Cancer cell signalling - Answers The process by which cells sense and respond to their environment,
often leading to the development and progression of cancer.
Metabolites - Answers Small molecules involved in cellular metabolism, playing essential roles in various
cellular functions and signaling pathways.
Hormones - Answers Chemical messengers that regulate bodily functions, including cell growth,
metabolism, and reproduction, through signal transduction pathways.
Pathogens - Answers Microorganisms that cause disease by interfering with normal cellular signaling
and hijacking cellular processes for their own survival and replication.
Cell perception - Answers The ability of cells to sense and interpret signals from their surroundings,
allowing them to respond appropriately to changes in their environment.
Cell adaptation - Answers The ability of cells to adjust their behavior based on their environment,
ensuring their survival and proper functioning.
Proliferation - Answers The process of cell division and growth, tightly regulated by signaling pathways
to maintain tissue homeostasis and promote development.
Apoptosis - Answers Programmed cell death, an essential process for removing damaged or unnecessary
cells to maintain tissue integrity and prevent the formation of tumors.
Signaling alteration in cancer - Answers Changes in cell signaling pathways in cancer cells, leading to
abnormal cell behavior, uncontrolled growth, and evasion of normal regulatory mechanisms.
Permanent signaling activation - Answers Continuous activation of signaling pathways, often resulting
from genetic mutations or alterations that disrupt normal regulatory mechanisms.
Increased signaling volume - Answers Higher levels of signaling molecules, such as growth factors or
hormones, leading to excessive activation of downstream signaling pathways.
Mis-timed or misplaced signaling - Answers Signaling occurring at the wrong time or location, disrupting
normal cellular processes and potentially contributing to the development of diseases, including cancer.
Oncogenes - Answers Genes that can cause cancer when mutated or overproduced, often encoding
proteins involved in cell signaling pathways and regulation of cell growth.
Proto-oncogenes - Answers Normal genes that can become oncogenes through mutation or
overproduction, leading to abnormal activation of cell signaling pathways and increased cell
proliferation.
Oncoproteins - Answers Proteins produced by oncogenes that often function in signaling pathways,
promoting cell growth, survival, and other cancer-related processes.
, Gain of function - Answers A mutation that leads to increased activity or function of a protein, often
resulting in abnormal cell signaling and cellular behaviors.
Tumor suppressors - Answers Genes that regulate cell proliferation and prevent the formation of
tumors, often involved in maintaining genomic stability and controlling cell cycle progression.
Mutation - Answers A change in the DNA sequence of a gene, which can alter the structure or function
of the encoded protein and potentially contribute to the development of diseases, including cancer.
Loss of function - Answers A mutation that leads to decreased or loss of protein function, often resulting
in disrupted cell signaling and abnormal cellular behaviors.
Drug targets - Answers Molecules that can be targeted by drugs to treat diseases, including cancer, by
modulating specific signaling pathways or cellular processes.
Kinases - Answers Enzymes that add phosphate groups to proteins, playing crucial roles in cell signaling
by regulating protein activity and cellular responses.
Monoclonal antibodies - Answers Antibodies produced by identical immune cells that can target specific
molecules, including proteins involved in cell signaling pathways, for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
GF receptors - Answers Receptors for growth factors, transmembrane proteins that initiate signaling
cascades upon binding to their respective ligands, regulating cell growth, differentiation, and survival.
Herceptin - Answers A monoclonal antibody that targets GF receptors in breast cancer, inhibiting their
signaling and interfering with cancer cell growth and survival.
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors - Answers Drugs that inhibit the activity of tyrosine kinases, a class of enzymes
involved in cell signaling, often used in cancer treatment to block aberrant signaling pathways.
Gleevec - Answers A tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in chronic myelogenous leukemia, specifically
targeting the BCR-ABL fusion protein that drives the abnormal growth of cancer cells.
Targeted therapies - Answers Therapies that specifically target molecules involved in signaling pathways,
aiming to disrupt cancer-related signaling and selectively kill cancer cells while minimizing damage to
normal cells.
Untargeted therapies - Answers Therapies that do not specifically target molecules involved in signaling
pathways, often used to treat cancer through general cytotoxic effects on rapidly dividing cells.
Oncogene study - Answers The study of genes that can cause cancer, aiming to understand their
mechanisms of action and develop targeted therapies to inhibit their effects.
Growth and differentiation pathways - Answers Pathways involved in embryo development, regulating
cell growth, specialization, and the formation of different tissues and organs.