Hallmarks of cancer

Question 1

what is an immune checkpoint

Answer 1

built in control mechanisms that maintain self tolerance during an immune response. cancer cells hijack them via sting 5

Question 2

sustaining proliferative signalling

Answer 2

lack of regulation of growth factor signalling

Question 3

evasions of inhibitory growth signals

Answer 3

inhibitory growth signals maintain homeostasis. cancer cells ignore these signals

Question 4

avoiding immune destruction

Answer 4

immune system can recognise and destroy cancer cells however some cells are able to avoid detection by not initiating an immune response. hijack immune checkpoints and modulate response via sting

Question 5

unlimited replicative potential

Answer 5

cancer cells maintain telomere length and replication overdrive begins

Question 6

telomere

Answer 6

counting device that monitors and adjusts the number of cell doublings. shorten every time the cell divides until it can’t divide anymore

Question 7

tumour promoting inflammation

Answer 7

all tumours have inflammatory immune cells. inflammatory cells can release radical oxygen species that gives rise to mutations.

Question 8

Invasion and metastasis

Answer 8

cancer cells have ability to migrate to other areas

Question 9

angiogenesis

Answer 9

creation of new blood vessels around the tumour which provides supply of oxygen and nutrients which helps tumour growth

Question 10

genomic instability

Answer 10

single point and large chromosomal abnormalities can be found in tumour dna. accumulation of mutations over a period of time explains why cancer is more frequent in ageing population

Question 11

evasion of cell death

Answer 11

evade death by mutations in apoptosis pathway eg in caspases

Question 12

deregulating cell energetics

Answer 12

reprogramming energy metabolism. aerobic glycolysis is used by cancer cells to redirect energy. PET scan Is used to trace activity of cancer cells