Biol 1004: Biology 2: Molecular and Cell Biology

Cancer 2
Environmental factors contributing to cancer:
1. Chemical Mutagens
naturally occurring or synthetic
highly reactive, react with DNA (also protein, RNA)
can be activated or deactivated in the body

2. Radiation
-U.V. -skin cancers
-Ionising Radiation -especially: leukaemia, thyroid cancers

3. Obesity

4. Microbes
-VIRUSES:
Human Papilloma Virus types
Cervical cancers
Epstein Barr Virus (infectious mononucleosis)
Burkitt lymphoma
B cell lymphomas in immuno-suppressed (AIDS, transplant patients)
Hodgkin lymphoma
Nasopharyngeal carcinomas
Hepatitis B Virus (second only to tobacco as human carcinogen!)
liver cancer
Kaposi Sarcoma associated Herpes virus (KSHV)= human herpes virus 8
Kaposi sarcoma
Hepatitis C virus
liver cancer
Human T cell Leukaemia Virus type 1 (HTLV-1)
leukaemia
-BACTERIUM:
Helicobacter pylori
gastric carcinoma
gastric lymphoma

The Molecular Basis of Cancer:

Which genes are mutated in Cancer cells? Why?

1. Self sufficiency in growth signals

–Cell cycle checkpoints
2. Insensitivity to growth inhibition signals
3. Evasion of cell death (apoptosis)
4. Limitless replicative potential (Telomerase)
5. Angiogenesis
6. Invasion and Metastasis
7. DNA repair defects
8. Evasion of immune response

Weinberg RA and Hanahan D “Hallmarks of Cancer” Cell: 2011, 144(5):646-74:

Cell: 2000, 100(1):57-70
Concepts:

Multiple mutations are required for a cell to become cancerous. These happen
sequentially.

Today's Lecture:

Growth signal transmission

simplified scheme of how growth signals cause cells to divide
examples of proteins modified in cancerous cells

How does a protein become overactive?

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Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease 9th and 10th ed.
 Fig 20-8 Alberts, Molecular Biology of the cell 5th edition
(not in 6th edition)

Campbell Biology Fig 12.18

Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease 8th ed. Fig 7-26 (more complex
diagrams in later editions)

Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease 10th ed. Fig 7-41
Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease 8th ed. Fig 7-27 (7-28 in 9th ed., 7-23
in 10th ed.)

Alberts, Molecular Biology of the cell 5th edition Fig 20-33

6th edition Fig 20-18

Alberts, Molecular Biology of the cell 5th edition Fig 20-36 (20-29 6th ed.)