PED1003/L25 Anticancer Therapy

Question 1

Describe Knudson’s ‘two-hit’ hypothesis of cancer.

Answer 1

First hit is insufficient and can be maintained by the body
Second hit causes uncontrolled cell division

Question 2

Give 3 hallmarks of cancer.

Answer 2

Sustaining proliferative signaling
Evading growth suppressors
Activating invasion and metastasis
Enabling replicative immortality
Inducing angiogenesis
Resisting cell death

Question 3

Give 3 treatment options for cancer.

Answer 3

Surgery
Radiation
Biological
Chemotherapy

Question 4

Which amino acid do cancer cells lack the enzyme to synthesise?

Answer 4

Asparagine

Question 5

What drug can be given to target the G1 phase in anti-cancer therapy?

Answer 5

Asparaginase

Question 6

What drug can be given to target the G1-S checkpoint in anti-cancer therapy?

Answer 6

Tamoxifen

Question 7

What drugs can be given to cross-link the DNA helix in anti-cancer therapy? (2)

Answer 7

Alkylating agents
Nitrogen mustard
Cisplatin
Cyclophosphamide

Question 8

What drugs can be given to prevent de novo synthesis of nucleotides for DNA synthesis? (2)

Answer 8

Antimetabolites
Methotrexate (T)
5-fluoruracil (T)
6-mercaptopurine (A, G)

Question 9

What drugs can be given to prevent reannealing of DNA?

Answer 9

Topoisomerase inhibitors
Type 1 - Irinotecan/topotecan
Type 2 - Etoposide

Question 10

What drug can be given to prevent segregation of the genome into 2 (anaphase)?

Answer 10

Microtubule inhibitors
Vinca alkaloids - destabilise
Taxanes - stabilse

Question 11

What drugs can inhibits transcription and replication of DNA? (3)

Answer 11

Anthracyclines - antibiotics
Complex with Topo II
Doxorubicin
Daunorubicin
Epirubicin

Question 12

Which drug targets the CD20 receptor and ligand?

Answer 12

Rituximab

Question 13

Give 2 common side effects of cancer treatment.

Answer 13

Diarrhoea
Sore mouth
Hair loss

Question 14

How was cisplatin discovered? (3)

Answer 14

Chance observation
E. coli + electric cell with platinum electrodes + ammonium chloride
Cell growth was not affected but cell division was curtailed

Question 15

How was daunorubicin discovered?

Answer 15

Streptomyces cultures from soil
Cell cycle stage specific - S phase
Non-specific gene expression

Question 16

How were 6-TH and 6-MP developed? (3)

Answer 16

With Lactobacillus casei which grows on purines and thymine or folic acid
Model enabled testing of purine, pyramidine and folic acid analogues
Looked for those not affecting normal cells

Question 17

How is imatinib a targeted therapy? (2)

Answer 17

Gene only present in cancer cells produces a protein
Targeted therapy to this protein