Cancer Genetics Flashcards
What is intertumour heterogeneity?
Cell differences between tumours
What is tumour heterogeneity?
Different tumour cells can show different morphological and phenotypic profiles
What are the 6 differences found in tumour heterogeneity?
- Morphology
- Gene expression
- Metabolism
- Motility
- Proliferation
- Metastatic potential
What is clonal heterogeneity?
Differences between clonal daughter cells
What is intratumour heterogeneity?
Cell differences within a tumour
What is the founder clone?
First cell with driver mutation
How can genetic changes lead to tumour metastasis?
Subclones with different genotypes
—> cloned —> new tumour
What are 2 examples of cancer-risk genes?
- BRCA 1
- BRCA 2
What is a passenger mutation?
Mutations not driving cancer initiation and progression
What is a driver mutation?
Mutations driving cancer initiation and progression —> result in at least 1 hallmark of cancer
How many genes can driver mutations occur in? (as of 2022)
736
What are 2 examples of driver mutations?
- Proto-onco mutation
- Tumour suppressor gene mutation
What are proto-oncogenes?
Gene encoding a protein that promotes cell growth and proliferation
What is an oncogene?
Proto-onco gene with a driver mutation —> can cause cancer
What is an example of a proto-oncogene?
KRAS
What is an example of a tumour suppressor gene?
TP53
What are tumour suppressor genes?
Gene encoding a protein that limits cell growth and proliferation
What are the 14 hallmarks of cancer?
- Evading growth suppressors
- Non-mutational epigenetic reprogramming
- Avoiding immune destruction
- Enabling replicative immortality
- Tumour-promoting inflammation
- Polymorphic microbiomes
- Activating invasion and metastasis
- Inducing or accessing angiogenesis
- Senescent cells
- Genome instability and mutation
- Resisting cell death
- Deregulating cellular metabolism
- Unlocking phenotypic plasticity
- Sustaining proliferative signalling
What does the Knudson hypothesis state?
Tumour suppressor gene issues are recessive —> need 2 mutated alleles
What does the two-hit hypothesis state?
Tumour suppressor gene issues are recessive —> need 2 mutated alleles
What is a germline mutation?
Mutation in reproductive cells of parent —> cancer in child
What is a somatic mutation?
Mutation in non-germ cells
What is the difference between the effect of germline vs somatic mutations in cancer genes?
Germline:
- Affect child
- Affect all cells
Somatic:
- Affect person with mutation
- Localised