an abnormally high rate. Cancer cells are also good at evading therapy by acquiring new mutations. Scientists at the Broad are trying to discover better targeted therapies that are aimed at vulnerabilities in cancer cells, by closely analyzing the genomes in these cells.

The exhibit structure closest to the Welcome Gallery goes into greater depth about precision therapy. Cancer was one of the first diseases that scientists wanted to study at the genetic level, because cancerous cells can live right alongside healthy cells. Scientists can directly compare the sequence of the genome of a cancerous cell with the genome of a healthy cell, and identify the cancer-causing mutations. This is the first step in developing a targeted therapy. There is also a QR code at the bottom of the glossary panel on the side of this structure if you’d like to read more about the latest advances in this research.

For a more in-depth look at the process for developing a targeted therapy, the Deeper Look digital exhibit on the interior panel in the corner takes about five minutes to complete. There is no audio component to this digital exhibit. If you would rather hear directly from some of our researchers, the backside of this same exhibit structure features several short interviews, with audio and captions, each focused around a particular topic.  

The third interior exhibit focuses on another avenue in our cancer research program: immunotherapy. Our immune systems can identify mutated cells and remove them. However, cancerous cells can hide from our immune cells, or T cells. Scientists want to know how to unmask the cancerous cells so that T cells can better recognize and kill cancerous cells. Is it possible to use the genetic blueprint of the cancerous cells as a type of barcode that we can use to train T cells to recognize? Researchers think this could become a viable type of immunotherapy for cancer treatment. 

Finally, our research would not be possible without data donated by patients with cancer, but not all patients have access to ways to contribute to scientific research. Count Me In, aims to change that by making it possible for anyone with a cancer diagnosis, past or present, in the United States and Canada to participate in research. If you would like to know more about Count Me In, grab one of the brochures in the clear rack against the window.

When you’re ready, turn to your left and make your way to the center of the three orange and white exhibit structures.