Lecture 2 Flashcards
3 major groups of human cancer
- Carcinomas (90%)
- Sarcomas
- Leukaemias/lymphomas
Sarcoma origin
Mesodermal origin
Cancer that forms in glandular tissue
Adenocarcinoma
Examples of how the incidence of certain cancer varies considerably in different cohorts
- Skin cancer in Caucasians in Australia
- Scrotal carcinoma in chimney sweeps in Britain since Georgian times
- Mesothelioma linked with asbestos exposure (occupational cancer)
Tumour cell survival mechanisms
- Sustain proliferative signalling
- Evade growth suppressors
- Activate invasion and metastasis
- Enable replicative immortality
- Induce angiogenesis
- Resist cell death
Properties of transformed cells
- Altered morphology (rounded shape)
- Loss of contact inhibition
- Anchorage independence
- Reduced requirement for mitogenic growth factors
- High saturation density
- Increased transport of glucose
- Tumorigenicity
First immortal human cell line
HeLa, cervical carcinoma cell line from Helen Laine
The focus formation assay is a method to assess…
the transforming potential of a candidate oncogene (chemicals, viruses, irradiation etc.) by measuring contact inhibition
What cell line is often used for the focus assay?
NIH 3T3 cell line (mouse fibroblasts)
Why are nude mice good models of tumour formation?
- no rejection responses (reduced number of T cells)
- hairless (easier to identify tumours)
Examples of cancer antigens
- Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA): prostate cancer
- Cancer Antigen 125 (CA125): ovarian cancer
Do cancer antigens contribute to tumour formation?
No, but high levels can be used in combination with other detection methods to help diagnose cancer.
Why are microarrays used in cancer research?
To generate a molecular fingerprint for an individual’s cancer, and a particular type of targeted therapy can then be offered
Advantage of targeted therapy over chemotherapy
More specific
Example of a targeted therapy for cancer
Herceptin (Trastuzumab), mAb against HER2, targets HER2+ breast cancer
