Archives: Glossary
A thread-like structure made up of DNA, that is coiled around proteins called histones and contain genes. Chromosomes are found in all body cells (except red blood cells) and contain important instructions for the normal functioning of cells. Normal human cells contain 23 pairs of chromosomes, with a total of 46 chromosomes. (see ploidy)
Deoxyribonucleic acid (abbreviated DNA) is the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for the growth, development and functioning of most organisms, including humans. DNA is made up of smaller subunits called nucleotides, and each nucleotide consists of a sugar, a phosphate group and one of four bases: Cytosine [C] Guanine [G] Adenine [A] Thymine [T] […]
Epigenetics is the study of how gene expression can be regulated in a way that is long-lasting but reversible, without changing the actual DNA sequence. Genes can be switched on and off through the addition or removal of chemical marks, known as epigenetic marks or signatures, these changes can affect a person’s risk of disease […]
BRCA1 (BReast CAncer gene 1) and BRCA2 (BReast CAncer gene 2) are genes that produce proteins that help repair damaged DNA. People who inherit a harmful change (mutation) in one of these genes have increased risks of several cancers – most notably breast and ovarian cancer, but also several other types of cancer.
BRAF (B-Raf proto-oncogene, serine/threonine kinase) are genes that makes a protein involved in processes such as cell growth. Mutated (changed) forms of the BRAF protein can increase the growth and spread of cancer cells and have been found in many types of cancer, including melanoma.
A pill, injection or other treatment that looks like the treatment but does not contain the active ingredient. Placebos can sometimes have a positive effect, known as the placebo effect. This happens when someone who is given a placebo, such as a harmless sugar pill, feels an improvement, like a reduction in symptoms, after taking […]
A method used to prevent bias in research. A computer assigns people into groups by chance, rather than the researchers or doctors choosing the groups.
A study done over a long period of time, often decades, where the participants are usually asked the same questions or have the same tests periodically to assess how their health changes over time.
A stage of a clinical trial. There can be up to four phases (phase 1-4), but not all clinical trials go through every phase. Early phase trials usually look at whether the new intervention is safe, whereas late phase trials test whether the new intervention is better than existing interventions and go on to gather […]
The requirements that must be met for a person to be included in a clinical trial. These requirements help ensure that the treatment is tested in an appropriate patient population and that participants in a trial are like each other in terms of specific factors such as age, type and stage of cancer, general health, […]