Cancer and Cancer Stem Cells Flashcards
(33 cards)
A Variety of Factors Can Lead to Cancer (4)
1) Age
2) Susceptible genes to cancer inherited
3) Multigene basis of cancer?
4) Carcinogenesis
A Variety of Factors Can Lead to Cancer - Carcinogenesis (2)
1) The process of transforming a normal cell into a cancer cell
2) Carcinogen: any substance or physical factor that causes cancer
A Variety of Factors Can Lead to Cancer (4)
1) Viruses (15%)
2) Chemicals and environment
3) Tobacco
4) Radiation
5) Diet and Obesity 30%
A Variety of Factors Can Lead to Cancer - Internal factors (2)
1) Free radicals produced by metabolism may damage DNA
- Antioxidants may neutralize free radicals
2) Erros in DNA
Prevention vs Protection - Environment and dietary factors contribute to ….
RISK - RISK - RISK of cancer
Prevention vs Protection - Environment and dietary factors do not ….
1) Decreases RISK
2) Does NOT prevent cancer
The Immune System Plays an Important Role in
Cancer Prevention
1) Immune system normally defends body against cancers
The Immune System Plays an Important Role in
Cancer Prevention - Problem of immune system with respect to cancer (1)
1) Cancer cells may not be recognized as “self” and may be destroyed the immune system
The Immune System Plays an Important Role in
Cancer Prevention - What happens if the immune system is suppressed?
More susceptible to cancer
The Development of a malignant tumour (cancer) (5)
1) Normal cell gets hit by
a) environmental factors
b) inherited “bad” genes
c) Internal factors
2) Abnormal cell
3) Immune system response and
a) Abnormal cell resolved
b) Immune system suppressed
4) If immune system suppressed then Tumour
5) Invasion
Advances in Diagnosis Enable Early Detection (3)
1) Tumour imaging
2) Genetic Testing
3) Enzyme test for cancer markers
Advances in Diagnosis Enable Early Detection - Tumour imaging (3)
1) X-rays
2) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
3) Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Advances in Diagnosis Enable Early Detection - Genetic Testing (1)
1) Identifying mutated genes - increase risk associated with having mutated gene
Cancer Treatments (4)
1) Surgery
2) Radiation
3) Chemotherapy
4) Immunotherapy
- often a combination of the two is composed
Cancer Treatments - Radiation
Targets tumour but often healthy cells
Cancer Treatments - Chemotherapy
Uses cytotoxins drugs to destroy cancer, usually based on proliferative cells. Often kills normals cells
Cancer Treatments - Immunotherapy (5)
1) boost immune response
2) Development of antibodies specifically to recognize cancer
3) Development of vaccines against cancer
4) Target the protein on cancer cells that helps them
masquerade as ‘immune-protected cells” (Genome
editing clinical trial - exposes them
5) Tagging antibodies with radioactive molecules or
chemotherapeutic drugs
Cancer Treatments - Immunotherapy - Development of antibodies specifically to recognize cancer
Herceotin
Normal STEM cells are undifferentiated -
1) Normal stem cells reproduce themselves and produce
cells that will rapidly divide and then differentiate
2) Cancer stem cells are also not rapidly growing, are
undifferentiated, and have the capacity to form all the
fast growing cells of a tumour
Normal STEM cells are …
undifferentiated
Normal STEM cells - Do they reproduce themselves, what rate? and then when they divide what to they achieve?
1) Yes stem cell reproduce themselves
2) They reproduce at a higher rate than normal cells
3) After reproducing they then differentiate
important to note, they differentiate after they reproduce
Describe the characteristics of cancer STEM cell? (3)
1) Not rapidly growing
2) Undifferentiated - mutated
3) Have the capacity to grow fast growing cells of a tumour
Cancer STEM cells DO NOT resist drug that simply target
proliferating cell? T or F
F - they do resist drugs that target proliferating cells
Cell proliferation ?
Cell proliferation is the process that results in an increase of the number of cells, and is defined by the balance between cell divisions and cell loss through cell death or differentiation.
