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HCS113 Molecular and Cellular biology > Cancer > Flashcards

Cancer Flashcards

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1
Q

What is cancer?

A

Arises when normal cells are transformed into malignant ones

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2
Q

What marks cancer?

A

Marked by uncontrolled cell proliferation and resistance to apoptosis

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3
Q

What is carcinogenesis?

A

Generation of cancer
Linked to mutagenesis

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4
Q

What is mutagenesis?

A

Production of a change in DNA sequence

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5
Q

What are the histologies of cancer?

A

Metaplasia, hyperplasia, dysplasia, neoplasia, metastases

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6
Q

Describe metaplasia

A

Change in cell type, can be result of injury, develop into dysplasia
- squamous to columnar epithelium in oesophagus

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7
Q

Describe hyperplasia

A

Increased number of cells, normal cellular appearance, reversible
- benign prostatic hyperplasia

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8
Q

Describe dysplasia

A

increased proliferation
change in nuclei, loss of tissue architecture

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9
Q

Describe neoplasia

A

malignancy, no physiological control, irreversible

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10
Q

Describe metastases

A

spread to different parts in the body

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11
Q

What are the hallmarks of cancer?

A

Capabilities to promote growth of malignancy

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12
Q

Give examples of self sufficient growth signals

A

Constitutively active receptors (EGFR), proteins downstream of growth factor signaling (RAS-RAF-MEK pathway)

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13
Q

What is the EGFR pathway?

A

Epidermal growth factor binds to epidermal growth factor receptor
- stimulates downstream pathway to drive cellular proliferation
- change in gene expression transcription

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14
Q

How do cells evade apoptosis?

A

Resistance through loss of p53 activity or overexpression of anti-apoptotic Bcl2

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15
Q

What is Bcl2?

A

Family of apoptotic inhibit enzymes for apoptosis

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16
Q

Why do tumours need blood vessels?

A

Requirement for tumours to increase significantly in size

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17
Q

How do cancer cells bind to new environments?

A

Cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) and integrins

18
Q

How do cancer cells produce ATP/energy (cancer cell metabolism)?

A

Malignant cells produce ATP by glycolysis and lactate fermentation

19
Q

What is lactate fermentation in cancer cells?

A

Lactic acid burn from big tumours

20
Q

Why do cancer cells switch to anaerobic glycolysis?

A

Tumours are hypoxic: adaptation to lack of oxygen
AKT pathway activation and p53 activation

21
Q

What are the forms of cancer?

A

Carcinoma, sarcoma, leukaemia, lymphoma, melanoma

22
Q

What is carcinoma?

A

Originate from epithelial cells

23
Q

What is sarcoma?

A

Originate in bone and soft tissue (connective tissue), muscle and fibrous tissues

24
Q

What is leukaemia?

A

Cancers of white blood cells, invasive

25
Q

What is lymphoma?

A

Malignancy of lymphocytes, lymph nodes

26
Q

What is melanoma?

A

Originate from melanocytes, skin pigment

27
Q

How are defects inherited?

A

Defects in cell must be genetic or epigenetic
Affect proteins they encode

28
Q

What are the types of mutations?

A

Inherited, spontaneous, induced

29
Q

Explain inherited mutations

A

Associated with familial history of cancer
- BRCA1 mutations
- Lynch syndrome (colorectal)

30
Q

What is aneuploidy in spontaneous mutations?

A

Change in chromosome number
Failure to repair errors in replication

31
Q

Explain induced mutations

A

Environmental exposures
- UV light induces formation of thymine dimers

32
Q

What is an exon?

A

Region of genome that ends up within an mRNA molecule

33
Q

What is an intron?

A

Non-coding sequence of RNA transcription

34
Q

What are the two types of genetic change?

A

Transition and transversion

35
Q

What is transition?

A

Base is still a purine or still a pyrimidine
Guanine -> Adenine
Cytosine -> Thymine

36
Q

What is transversions?

A

Change from purine to pyrimidine or backwards
Thymine -> Guanine

37
Q

In what cancer are chromosomal changes common?

A

Leukamia

38
Q

What genes are mutated in cancer?

A

Oncogenes, tumour supressor genes

39
Q

What are oncogenes?

A

Capable of initiating cancer formation when activated
Drive abnormal cell proliferation

40
Q

What are tumour suppressor genes?

A

Suppress abnormal growth and carcinogenesis
Implicated in regulation of cell cycle, apoptosis and DNA repair

41
Q

What is the most frequent mutated gene?

A

TP53 has a crucial role in DNA damage

HCS113 Molecular and Cellular biology (8 decks)

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