AbstractsBiology & Animal Science

[...] The recent Public Health report on Fundamental Cancer Research (1939) stressed the research objectives in the field of cancer. It was pointed out that there are two fundamental problems involved: One, the causal aspect of the cancer problem; the other the formal genesis - the the factors responsible for the nature of the cancer cells and their uncontrolled growth [...]. Thus, the fundamental problem of cancer is directly associated with an understanding of the processes of growth, the metabolism and functions of normal cells. It is with this broad aspect of the general cancer problem in mind that the investigation of behaviour of normal and malignant cells of the frog in vitro was undertaken. The following are the main objectives of the investigation: 1. To obtain a medium best suited to the growth of normal and malignant tissues, and observations of comparative shapes and manner of growth under similar conditions. 2. To obtain pure cultures of normal kidney epithelium and compare their metabolic properties in response to respiratory poisons, cobra venom and various extracts with those of pure cultures of malignant cells. 3. To study the cytological characters of normal and malignant cells, their reaction with other cells in the colonies, the mechanism of tissue formation and cell proliferation. 4. To investigate tolerence to high and low temperature, toxicity, hydrogen ion concentration, permeability and other factors. [...]