CANCER & CARCINOGENS

Cancerous cells
 CELLULAR BASIS OF CANCER

• Uncontrolled and inappropriate divison of cells

• Genetic damage to critical genes that regulate cell growth

• Exposure to chemical carcinogens considered important

 DEVELOPMENT OF CANCER
• Cancer develops only after a cell experiences ~6 key
mutations (“hits”)
– unlimited growth
• turn on growth promoter genes
– ignore checkpoints
• turn off tumor suppressor genes (p53)
– escape apoptosis
• turn off suicide genes
– immortality = unlimited divisions
• turn on chromosome maintenance genes
– promotes blood vessel growth
• turn on blood vessel growth genes
– overcome anchor & density dependence
• turn off touch-sensor gene
Terms relating to cancer
MUTATION – Sudden heritable change in
genetic material or character of an
organism
 What causes this ”HITS”?

• Mutation in cells can be trigged by ----

 UV radiation
 cigarette smoke
 pollution
 age
 genetics
 chemical exposure
 radiation exposure
 heat
Knudson’s –TWO –HIT HYPOTHESIS
HALLMARKS OF CANCER
 What kinds of genes are damaged in cancer cells?

• Oncogenes

• Tumor suppressor genes

e.g p53, BRCA1, BRCA 2
p53 plays key role in GI/S restriction point
p53 protein halts cell divison if it detects damaged DNA
CARCINOGENS
STEPS OF CARCINOGENESIS
GENOTOXICITY