[]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [Image Source: Serial/Trash]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;”} [Skin is not the only thing to wrinkle with age. Our genes also show signs of ageing – a process that can lead to cancer.

[Image Source: Serial/Trash]{style=“font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;”} [Cancer results from an accumulation of mistakes or abnormalities in genes that normally control cell survival, growth and migration. Genes are the instruction manual for our cells, and when these instructions are altered cells may begin to multiply (proliferate) uncontrollably.

[By Clare Finlay, a PhD student at the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Disease, King’s College London]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [ ]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [Note: Clare was highly commended for her entry. Check back tomorrow to read her brilliant summary on the blog.]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;

[Image Source: Serial/Trash]{style=“font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 150%;”} [After centuries of endeavour, scientists and doctors have made great strides towards improving cancer treatment. Nonetheless, while conventional therapy has undoubtedly saved innumerable lives, a worrying number of tumours remain inoperable and incurable by chemo- or radiotherapy.

[By Claire Sand, PhD student at King’s College London]{style=“font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [ ]{style=“font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [Note: Claire Sand was highly commended for her entry this year. She was a joint second-place winner in Access to Understanding 2013 competition. Check back tomorrow to read her entry.]{style=“font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;

[By Ian Le Guillou (University of Cambridge, UK)]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [Awarded joint 2nd prize for Access to Understanding 2013]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [[A mutation that allows cells to grow out of control could also provide a new way to target and destroy cancer cells.

[By [Katarzyna Makowska]{style=“color: black; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;”}]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”}[[ (University of Leeds, UK)]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”}]{style=“color: black;

[ by Ian Le Guillou, Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge ]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”} [Although contradictory to the hopes of the Access to Understanding competition, writing about the work described in ]{style=“font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;”}[’NLK is a Novel Therapeutic Target for PTEN Deficient Tumour Cells’]{style=“color: black;