Cancer is a broad term, which describes the disease caused by the uncontrollable cellular growth of abnormal cells inside the body.
The majority of cancers are caused by genetic mutations in the cellular DNA. These DNA mutations can alter molecular processes inside the cells that will finally lead to the abnormal cell proliferation frequently observed in many cancers.
3D medical illustration and scientific animation are powerful solutions that can help to visualize and understand the molecular processes underneath tumor development.
Some examples of how 3D animation videos can help to visualize molecular mechanisms important in oncology are described below.
Dysregulation of PI3K-mTOR pathway in cancer
Cellular signaling is the transduction of an extracellular signal into a cellular response, such as cellular division, cell-to-cell communication, apoptosis…
One of the most common cellular signaling pathways is the PI3K-mTOR cascade.
When a growth factor binds to its receptor, it activates an intracellular phosphorylation cascade which results in the activation of mTOR protein.
Activated mTOR stimulates cellular proliferation and differentiation in healthy cells.
Nevertheless, some DNA mutations can lead to the aberrant and permanent activation of this pathway, which triggers an abnormal and uncontrollable cell proliferation leading to tumor development. The aberrant activation of this pathway can be easily visualized in this 3D animation clip.
Mechanism of action of Asp-1929 for head and neck cancer by Rakuten Medical from 3DforScience on Vimeo.
Conversion of a cold tumor into a hot tumor
3D animation videos can also help us to dive into a tumoral microenvironment and be aware of the molecular processes that are happening there.
For instance, some tumors are called cold tumors, which means that they are able to evade the immune system and be resistant to different chemotherapeutics.
Nevertheless, there are some specific drugs in clinical studies that can modify different molecular processes to convert a cold into a hot tumor.
Hot tumors are sensible to chemotherapeutics and immune attacks, which makes them easier to treat and resolve.
In this picture, we can see how T-cells are releasing cytokines to attack a hot tumor.
How can 3DforScience help you to visualize complex oncology mechanisms?
3DforScience is a scientific communication company specialized in visual content for the life science sector.
We are a passionate creative team of scientists, marketers, artists, and animators with a shared aim: to help you improve your scientific communication with innovative and unique creative solutions.
We can help to boost your scientific communication capabilities in the oncology field by designing unique creative solutions as 3D animation videos or illustrations.
Would you like to bring your scientific messaging to life? Contact us. We would be pleased to provide you with a unique creation.
