Dr. Scott Tanner's Cancer Article Published In Journal

Limestone College Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Scott Tanner recently had an article selected as the “Editor’s Choice” for December of 2016 in the Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry.

The article was entitled “Altered T-Cell Balance in Lymphoid Organs of a Mouse Model of Colorectal Cancer.”

Tanner’s study looked at the role immune cells play in the development of colon cancer. 

“We looked at a mutation that is known to lead to increased susceptibility and early onset of colon cancer,” Tanner explained. “While the mutation leads to several changes in the body that can lead to cancer, immune cells have not been investigated very much. We discovered that specific immune cells, known as T cells, are not performing their normal functions when the mutation is present. T cells are typically able to seek out and destroy cancerous cells, and they are less effective in this role when the mutation is present.”

Each month, the Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry selects an “Editor’s Choice” article that it makes available for free so that it can be obtained without having to have a subscription to the publication.

Tanner was also the subject of a “Meet The Author” spotlight on the journal’s social media pages.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer in the United States, affecting males and females, as well as a variety of races and ethnic groups. 

The study by Tanner was supported, in part, by a grant from the National Institutes of Health.

A native of Cincinnati, Tanner is in his third year at Limestone. He earned his Bachelor’s in Biology from Indiana University and his Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Pathology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He then spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow in UAB¹s Departments of Microbiology, Pediatric Surgery, and Pathology. During that time, he was also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, AL, teaching Introductory Biology.

A pre-eminent cell biology journal for over 50 years, the Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry offers primary research articles, timely reviews, editorials, and perspectives section on the structure and function of cells, tissues, and organs, as well as mechanisms of development, differentiation, and disease. The journal also publishes new developments in microscopy and imaging.