Biological & Molecular Mechanisms

Terms in this category

• ALKALK is a gene that produces a protein involved in cell growth signaling. When the ALK gene becomes abnormally…
• AngiogenesisAngiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels from existing ones. Tumors, including mesothelioma, depend on…
• ApoptosisApoptosis is the body's built-in process for eliminating cells that are old, damaged, or potentially dangerou…
• Asbestos BodiesAsbestos bodies are microscopic structures that form in lung tissue when inhaled asbestos fibers, typically a…
• Asbestos Body FormationAsbestos body formation is the biological process in which an asbestos fiber lodged in the lung becomes coate…
• BioprocessingBioprocessing refers to the body's attempts to dissolve, break down, transport, or wall off asbestos fibers a…
• CarcinogenesisCarcinogenesis is the process by which normal cells turn into cancer. It usually happens in stages over many …
• CDX2CDX2 (Caudal-type Homeobox 2) is a protein that acts as a master switch for intestinal cell identity. Patholo…
• Chronic InflammationChronic inflammation is a prolonged, low-grade immune response that persists for months or years, often witho…
• CollagenCollagen is the main structural protein in the body's connective tissue, giving strength and shape to skin, t…
• COX PathwayThe COX (cyclooxygenase) pathway is a biological process in which the enzymes COX-1 and COX-2 convert arachid…
• CTLA-4CTLA-4 (Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte-Associated Protein 4) is a protein on the surface of certain immune cells that…
• CytokineCytokines are small signaling proteins released by cells, especially immune cells, to communicate with other …
• Cytoplasmic vs. NuclearIn cell biology and pathology, this distinction refers to whether a protein, stain, or molecular signal is lo…
• DNA adductsDNA adducts are pieces of a harmful chemical or reactive molecule that have become chemically bonded to a str…
• DNA lesionsDNA lesions are physical or chemical injuries to the DNA molecule inside a cell, such as broken strands, chem…
• EosinophilicIn pathology, "eosinophilic" describes tissue or cell structures that stain bright pink or red with the dye e…
• EpithelioidEpithelioid describes cells that look like epithelial cells under the microscope, relatively uniform, rounded…
• Extra Cellular MatrixThe extracellular matrix (ECM) is the meshwork of proteins (such as collagen and elastin), sugars, and other …
• ExudateAn exudate is a protein-rich fluid that leaks out of blood vessels into a body cavity or tissue because of in…
• Fenton ChemistryFenton chemistry is a set of chemical reactions in which iron reacts with hydrogen peroxide to generate hydro…
• FerritinFerritin is a protein that stores iron inside cells and releases it when the body needs it. A blood test for …
• Ferruginous bodyA ferruginous body is a microscopic dumbbell- or beaded-shaped structure found in lung tissue, formed when th…
• Fiber ClearanceFiber clearance is the body's process of removing inhaled fibers from the lungs, mainly by moving them up the…
• Fiber TranslocationFiber translocation is the movement of inhaled asbestos fibers from where they first land in the lungs to oth…
• Fiber-Tissue InterfaceThe fiber-tissue interface is the microscopic boundary where an inhaled asbestos fiber comes into direct cont…
• FibroblastA fibroblast is a connective-tissue cell that builds and maintains the structural scaffolding of organs by pr…
• FibrogenicFibrogenic means capable of causing the body to lay down scar tissue (fibrosis). When a substance or injury i…
• Frustrated PhagocytosisFrustrated phagocytosis is what happens when an immune cell called a macrophage tries to engulf and destroy a…
• GenotoxicityGenotoxicity is the ability of a substance to damage the genetic material inside cells, meaning DNA and chrom…
• GLUT1GLUT1 (Glucose Transporter 1) is a protein on the surface of cells that moves glucose (sugar) from the bloods…
• GlycoproteinA glycoprotein is a protein that has sugar molecules (called glycans) attached to it. These molecules sit on …
• Hematogenous SpreadHematogenous spread is the movement of cancer cells from a tumor into the bloodstream, where they travel to d…
• High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1)HMGB1 is a protein normally found inside the nucleus of cells, where it helps organize DNA. When cells are in…
• Hippo Signaling PathwayThe Hippo pathway is a network of proteins inside cells that controls when cells grow, divide, and die. It ac…
• Hollowing EffectThe hollowing effect describes the appearance of one side of the chest that has become contracted and immobil…
• Hyaluronic AcidHyaluronic acid is a large sugar-based molecule (a glycosaminoglycan) that helps hold tissues together and ke…
• Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS)Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is an enzyme that immune cells produce when they are activated by infe…
