CancerQuest | Interview with Dr. Michael Pierce

Dr. Michael Pierce
Director and Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
UGA Cancer Center

Dr. Pierce researches the roles of carbohydrates and glycoproteins in the development of cancer. Anyone that has had a piece of candy melt in their hand or pocket knows that sugary things (sugars are a type of carbohydrate) are sticky! In cells, one role of carbohydrates is to help cells stick (adhere) to each other and to the materials around them. Cancer cells behave differently than other cells in this respect and Dr. Pierce's work is designed to see how cancer cells are different and whether these changes are possible targets for treatment.

Questions and Answers

	About Dr. Pierce(Time: 42 sec)
	What made you first get interested in research as a career?(Time: 1 min 55 sec)
	What are carbohydrates?(Time: 1 min 10 sec)
	What are the roles of carbohydrates in and on cells?(Time: 1 min 20 sec)
	What are the functions of cell adhesion molecules?(Time: 2 min 51 sec sec)
	What are cadherins and integrins?(Time: 3 min 20 sec)
	How do cadherins and integrins control behavior of cells?(Time: 1 min 46 sec)
	How does a disruption in the cell-adhesion/signaling sequence facilitate the development of cancer?(Time: 3 min 17 sec)
	What is GnT-V? What is its role in normal cells?(Time: 6 min 48 sec)
	How is the expression/activity of this enzyme altered in cancer cells?(Time: 1 min 36 sec)
	How is the expression of GnT-V linked to increased expression of other genes?(Time: 53 sec)
	If known, how is GnT-V related to cancer progression?(Time: 1 min 36 sec)
	How is this knowledge applicable to cancer detection/diagnosis?(Time: 2 min 10 sec)
	What is glycomics?(Time: 7 min 52 sec)
	What do you believe to be the future role of glycomics in cancer research?(Time: 26 sec)
	How have you involved undergraduates and graduate students in your work?(Time: 2 min 28 sec)
	Are there any other projects or ideas you think would be of interest to our viewers?(Time: 2 min 5 sec)