From Molecules to Medicine

How does chemistry relate to cancer research?

By studying the structure, composition, and properties of matter, chemistry plays an important role in treating and diagnosing cancer. Studying chemistry helps researchers gain a better understanding of cancer at the molecular level. Knowing the chemistry of cancer can help researchers distinguish cancer cells from normal cells, create new drugs to target cancer, and understand how to prevent cancer. Additionally, chemists develop tools and synthesize molecules that are used by other scientists in experiments to understand how cancer develops.

What jobs in chemistry can you pursue if you’re interested in cancer research?

There are a number of jobs in the field of the chemistry that relate to cancer research. Take a look at our blog posts about:

• Chemical Informatics
• Chemical Nanoscience
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Biochemistry

Where is the field of chemistry heading?

Nanotechnology is an emerging area in chemistry and can be used to develop targeted therapies for cancer, deliver drugs to the site of cancers, improve the efficacy of current therapies such as radiation, and assist with surgical removal of tumours. In the future, laboratories will become more automated, and chemistry research will harness the power of computers to analyze the properties of matter. Computer simulations of drugs and their molecular targets will allow for the development of more effective cancer treatments.