• InflammationInflammation is the body's natural response to injury, infection, or irritation, involving immune cells, chem…
• InterleukinsInterleukins are signaling proteins (a type of cytokine) released by white blood cells and other cells to coo…
• LDH ReleaseLDH release refers to the leakage of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), an enzyme normally kept inside cells, into …
• Lymphatic TransportLymphatic transport is the movement of fluid, immune cells, and foreign particles through the body's lymphati…
• MacrophageA macrophage is a large white blood cell of the innate immune system that surrounds and digests foreign parti…
• Malignant TransformationMalignant transformation is the process by which a normal cell gradually changes into a cancer cell after acc…
• Mechanism of CarcinogenesisMechanism of carcinogenesis refers to the step-by-step biological process by which a normal cell becomes canc…
• MerlinMerlin is a tumor-suppressor protein produced by the NF2 gene that helps control cell growth, shape, and cont…
• MetastasisMetastasis is the process by which cancer cells break away from the original tumor and spread to other parts …
• MicronucleiMicronuclei are small, extra packets of DNA that form alongside a cell's main nucleus when chromosomes break …
• MonoclonalMonoclonal means "from a single cell origin." In medicine, it usually refers to antibodies or cell population…
• NecrosisNecrosis is the uncontrolled death of cells in a living tissue, usually caused by injury, lack of blood suppl…
• NephrotoxicityNephrotoxicity means damage to the kidneys caused by a drug, chemical, or other substance. It can show up as …
• Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-κB)NF-κB is a protein complex inside cells that acts like a master switch, turning on genes that control inflamm…
• OncogenesisOncogenesis is the biological process by which normal cells gradually change into cancer cells through accumu…
• OX40 receptorOX40 is a protein found on the surface of activated immune cells called T cells. When OX40 is engaged by its …
• Oxidative StressOxidative stress is a harmful imbalance inside cells in which unstable molecules called reactive oxygen speci…
• PD-1/PD-L1PD-1 (Programmed Death 1) is a protein on the surface of T cells, the immune system's main cancer-fighting ce…
• PeroxynitritePeroxynitrite is a highly reactive molecule formed inside the body when nitric oxide combines with superoxide…
• PGE2PGE2 (prostaglandin E2) is a hormone-like molecule made by the body from fatty acids. It plays a major role i…
• PhagocytosisPhagocytosis is the process by which certain immune cells surround and swallow foreign particles, dead cells,…
• PhagolysosomeA phagolysosome is a tiny digestive compartment inside certain immune cells (especially macrophages) that for…
• Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF)PDGF is a family of signaling proteins that tells certain cells to grow, divide, and migrate. It plays an imp…
• Pleural TranslocationPleural translocation is the process by which inhaled asbestos fibers move from the small airways and lung ti…
• PolymorphsIn medicine, "polymorphs" is shorthand for polymorphonuclear leukocytes, a group of white blood cells with mu…
• Reactive Nitrogen Species (RNS)Reactive Nitrogen Species are unstable, chemically aggressive molecules built around nitrogen, most important…
• Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)Reactive oxygen species are unstable, oxygen-containing molecules (including free radicals like the superoxid…
• Receptor-Mediated EndocytosisReceptor-mediated endocytosis is a process by which cells pull specific molecules or particles inside themsel…
• Squamous CellA squamous cell is a flat, thin cell that forms protective linings in the body, including the outer skin and …
• Tissue MicroenvironmentThe tissue microenvironment is the local biological setting that surrounds cells in an organ, including nearb…
• Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β)TGF-β is a signaling protein (cytokine) that tells cells when to grow, when to stop, when to specialize, and …
• TranslocationTranslocation is the movement of inhaled asbestos fibers from the lung airways to other tissues, including th…
• Tumor MicroenvironmentThe tumor microenvironment is the surrounding tissue, blood vessels, immune cells, and signaling molecules th…
• Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha (TNF-α)TNF-α is a signaling protein (a cytokine) released by immune cells, especially macrophages, that drives infla…
• TumorigenesisTumorigenesis is the step-by-step biological process by which normal cells accumulate genetic and molecular d…
• VitronectinVitronectin is a protein found in blood and in the matrix between cells that helps cells stick to surfaces, s…
• Vitronectin-Mediated EndocytosisVitronectin-mediated endocytosis is a cellular process in which asbestos fibers become coated with a blood an…
• αvβ5 Integrinαvβ5 integrin is a cell-surface protein made of two subunits (alpha-v and beta-5) that helps cells attach to …