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Cancer Researcher Beatrice Mintz Dies at 100
Mintz’s experiments over her six-decade career were foundational to cancer and genetics research.
Cancer Researcher Beatrice Mintz Dies at 100
Cancer Researcher Beatrice Mintz Dies at 100

Mintz’s experiments over her six-decade career were foundational to cancer and genetics research.

Mintz’s experiments over her six-decade career were foundational to cancer and genetics research.

skin cancer

a leopard gecko with an unusually yellow body
“Lemon Frost” Leopard Geckos’ Cancers Similar to Human Melanomas
Christie Wilcox, PhD | Jun 24, 2021 | 6 min read
The color morph’s bright yellow hue and its propensity for skin tumors both likely stem from a gene implicated in a dangerous form of human skin cancer, suggesting the animals could make an ideal model for studying the disease.
Skin Sheltered from Sunlight Still Gathers UV-Linked Mutations
Abby Olena, PhD | Jan 14, 2021 | 3 min read
Whole-genome sequencing reveals a wide range of UV-induced DNA changes in human skin cells, and lighter skin collects more mutations, sometimes to “sky high” levels.
Sunscreen Ingredients Absorbed into Blood: Study
Catherine Offord | May 7, 2019 | 2 min read
FDA researchers report that multiple active ingredients wind up in users’ bloodstream and recommend toxicology testing to investigate the clinical significance of the findings.
Miriam Merad
Cancer Vaxxer: A Profile of Miriam Merad
Anna Azvolinsky | Apr 1, 2019 | 8 min read
The Mount Sinai oncologist studies innate immune cells with the goal of designing novel immunotherapies, including cancer vaccines.
Lack of Diversity in Genetic Datasets is Risky for Treating Disease
Ashley Yeager | Mar 21, 2019 | 6 min read
Certain populations have been historically underrepresented in genome sequencing studies, but the NIH, private clinics, and 23andMe and other companies are trying to fix that.
Taller People More Prone to Cancer
Abby Olena, PhD | Oct 24, 2018 | 4 min read
The increased risk is slight, but aligns with a longstanding hypothesis that having more cells in one’s body leads to more chances for those cells to become cancerous.
Cancer-Fighting Chemical Found in Human Skin Bacteria
Diana Kwon | Mar 1, 2018 | 2 min read
A molecule produced by a strain of Staphylococcus epidermis interferes with DNA synthesis.
Image of the Day: Sun Burn
The Scientist Staff and The Scientist Staff | Oct 20, 2017 | 1 min read
When certain melanocyte stem cells are exposed to UV rays, a molecular cascade can trigger melanoma, scientists find in mice.
Image of the Day: Manipulative Melanomas
The Scientist Staff | Mar 19, 2017 | 1 min read
Early-stage melanoma cells alter proteins in nearby skin cells to create a favorable environment for cancer progression.
“Redhead” Gene Variant Boosts Melanoma Risk
Tanya Lewis | Jul 12, 2016 | 2 min read
People without red hair who possess the variant are also more likely to develop this form of skin cancer, researchers report.
Fuchs on the Future
The Scientist Staff | Apr 30, 2016 | 1 min read
Rockefeller University researcher Elaine Fuchs on being a woman in science and her contributions to the burgeoning field of reverse genetics
Antioxidants Facilitate Melanoma Metastasis
Anna Azvolinsky | Oct 7, 2015 | 3 min read
Two compounds boost the ability of melanoma cells to invade other tissues in mice, providing additional evidence that antioxidants can be beneficial to malignant cells as well as healthy ones.
Cancer-Driving Mutations Common in Normal Skin Cells
Anna Azvolinsky | May 21, 2015 | 3 min read
A deep-sequencing analysis reveals that non-malignant skin cells harbor many more cancer-driving mutations than previously expected. 
The Dark Side of Melanin
Anna Azvolinsky | Feb 19, 2015 | 3 min read
Researchers uncover a previously unknown way UV light can act on melanin, spurring cancer-causing mutations hours after sun exposure.
Testicular-Skin Cancer Tradeoff
Bob Grant | Oct 14, 2013 | 2 min read
A genetic mutation tied to risk of developing testicular cancer may be more prevalent in white men because it also confers a reduced risk of developing skin cancer.
Blue Whales Get Tans
Kate Yandell | Sep 2, 2013 | 2 min read
The large mammals alter the levels of melanin in their skin depending on sun exposure, helping them to avoid DNA damage.
Master of Fate
Megan Scudellari | Jul 1, 2013 | 9 min read
While tracing the tricky and sometimes surprising paths of multipotent cells in the skin, mammary gland, and heart, Cédric Blanpain has repeatedly turned the stem cell field on its head.
 
Odor-like Biomarkers for Skin Cancer
Dan Cossins | Jun 17, 2013 | 2 min read
Researchers identify a unique chemical signature associated with human melanoma cells that could lead to new ways to screen for the disease.
 
An Epi Phenomenon
Karen Hopkin | Dec 1, 2012 | 9 min read
While exploring the genetics of a rare type of tumor, Stephen Baylin discovered an epigenetic modification that occurs in most every cancer—a finding he’s helping bring to the clinic.
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