Allele: An alternative form of a gene or any other segment of a chromosome.

Antiangiogenesis: the creation of tiny new blood vessels

Antibody: protein that fights infections: a protein produced by B cells in the body in response to the presence of an antigen, for example, a bacterium or virus. Antibodies are a primary form of immune response in resistance to disease and act by attaching themselves to a foreign antigen and weakening or destroying it.

Apoptosis: programmed cell death.

ATP: adenosine triphosphate, the universal energy storage molecule. Energy released during the oxidation of foodstuffs to carbon dioxide and water are stored in the high energy phosphate bonds of ATP.

Capsid: The protein coat or shell of a virus particle.

Chemotherapy: The treatment of infections or cancer with drugs that act on disease-producing organisms or cancerous tissue; may also affect normal cells.

Cytotoxic: The adjective applied to anything that is harmful to cell structure and function and ultimately causing cell death.

Differentiation: Cell differentiation is a maturing process during which a determined cell becomes a recognizable, specialized cell. External stimuli, such as growth factors, trigger cells to differentiate. Once differentiated, these specialized cells are usually terminal and nondividing, though some may be induced to divide following injury. Differentiated cells produce and use specific proteins characteristic of their differentiation type. For example, red blood cells produce haemoglobin to help transport oxygen, and muscle cells produce myosin to help with muscle contraction. Differentiated cells often assume characteristic shapes, such as columnar epithelial cells and star-shaped astrocytes.

DNA: The material inside the nucleus of cells that carries genetic information. The scientific name for DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid.

Double-Mutant: (see mutant)

Fibroblasts: cell producing connective tissue: a large flat cell that secretes the proteins that form collagen and elastic fibres and the substance between the cells of connective tissue

In vitro: in an artificial environment, especially test tube experiments involving a reaction of human tissue

In vivo: within a living organism, especially lab experiments.
 

Infection: (See viral infection)

Insertional mutagenesis: Mutagenesis where the mutation is caused by the introduction of foreign DNA sequences into a gene. This may occur spontaneously in vivo or be experimentally induced in vivo or in vitro.

Interferon: protein produced against viral infection: a complex protein (glycoprotein) that is produced by cells in response to a virus or bacterium and that inhibits virus development.

Lysis:  destructive disruption of cells: the destruction of cells by disruption of the bounding membrane, allowing the cell contents to escape

Lysis: Cell disintegration due to membrane rupture or the breakdown of the cell wall.

Mutagenesis: Production of mutations; this may lead to transformation and carcinogenesis.

Mutant: An organism or cell carrying a mutation. An alternative phenotype to the wild-type; the phenotype produced by a non-wildtype allele

Necrosis: Localized death of cells or tissues.

Oncolytic Virus: a therapy that seeks to harness the natural properties of viruses to aid in the fight against cancer.

Osteoblast: bone-forming cell: a cell from which bone develops

Osteosarcoma: a malignant bone tumour.

Phenotype: visible characteristics of organism: the visible characteristics of an organism resulting from the interaction between its genetic makeup and the environment

Plasmid: small, circular piece of DNA found outside the chromosome in bacteria. Plasmids are the principal tools for inserting new genetic information into microorganisms
 

Progenitor: originator: the originator of, or original model for, something

Proliferation: An increase in the number of cells as a result of cell growth and cell division.

Recombinants: Undifferentiated, stem cells

RNA: a single-stranded nucleic acid made up of nucleotides. RNA is involved in the transcription of genetic information; the information encoded in DNA is translated into messenger RNA (mRNA), which controls the synthesis of new proteins.

Titres: antibody concentration: the concentration of an antibody determined by how much it is diluted before it no longer reacts positively to an antigen

Transactivational Domain: a situation in which one gene product causes a different gene to be activated

Trypsin: Enzyme that acts to degrade proteins.

Tumours: abnormal mass of tissue that results from excessive cell division; may be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Viral Infection: infection by a virus that is pathogenic to humans

Wild-type: the normal, typical phenotype of a virus or other organism before genetic mutation takes place.