immunology

Question 1

name 9 factors affecting immune health

Answer 1

1. Chronic stress
2. Physical inactivity or excessive exercise
3. Poor personal hygiene
4. Impaired microbiota
5. Environmental toxins
6. Lack of sleep
7. Substance use
8. Nutrient deficiencies
9. Poor diet

Question 2

describe the etiology of cancer

Answer 2

Transformation of germline cells: inheritable cancers (<10%, Rb, BRCA1, 2)

Transformation of somatic cells: noninheritable cancers (>90%)

Environmental factors:
UV (skin cancer), chemicals (lung cancer), pathogens (HPV causes cervical cancer, helicobacter causes stomach cancer)

Question 3

key recognisable features of cancer

Answer 3

Growth self-sufficiency
Evade apoptosis
Ignore anti-proliferative signals
Limitless replication potential
Sustained angiogenesis
Invade tissues
Escape immune surveillance

Question 4

describe the term cancer immunosurveilance

Answer 4

Immune system can recognize and destroy nascent transformed cells, normal control

Question 5

describe cancer immunoediting

Answer 5

Tumours tend to be genetically unstable; thus immune system can kill and also induce changes in the tumour resulting in tumour escape and recurrence

Question 6

what are the two types of tumour antigens?

Answer 6

Tumour specific antigens ( TSA)
Tumour associated antigens ( TAA)

Question 7

describe tumour specific antigens

Answer 7

Are only found on tumours
As a result of point mutations or gene rearrangement
Derive from viral antigens

Question 8

describe tumour associated antigens

Answer 8

Found on both normal and tumour cells, but are overexpressed on cancer cells
Developmental antigens which become derepressed. (CEA)
Differentiation antigens are tissue specific
Altered modification of a protein could be an antigen

Question 9

evidence for human tumour immunity

Answer 9

-Spontaneous regression: melanoma, lymphoma
-Regression of metastases after removal of primary tumour: pulmonary metastases from renal carcinoma
Infiltration of tumours by lymphocytes and macrophages: melanoma and breast cancer
Lymphocyte proliferation in draining lymph nodes
Higher incidence of cancer after immunosuppression, immunodeficiency (AIDS, neonates), aging, etc.

Question 10

name the 2 pieces of evidence for Escape ( detectable tumours

Answer 10

tumour escape
immune evasion

Question 11

explain tumour escape

Answer 11

Immune responses change tumours such that tumours will no longer be seen by the immune system

Question 12

explain immune evasion

Answer 12

Tumours change the immune responses by promoting immune suppressor cells

Question 13

define the term immunotherapy

Answer 13

Learn how to harness the immune system to kill tumours

Question 14

what are the types of immunotherapy

Answer 14

active
passive

Question 15

how are tumours killed without killing normal cells?

Answer 15

Adaptive immunity

Question 16

describe adaptive immunity

Answer 16

To induce an immune response against the tumour that would discriminate between the tumour and normal cells

Question 17

2 examples of passive immunotherapy

Answer 17

1. Adoptive Cellular Therapy (T cells)
   2.Anti-tumour Antibodies (Her-2/Neu, CD20, CD10, CEA, CA-125, GD3 ganglioside)

Question 18

give 6 possible vaccinations you could get in active immunotherapy

Answer 18

Killed tumour vaccine
Purified tumour antigens
Professional APC-based vaccines
Cytokine- and costimulator-enhanced vaccines
DNA vaccines
Viral vectors

Question 19

describe cell based therapy

Answer 19

• can be used to activate a patient’s immune system to attack cancer.
  -do not act directly on cancer cells. Instead, they work systemically to activate the body’s immune system.
  -can also be used as delivery vehicle to target therapeutic genes to attack the tumour

Question 20

describe dendritic cells

Answer 20

Found throughout the body (0.1-0.5%)

Interstitial cells (Liver, heart, liver), Langerhans cells of the epidermis.

Detect and chew up foreign “invader” proteins and then “present” piece of the invaders on their surface.

To make a DC vaccine, the blood of the cancer patient is collected and enriched to increase the population of DC.

Question 21

describe T cell therapy

Question 22

where can macrophages accumulate?

Answer 22

in hypoxic areas

Question 23

what can macrophages survive?

Answer 23

radiotherapy
chemotherapy
and then regrow

Question 24

describe tumour hypoxia

Answer 24

• means low oxygen
  -prominent feature of malignant tumours
  -Inability of the blood supply to keep up with growing tumour cells
  -Hypoxic tumour cells adapt to low oxygen

Question 25

what are the problems with hypoxia ( in tumours)

Answer 25

Stimulates new vessel growth
Suppresses immune system
Resistant to radio- and chemotherapy (repopulate the tumour)
Increased tumour hypoxia after therapy

Question 26

describe magnetic macrophage therapy