Magic Bullets - National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science - 1 views
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Lottie Peppers on 29 Jan 16This clicker case was designed to teach students about basic enzyme structure, mechanisms of enzyme inhibition, and mechanisms of drug resistance. The story follows Oliver Casey, a patient afflicted with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia (CML). CML is caused by a chromosomal mutation that affects the tyrosine kinase ABL, an enzyme important in regulating cell growth and proliferation. The chromosomal mutation gives rise to the BCR-ABL fusion gene that produces a constitutively active ABL kinase, which causes the leukemia. In May 2001, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of a rationally designed tyrosine kinase inhibitor, imatinib (Gleevec®), for the treatment of CML. During that same month, Gleevec made the cover of TIME magazine, described as "new ammunition in the war on cancer." The case is structured for a flipped classroom environment in which students view preparatory videos (including one by the author) on their own before beginning the case. Written for a first-year introductory biology course, the case could also be adapted for AP/Honors high school biology or a cancer biology course.