MadSci Network: Cell Biology
Query:

Re: What causes cells to mutate into cancer cells?

Date: Sun Oct 31 17:13:11 1999
Posted By: Elena Rodriguez, Grad student, Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley
Area of science: Cell Biology
ID: 940470436.Cb
Message:

A cancer cell differs from a "normal" cell by two general means: it is both undifferentiated and has abnormal growth. The cell has extremely regulated and intricate mechanismisms to control both its growth rate and the expression of proteins it needs to carry out its specific and "differentiated" functions. Once a normal cell becomes cancerous, it is said to have been "transformed". In order for any normal cell to become transformed, a number of genetic events (mutations) must occur which will alter the cell's ability to regulate growth. Mutations in these fundamental mechansims will lead to a genetically unstable cell which will propagate more mutations at accelerated growth rates.

There are important mechanisms that coordinate the timing of cell cycle events and "checkpoints" which will ensure that it is ready to proceed to the next stage of the cycle. For example, the cell must complete replicating its DNA before the cell can divide, and there are checkpoints which will arrest cell division until replication is complete. Mutations in the regulators of these checkpoints could lead to cells with incomplete genomes lacking other regulation functions. Also, the cell has mechanisms to repair DNA damaged by mutagens (such as ultra-violet light). Mutations in these repair functions could lead to cells which will continue to gather more mutations and propagate them to progeny. There are mechanisms in the cell which will tell the cell to commit suicide when control mechansisms have become unregulated and has cancer-like properties. This is called "programmed-cell Death", and in order for a cancerous cell to survive, mutations in this regulation must be nonfunctional. Finally there are key players of cell growth regulation whose normal function can be to promote cancer-like characteristics called oncogenes, and, conversely, there are factors which suppress cancer-like functions called tumor suppressor genes. Changes in these genes can, depending on the mutation, inhibit or promote cancer.

Therefore, transformation is a very sensitive and intricate process, and can occur in many very different ways involving very different processes. Cancer is a serious and difficult problem to solve, however, by studying the mechanisms of the cell and how they are regulated will eventually help find which key players can be manipulated to prevent or inhibit cancer.

Elena Rodriguez (graduate student)
University of California, Berkeley


Current Queue | Current Queue for Cell Biology | Cell Biology archives

Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Cell Biology.



MadSci Home | Information | Search | Random Knowledge Generator | MadSci Archives | Mad Library | MAD Labs | MAD FAQs | Ask a ? | Join Us! | Help Support MadSci


MadSci Network, webadmin@www.madsci.org
© 1995-1999. All rights reserved.