How cancer cells communicate & what that means for treatment

SDPB | By Lori Walsh,

Ellen Koester

Published February 26, 2023 at 11:20 AM CST

Rachel Willand-Charnley, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at South Dakota State University.

This interview originally aired on In the Moment on SDPB Radio.

Rachel Willand-Charnley, Ph.D., communicated their research with Lori Walsh the way humans do—that's through speech. Dr. Willand-Charnley's work explores how cells communicate with each other—that's through their sugar coats.

A cancer cell can use its sugar coat to deceptively appear like a normal cell to the immune system. This means cancer cells can hide in plain sight. Dr. Willand-Charnley, who uses the pronoun they, hopes to change that.

They join In the Moment to dive into the biochemistry behind their work, how it could one day translate into treatments and who their research is for.

Can't find what you're looking for?

We're here to help.

If you are having trouble locating or accessing SDPB content and services for any reason, including a need for accommodations such as alternate formats for accessibility purposes, we will do our best to provide the assistance you need.

How cancer cells communicate & what that means for treatment

Can't find what you're looking for?

We're here to help.

If you are having trouble locating or accessing SDPB content and services for any reason, including a need for accommodations such as alternate formats for accessibility purposes, we will do our best to provide the assistance you need.

Visit our Contact Page to explore our support options, or call us at (605) 677-5861 and we will help you find where you need to be.