Michelle Wood, Research Fellow, Hammer Lab, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School

The adrenal gland is comprised of two regions: the cortex, which produces essential hormones, and the medulla, which is necessary for the bodies' fight-or-flight response. Adrenal cancer is a rare, but deadly form of human cancer. This is an image of a tumor developing in a mouse adrenal gland. It was generated by genetically removing a protein called APC from adrenal cells of the mouse. Loss of APC is a common cause of human adrenal cancers. In this image, blue stains the nuclei, where DNA is located. The green is a marker of adrenal cortical cells and the red is staining surrounding connective tissue. By modeling this cancer in the mouse, we hope to learn more about how to treat and prevent it in humans.