Joshua Peterson, Brigham Young University
Life Sciences
Cancer kills millions of people every year. Cancer occurs when cells proliferate at an excessive rate and do not die as regularly functioning cells do. In cancer cells, the mechanism that initiates apoptosis (cell death) is inhibited. These cells eventually multiply to the point where they interfere with physiological function and cause death. Therefore, one of the aims of cancer research is to find treatments that initiate apoptosis in cancer cells. Many current chemotherapeutic (anti- cancer) treatments are toxic to all mitotic cells, rather than to cancer cells alone. Studies have shown that resveratrol, which is found in grapes, peanuts, and berries, facilitates apoptosis in cancer cells without causing apoptosis in regular cells. The apoptotic activity of resveratrol in tumor cells is dependent on a large, sustained increase in cytoplasmic calcium ion concentration. In properly functioning cells, plasma membrane Ca2+- ATPase (PMCA) pumps excess calcium from the cytosol to the extracellular space. PMCA prevents toxically high levels of calcium and maintains cytoplasmic calcium homeostasis. Using live cell microscopy to monitor intracellular calcium ion concentration, we explore the direct and indirect effects of resveratrol on PMCA activity in MDA-MB-231 (a breast cancer cell line).