Hallmarks of Cancer

What happens when there is unlimited cell division/unchecked mitosis?

Cancer

What are the 6 Hallmarks of Cancer Cells?

• Self sufficiency in growth signals

• Insensitivity to antigrowth signals

• Evading apoptosis

• Sustained angiogenesis

• Tissues invasion and metastasis

• Limitless replicative potential

What happens in Self sufficiency in growth signals?

• Stuck gas pedal

• “Grow without go”

• Oncogenes

What are Oncogenes?

• Growth receptors, if damaged allow for division

• in our genomes, only become oncogenes when they mutate

• Some are broken and are no longer preventing cells from dividing, broken ignition and anyone can take car

What happens in Insensitivity to antigrowth signals?

• “Failure to stop”

• No brakes

• Tumor suppressor genes, example BRCA 1 (breast cancer) and BRCA 2

  • Cells also have signals within cell to brake/pause

What happens in Evading Apoptosis?

• “Broken self-destruct”

• Apoptosis

• If things go bad cells have self destruction button

• P53

What is Apoptosis?

• Programmed cell death

• Reason why we can separate fingers, eyelids

What is P53?

The master control for apoptosis

What happens in Sustained angiogenesis?

• “Need to feed”

• Angiogenesis

• VEGF

What is Angiogenesis?

Generation of new blood vessels

What does VEGF stand for and what does it do?

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor; tells cells in blood vessels to build road somewhere else

What happens in Tissue invasion and metastasis?

• Spread 

• Just a bigger tumor? Or co-opting tissue (called metastasis)?

• Growth factors affecting different tissues

What is the last hallmark for cancer cells? (Haven’t talked in depth about yet)

Limitless replicative potential