W07_03 Molecular pathogenesis of cancer 3

Question 1

how does p53 induce apoptosis?

Answer 1

via Bax genes. opens up mitochondrial membrane to release cytochrome c. binds to Apaf-1, and activates caspase 9

Question 2

what’s bcl-2?

Answer 2

an anti-apoptotic factor

Question 3

which mutation causes bcl-2 to become cancerous?

Answer 3

translocation to IgH. constitutively active, and the cell can’t die anymore

Question 4

what does telomerase do?

Answer 4

adds telomeres onto the ends of DNA strands. problematic, especially when the cell undergoes the non-homologous end-joining pathway

Question 5

note: telomerase activity is present in 90% of cancers

Answer 5

dangg

Question 6

what’s bevacizumab?

Answer 6

anti-VEGF. antiangiogenic factor for fighting cancer

Question 7

how can Ras affect angiogenesis?

Answer 7

if ras broken, there might be more blood vessel formation

Question 8

know the steps of invasion and metastasis

Answer 8

ok

Question 9

what role does E-cadherin play in cancer?

Answer 9

it’s a binding protein. some cancers have a decreased expression of this, perhaps allowing them to metastasize more freely

Question 10

where does prostate cancer like to metastasize to? what is this preferential metastasis called?

Answer 10

bone. this is called tropism