20 cancer genetics and immunotherapy

metastasis

tumor spreads to other parts of the body via the blood or

lymph vessels

oncogenes

overexpression; mutations are dominant; accelerator due to protooncogenes

tumor suppressor genes

cycle brakes; deletion or inactivation of genes; recessive

DNA repair genes

allow mutations to persist; inherited in single gene and are rare

p53

transcription factor determining cell repairs DNA replication errors or dies by apoptosis

cancer origin

• Activation of stem cells that produce cancer cells

• Dedifferentiation

• Increase in proportion of a tissue that consists of stem

cells or progenitor cells

• Faulty tissue repair

driver mutation

selective growth advantage to cell defining cancerous state

passenger mutation

occurs in cancer cell

strikes of cancer

1. breakthrough - first driver mutation

2. expansion - second driver mutation

   1. invasion - multiple pathway mutations

immune checkpoint inhibitors

block hold that cancer cells have on t cells, allowing them to attack

chimeric antigen receptor therapy

improves ability of immune system to recognize + destroy cancer cells

part T cell receptor and part antibody