Cancer immunology

Question 1

What do oncogenes do in cancer?

Answer 1

Drive abnormal cell proliferation due to increased expression or uncontrolled activity

Question 2

What is the two-hit hypothesis?

Answer 2

: Both alleles of a tumour suppressor gene must be inactivated for cancer to develop.

Question 3

What does p53 do?

Answer 3

Halts the cell cycle and induces apoptosis in response to DNA damage

Question 4

What happens when Rb is mutated?

Answer 4

2F is released, promoting uncontrolled cell cycle progression from G1 to S phase

Question 5

What is the role of MYC in cancer?

Answer 5

Deregulated MYC activates both high- and low-affinity target genes, promoting cell growth.

Question 6

Name the original six Hallmarks of Cancer (Hanahan & Weinberg, 2000).

Answer 6

Sustained proliferative signaling

Evading growth suppressors

Resisting cell death

Enabling replicative immortality

Inducing angiogenesis

Activating invasion and metastasis

Question 7

Name three additional Hallmarks added in 2011.

Answer 7

Avoiding immune destruction

Deregulating cellular energetics

Tumour-promoting inflammation

Question 8

What are Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns (DAMPs)

Answer 8

Tumour-derived molecules (e.g., HMGB1, HSPs) that trigger immune activation or sterile inflammation.

Question 9

What immune cells detect cells lacking MHC I

Answer 9

Natural Killer (NK) cells

Question 10

What is the role of MICA in the immune response

Answer 10

A stress-induced ligand recognized by NK cells via the NKG2D receptor.

Question 11

What is the role of TGF-β in the TME?

Answer 11

Immunosuppressive cytokine; inhibits immune cell activity and promotes Treg development.

Question 12

How does Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase (IDO) suppress immunity?

Answer 12

It depletes tryptophan, leading to T cell inhibition and apoptosis.

Question 13

What is IL-10’s role in immune modulation?

Answer 13

Suppresses pro-inflammatory signaling (TLRs, NFkB) and promotes immune tolerance.

Question 14

What characterizes tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs)?

Answer 14

M2-like, non-inflammatory phenotype; promote tumour progression and suppress immunity.

Question 15

What are tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)

Answer 15

T cells found in tumour tissue, often associated with a better prognosis.

Question 16

What is CAR T cell therapy

Answer 16

Engineering T cells to express synthetic receptors targeting specific tumour antigens.

Question 17

What is IMMTAC therapy?

Answer 17

Bi-specific TCR-based antibody that links T cells to tumour cells for precise killing.

Question 18

: What does tumour heterogeneity refer to?

Answer 18

Genetic and phenotypic diversity among tumour cells within the same tumour.
Can be inter-tumoral or intra-tumoral
inter-tumoral( Diversity between tumor cells of different patients)
intra-tumoral: Diversity between the cells of same tumor.

Question 19

What is the role of Cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) in cancer?

Answer 19

Produces Prostaglandin E2, which helps resolve inflammation and can suppress immune activation in the TME.

Question 20

Name three pro-inflammatory cytokines found in the TME.

Answer 20

IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β.

Question 21

What immune cells kill tumour cells lacking MHC I?

Answer 21

Natural Killer (NK) cells.

Question 22

What are DAMPs and what do they do?

Answer 22

Damage-Associated Molecular Patterns; they trigger inflammation and immune activation.

Question 23

What is the role of TGF-β in the tumour microenvironment?

Answer 23

Immunosuppressive cytokine; promotes Treg differentiation and suppresses effector T cells.

Question 24

What is the Integrated Stress Response (ISR)?

Answer 24

A cellular response to stress that activates ATF4 and either restores homeostasis or induces apoptosis.

Question 25

What are Tumour-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs)?

Answer 25

T cells found in tumour tissue, often associated with better prognosis.

Question 26

What is the role of IL-10 in the TME?

Answer 26

Anti-inflammatory cytokine that inhibits TLR signaling and promotes immune tolerance.

Question 27

What are immune checkpoint molecules?

Answer 27

Molecules like PD-1 and CTLA-4 that regulate immune activation and prevent overactivation.

Question 28

How do immune checkpoint inhibitors work?

Answer 28

Block inhibitory receptors (e.g., PD-1, CTLA-4) to reactivate T cell responses against cancer.

Question 29

: What is CAR T cell therapy?

Answer 29

Genetically engineered T cells expressing a chimeric antigen receptor to target cancer cells.

Question 30

What is IMMTAC therapy?

Answer 30

A bispecific therapy using engineered TCRs and antibodies to direct T cells to tumour antigens.

Question 31

What are key components of the TME?

Answer 31

Tumour cells, fibroblasts, immune cells (T cells, macrophages, neutrophils), cytokines, ECM.

Question 32

What is the function of IDO (Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase)

Answer 32

Degrades tryptophan, leading to suppression of T cell activity.

Question 33

Name two cytokines involved in promoting immunosuppression in the TME.

Answer 33

TGF-β and IL-10

Question 34

What is the function of TGF-β in the tumour microenvironment?

Answer 34

TGF-β is an immunosuppressive cytokine in the TME that inhibits immune cell activation, promotes regulatory T cell differentiation, and conditions macrophages towards a non-inflammatory phenotype.

Question 35

How do immune checkpoint inhibitors help in cancer therapy?

Answer 35

Immune checkpoint inhibitors block inhibitory receptors like PD-1 or CTLA-4 on T cells, restoring their ability to recognize and kill tumour cells.

Question 36

Name two immune cells commonly found infiltrating tumours (TILs).

Answer 36

T cells and macrophages are common tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs).

Question 37

Briefly explain the ‘Integrated Stress Response’ in tumour cells.

Answer 37

The Integrated Stress Response (ISR) is a cellular mechanism activated by tumour cell stress, which triggers transcription factors like ATF4 to restore homeostasis or induce apoptosis.