Evasion of Cell Death in Cancer

Flashcards about cell death in cancer

What are GO signals?

These are signals that cancer cells inappropriately activate, preventing the normal process of cell death that would typically occur in healthy cells.

What does it mean when cancer cells resist dying?

This refers to how cancer cells ignore signals that would normally trigger cell death, allowing them to survive and proliferate uncontrollably.

What is the growth of new blood vessels?

This is the process by which cancer cells stimulate the growth of new blood vessels to supply nutrients and oxygen to the tumor, facilitating its expansion and spread to other parts of the body.

What is an infinite lifespan?

This characteristic enables cancer cells to divide indefinitely, bypassing the normal limits on cell division that apply to healthy cells, leading to the formation of tumors.

What is cell death?

This is a normal process that cancer cells evade, which eliminates damaged or abnormal cells from the body to prevent them from causing harm.

What is further genetic damage?

This occurs in abnormal cells that survive when they should have died; it accumulates over time, increasing the risk of developing cancer as the cells become more and more abnormal.

What is homeostatic balance?

This refers to the disruption of the balanced internal environment in normal tissues caused by cancer, leading to structural and functional impairments.

What is Cell death?

Cells with genetic lesions evade this natural process, which allows them to survive and potentially develop into cancerous cells.

What is cell death?

This crucial process eliminates old, damaged, or unnecessary cells, maintaining tissue structure and function by replacing them with new, healthy cells.

What is embryonic development?

This developmental phase relies on cell death to sculpt tissues and organs correctly during the formation of an organism.

What is Apoptosis (Programmed cell death)?

This is a programmed and controlled form of cell death that is essential for removing cells that are no longer needed or are potentially harmful.

What are webbed/fused digits?

This condition can occur when there is too little apoptosis during embryonic development, resulting in incomplete separation of digits.

What is Apoptosis?

This is a critical process that involves controlled cell self-destruction, and its insufficiency or evasion is a hallmark of cancer.

What is Cell shrinkage?

This is a visible alteration in cells undergoing apoptosis, where the cell volume decreases as part of the controlled dismantling process.

What are membrane blebs?

These are bubble-like protrusions on the cell membrane observed during apoptosis, indicating the cell is breaking down in a regulated manner.

What is Nuclear condensation?

This is a characteristic change during apoptosis where the cell nucleus becomes more compact and dense, marking the beginning of cellular breakdown.

What are apoptotic bodies?

These are small fragments formed as a result of cell fragmentation during apoptosis, which are then engulfed by phagocytes for removal.

What is Apoptosis?

During this process, the cell's DNA is broken down into smaller fragments, marking the irreversible step towards cell death.

What occurs when DNA disintegrates into smaller fragments during apoptosis?

This occurs during apoptosis, where DNA is fragmented into specific sizes, creating a ladder-like pattern when analyzed using gel electrophoresis.

What is Phosphatidyl-serine (PS)?

This molecule, when displayed on the outer layer of the cell, signals phagocytes to engulf and remove the apoptotic cell.

What is plasma membrane integrity?

During apoptosis, this gradually becomes compromised, increasing the cell's permeability and allowing molecules that are normally excluded to enter.

What type of molecules can enter the cell due to increased membrane permeability during apoptosis?

Due to increased membrane permeability during apoptosis, these molecules, which are normally too large to enter a healthy cell, can now pass through the compromised membrane.

Is all cell death apoptosis?

No, not all cell death is this specific type; cell death can also occur through other means such as necrosis.

What is Apoptosis?

This type of cell death is a precisely orchestrated process triggered by specific signals, leading to orderly cell dismantling without causing inflammation.

What is Necrosis?

Before this recognition, scientists thought all cells died through necrosis, a more chaotic and inflammatory form of cell death.

How do cells die when under extreme conditions or when physically damaged?

Cells die via this process when subjected to harmful conditions or physical injuries that cause uncontrolled cell damage.

What is Apoptosis?

By this time, researchers had clearly distinguished apoptosis as a regulated and distinct process from necrosis, which is unregulated.

How do cells die during acute injury?

This is how cells die during acute injury, leading to inflammation and tissue damage.

What do necrotic cells look like morphologically?

Necrotic cells typically swell and burst, releasing their contents and causing inflammation in the surrounding tissues.

What is inflammation response?

This response is triggered by necrosis because the rapid release of cellular contents into the surrounding tissues causes inflammation and can damage nearby cells.

Compared to Necrosis, how do Apoptosis die?

Compared to necrosis, cells undergoing apoptosis die in such a way that it does not cause damage to surrounding cells.

What is Silent?

This means that apoptosis does not provoke an immune response or inflammation, differentiating it from other forms of cell death like necrosis.

Who are neighboring cells and macrophages?

These cells engulf and digest apoptotic cells, preventing the release of harmful substances that could cause inflammation.

What is Active process?

Apoptosis requires energy and involves specific signaling pathways and effector mechanisms to ensure controlled cell death.

What is Passive process?

Necrosis usually occurs passively because it results from physical damage or pathological conditions that do not involve regulated cellular processes.

What is Accidental cell death (ACD)?

This form of cell death is uncontrolled and often results from severe injury or stress, leading to cellular breakdown and inflammation.

What is Regulated cell death (RCD)?

This type of cell death involves structured signaling cascades and effector mechanisms to manage cell breakdown in a controlled and regulated manner.

What is Autophagy?

This cellular process is induced by nutrient deprivation or when ATP levels are low, helping the cell recycle materials to survive under stress.

What is Extracellular?

This is how extrinsic apoptosis is induced.

What is Intracellular?

This is how intrinsic apoptosis is induced.

What is Cytochrome c?

This protein is released from mitochondria and activates caspases during intrinsic apoptosis, leading to cell self-destruction.

Who are Effectors?

Caspases are enzymes that carry out the steps of apoptosis, dismantling the cell in a controlled manner.

What is Extrinsic?

This pathway involves death ligands binding to death receptors, triggering a cascade that leads to apoptosis.

What is Pro-caspase (zymogen)?

Each caspase is initially produced as this inactive precursor, requiring activation to carry out its function in apoptosis.

What is Dimerization?

This process activates initiator caspases, initiating the cascade of events leading to apoptosis.

What is p53?

This protein is a tumor suppressor, and is often mutated in cancer.

What is anti-apoptotic?

These proteins prevent apoptosis in cancer cells.

What is pro-apoptotic?

These proteins promote apoptosis in cancer cells.

What is Bcl-2?

This protein is overexpressed in approximately half of human tumours.

What is pro-apoptotic?

This pathway is compromised when p53 is mutated in >50% of cancers.