Objectives
- Introduce basic principles of cancer genetics and cancers molecular origins
- Describe the hallmarks of cancer
Tumourigenesis is akin to evolutionary process
2 steps but this is rapid compared to evolution,
Generation of genetic diversity
This is done through
Inheritance
Environment
Bad Luck
Natural selection
Proliferation of the fittest”
Mutations leading to cancer
Often multiple mutations to multiple tumour suppressor genes and oncogenes are required for cancer. But it isnt all or nothing, its a scale that ramps up
oncogenes
These are genes that can lead to cancer when overactivated, eg growth genes
Chromosomal translation: burkitt lymphoma KRAS codon 12
Tumour supressor genes
These are genes which should stop cancers from forming but can lead to cancer when inactivated
How do these mutations lead to cancer having increased fitness
A list:
- Sustained proliferative signalling
- Evasion of growth suppressors
- Resistance to cell death
- Limitless replication
- Invasion/metastasis
- Induction/access to vasculature,
- Evasion of immune system
- Reprogramming cellular metabolism
And it can do all of this by accessing genes in the genome