Inflammation and Cancer

Question 1

what type of sites does cancer normally arise from?

Answer 1

sites of CHRONIC inflammation and infection

Question 2

Two main “players” that characterize many cancers

Answer 2

1. inflammatory cells–innate and adaptive (induced by chronic infections or autoimmunity)
2. desmoplasia–lots of collagenous stroma (seen in breast, prostate, pancrease, colon, and lung cancers); made by myofibroblasts (carcinoma associated, reactive stromal cells)

Question 3

True or false: chronic inflammation is a risk factor for breast cancer

What changes in the breat are mediated by inflammatory reactions?

Answer 3

False: clinically significant inflammation of the breast is RARE

Cyclical hormonal changes in female breast occur repeatedly in life and are mediated by inflammatory and **remodeling tissue reactions **

Question 4

Which cytokine is heavily responsible for promoting tumorigenesis? Explain the sequence of events and major players.

Answer 4

IL-6

IL-6 binds to sIL-6R receptor –> dimerization of gp130 chains –> activation of **JAKs **(janus kinases) –> phosphorylation of gp130 –> recruits/activates **STAT3 **and **STAT1 Transcription factors **–> regulates expression of genes mediation proliferation and preventing apoptosis

Question 5

Possible prevention and treatment (3)

Answer 5

1. anti-cytokine drugs (TNF blockade, chemokine antagonoists)
2. anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
3. immune checkpoint blockade (mAB to PD-1)