The Nature of Cancer 2022-2023

The Nature of Cancer
Advanced Immunology - I
CLS 712
December 15th 2022
Course Coordinator :
Dr. Lamya Zohair Yamani
*The Biology of Cancer
Weinberg
Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023
The Biology of Cancer Robert A. Weinberg
Why Do We Study Cancer(s)?
• Nearly 1 in 3 of the human population will be diagnosed with cancer (God Forbid).
• By understanding how cancer develops this can lead to methods of

1. Prevention
2. Early detection
3. Treatment
• To reveal basic biological principles relevant to science in general and to other diseases.

Genetics
• Genetic information is passed on genes from an organism to the offspring(s)
• Genotype governs phenotype.
• Mendelian genetics govern how both genes and chromosomes behave.
• Parallels between behaviours of genes and chromosomes occur, as both come in pairs and are
duplicated at each cell division.
• Genes are carried by chromosomes.
• Each gene is localized to a specific area along the length of the chromosome, known as the genetic
locus.
❖Haploid
❖Diploid

• Genetic information is corruptible by mutations.
• Chromosomes are altered in most types of cancer cells.
• Aberrant chromosomes were the first clue that these cancer cells might be genetically defected.
❖Loss of entire chromosomes

❖Presence of extra copies of others
❖Fusion of the arm of one chromosome with part of the other

• Mutations causing cancer occur in both germline and soma
• Mutations affecting the germline are transmitted from one generation to the other.
• Mutations affecting genomes of the other cells will target those particular cells but will not be
transmitted from one generation to the next.
• Within each cell, a cellular repair apparatus is found that continuously monitors the cell’s
genome. The repair mechanism is quite efficient and is needed to remove and/ erase mutated
sequences and replace them with the appropriate WT sequences (repair mechanisms are faulty in
certain cancers) .

• Genotype with DNA sequences create what is the phenotype via protein formation.
• Phenotypic range embodies:
❖Genetically complex templates of behavioral traits.

❖Cellular morphology (such as shape and size)
❖Cell metabolism
Examples:
Form cytoskeleton, ECM, cellular motility and metabolism, muscle contractions, cell signalling and
transduction.

• Genome chemical and mechanical changes that occur in genotype ultimately leads to phenotypic
changes
❖Alternative splicing
❖Post-translational modifications of proteins (glycosylation-phosphorylation-acetylation-etc...)
❖Cleavage
• Gene expression patterns may also play a role in phenotypic changes and control
❖Cellular differentiation (cell localization lead to cell commitment)

❖Selective reading of the genome by different cell types

• Genes that play a major role in how proteins create specific cell phenotypes are known as
❖Housekeeping genes (universal requirement)

❖Tissue specific genes (differentiated cells)
• Transcription Factors control gene expression

What Does a Cancer Look Like?
• Cancers (or tumours) arise from normal cells and tissues.
• They are not foreign bodies, but are results of normal development malfunctions.
• Normal tissue appearance becomes lost or deranged.
• They could be either;
❖Primary Tumours
❖Secondary Tumours (via metastasis)

Types
• Tumours are segregated into two broad categories, which mainly depend on degree of
aggressiveness
❖Benign: Those that grow locally and keep to their boundaries
❖Malignant: Those that invade nearby tissues

Development of All Vertebrates
• Ectoderm: Nervous system and Skin
• Mesoderm: Muscle, Connective tissue, Bone, Blood forming cells
• Endoderm: Gut, Pancreas, and Liver

Tumour Classifications
• Carcinomas: Originate from epithelial cells (They are derived from all 3 primitive cell layers)
• Sarcomas: Originate from mesenchymal cells (derived from the mesoderm)
• Hematopoietic: Arise from cells of the circulatory system (derived from the mesoderm)
• Neuroectodermal: Arise from components of the nervous system (derived from the ectoderm)

• Carcinomas
• The majority of human tumours arise from epithelial tissues
• These are sheets of cells lining the walls of cavities and channels or skin that serve as outer layer
of the body.
• Normal tissues of epithelia are all structured in a similar way.
❖Basal cell carcinoma

❖Squamous cell carcinoma (epithelial cells lining the skin and esophagus)
❖Renal cell carcinoma
❖Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
❖Invasive ductal carcinoma
❖Adenocarcinoma (Epithelial cells that secrete substances into ducts or cavities that they line)
• Sarcomas:
• Account for approximately 1% of all tumors
• They originate from mesenchymal cells (Fibroblasts, osteoblasts, adipocytes, and myocytes)
❖Osteosarcoma, Fibrosarcoma
• Hematopoietic Cancers:
• Originate from cells of the circulatory system
• Leukemia; (WBCs) and refer to non pigmented cells that move freely via the circulation and are
malignant derivatives of several hematopoietic lineages.
• Lymphomas; Include tumours from the lymphoid lineages (B and T cells) that aggregate and form
solid tumours, found usually in the lymph nodes, and are not dispersed
❖Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia , Multiple Myeloma

• Neuroectodermal Tumours:
• Originate from components of the CNS and PNS
❖Retinoblastoma
❖Gliomas

Other Groups of Tumours
• Some tumours do not fall neatly in one of those 4 groups discussed previously
• Melanomas; Are derived from melanocytes (pigmented cells) which originate from the neural
crest that moved during the development of skin and eyes.
• Anaplastic (Dedifferentiated); The origins of a tumour can’t be distinguished.

Development and Progression of Cancer(s)
• Cancers seem to develop progressively with tumours demonstrating different grades of abnormality along the way, from benign to
metastatic.
• Hyperplastic;
❖ Tissues appear normal but exceed in quantity
• Metaplasia;
❖ The normal cell layer is displaced with other normal looking cells that do not belong in that particular area.
• Dysplastic;
❖ Cells are cytologically abnormal, they don’t retain normal cell appearance, or quantity
• Neoplastic;
❖ Tumours are considered malignant “only” if they breach the basement membrane and invade surrounding stroma. This term is known as
neoplasia.
• Metastatic;
❖ If the breach is invasive and ends up moving to nearby or distant tissues it is said to be metastatic.

Something to Think About and Discuss
• What does “Tumours are monoclonal growths” mean?
• Please explain...


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The Nature of Cancer

• By understanding how cancer develops this can lead to methods of

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

• Genotype governs phenotype.

• Mendelian genetics govern how both genes and chromosomes behave.

• Genes are carried by chromosomes.

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

• Chromosomes are altered in most types of cancer cells.

❖Loss of entire chromosomes

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

• Phenotypic range embodies:

❖Genetically complex templates of behavioral traits.

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

❖Cellular differentiation (cell localization lead to cell commitment)

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

❖Housekeeping genes (universal requirement)

• Transcription Factors control gene expression

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

• Cancers (or tumours) arise from normal cells and tissues.

• Normal tissue appearance becomes lost or deranged.

• They could be either;

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

❖Benign: Those that grow locally and keep to their boundaries

❖Malignant: Those that invade nearby tissues

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

• Ectoderm: Nervous system and Skin

• Mesoderm: Muscle, Connective tissue, Bone, Blood forming cells

• Endoderm: Gut, Pancreas, and Liver

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

• Sarcomas: Originate from mesenchymal cells (derived from the mesoderm)

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

• Normal tissues of epithelia are all structured in a similar way.

❖Basal cell carcinoma

❖Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia , Multiple Myeloma

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

• Anaplastic (Dedifferentiated); The origins of a tumour can’t be distinguished.

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

• What does “Tumours are monoclonal growths” mean?

Prepared by Dr. Lamya Yamani Postgraduate (MSc) CLS 712 2022-2023

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