Cancer Treatment: A Rational Approach

Question 1

why has the incidence of breast cancer increased?

Answer 1

b/c of increased screening

Question 2

explain functional genomics and breast cancer

Answer 2

looks at the expression array of several genes dictating a good/poor signature

good: underexpression of proliferation genes & overexpression of immune response

Question 3

which patients do NOT benefit from additional chemotherapy?

Answer 3

patieints w/ a ‘good signature’

Question 4

what is the functional constriction in the development of chemotherapeutics?

Answer 4

only a small subset of defective proteins are suitable targets for cancers drugs

Question 5

what in cancer patients determines if they’re good targets for drug intervention?

Answer 5

biochemical subtleties

Question 6

Gleevec is a

Answer 6

tyrosine kinase inhibitor

Question 7

Gleevec reduces the activity of what fusion protein?

Answer 7

Bcr-Abl

Question 8

Bcr-Abl is a fusion protein that is active in what type of cancer?

Answer 8

chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)

Question 9

Gleevec converts

Answer 9

leukemic cells back to normal granulocytes

Question 10

with Gleevec treatment qPCR analysis confirmed the dramatic reduction of

Answer 10

expression of Bcr-Abl fusion gene

Question 11

patients w/ PML can be treated w/

PML: promyelocytic leukemia

Answer 11

all-trans retinoic acid

Question 12

what types of responses can be produced w/ the use of cancer drugs?

Answer 12

• kill cancer via apoptosis
• induce differentiation

Question 13

many chemotherapeutics damage chromosomes causing

Answer 13

mitotic catastrophe

sends cell into apoptosis

Question 14

chemotherapeutics have a

Answer 14

therapeutic window

Question 15

what is a therapeutic window?

Answer 15

where the efficacy is the highest and the toxicity is the lowest

Question 16

natural compounds can be

Answer 16

• effective
• less toxic

Question 17

EGCG in green tea binds to the

Answer 17

anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL protein

Question 18

what is the method that was discussed with selective targeting of cancer cells?

Answer 18

• adding staurosporine
• adding camptothecin
• removing both drugs

Question 19

staurosporine arrests the cell

Answer 19

at G1 restriction point preventing S phase

Question 20

camptothecin causes

Answer 20

DNA damage during S-phase causing apoptosis

Question 21

cancer cells DO NOT arrest in

Answer 21

G1

Question 22

list 3 strategies targeted against cancer that focus on infection and inflammation

Answer 22

1. antibiotics: gastric cancer
2. NSAIDS: IKK inhibitors
3. vaccines: cervical/liver cancer

Question 23

list some oncogenes that show premanent regression

Answer 23

• H-ras
• K-ras
• Bcr-Abl
• myc

Question 24

list some oncogenes that show presistence or relapse

Answer 24

• myc
• wnt
• neu

Question 25

human tumors produce high levels of

Answer 25

CD47

Question 26

what is the function of CD47?

Answer 26

to block the immune system from targeting and destroying cancer cells

Question 27

in mice, treatments w/ doses of anti-CD47 caused

Answer 27

tumors to shrink & disappear

Question 28

explain the treatment of ultrasound + radiation

Answer 28

microbubbles pass through the circulatory system and burst with pulses of ultrasound to destroy blood vessels

Question 29

the treatment of ultrasound and radiation is currently being tested to break down the

Answer 29

blood-brain barrier

Question 30

what reactivates the p53 protein?

Answer 30

thiosemicarbazones

Question 31

what are the effects of thiosemicarbazones?

Answer 31

- tumor shrinkage - slowed growth - does NOT affect non-cancer cells

Question 32

what is a unique cancer drug delivery system?

Answer 32

nanolipogels (NLGs)

Question 33

NLGs accumulate in the

Answer 33

leaky blood vessels of tumors

Question 34

what are the 2 components of NLGs?

Answer 34

1. TGF-B inhibitor 2. IL-2 protein | IL-2: recurits immune response

Question 35

what was the effect of NLGs in mice?

Answer 35

- delayed tumor growth - sent tumors into remission - increased survival rates

Question 36

Golden Retrievers and Humans have what type of bone cancer in common?

Answer 36

osteosarcoma

Question 37

why were blind mole rats not able to grow cancer? | - no tumor growth

Answer 37

they live in low oxygen environments and this prevented the angiogenesis