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Apoptosis and Necrosis

Apoptosis is programmed cell death that occurs during development and in response to signals, where cells shrink and fragment into pieces that are phagocytosed. Necrosis is premature cell death due to stress or damage, where the cell swells and its DNA is digested before being phagocytosed. Cancer develops after around six key mutations that allow unlimited growth, ignoring of checkpoints, escape of apoptosis, immortality, promotion of blood vessels, and overcoming of anchorage and density dependence. Growth factors can cause cancer if they switch tumor suppressors off or proto-oncogenes on to stimulate excessive growth. Cancer results from mutations caused by factors like radiation, chemicals, age, and genetics. Precision medicine allows further individualizing

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Keisha Concepcion
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82 views3 pages

Apoptosis and Necrosis

Apoptosis is programmed cell death that occurs during development and in response to signals, where cells shrink and fragment into pieces that are phagocytosed. Necrosis is premature cell death due to stress or damage, where the cell swells and its DNA is digested before being phagocytosed. Cancer develops after around six key mutations that allow unlimited growth, ignoring of checkpoints, escape of apoptosis, immortality, promotion of blood vessels, and overcoming of anchorage and density dependence. Growth factors can cause cancer if they switch tumor suppressors off or proto-oncogenes on to stimulate excessive growth. Cancer results from mutations caused by factors like radiation, chemicals, age, and genetics. Precision medicine allows further individualizing

Uploaded by

Keisha Concepcion
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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APOPTOSIS AND NECROSIS

Apoptosis
▪ Programmed cell death
• Especially during fetal development
• In response to hormonal cycles (e.g. endometrium)
• Normal turnover in proliferating tissues (e.g. intestinal epithelium)
▪ Cells shrink, not swell
▪ Nuclei condense and DNA fragments
▪ Cells fragment into membrane-bound bits
▪ Bits are phagocytosed by macrophages
Necrosis
▪ “premature” cell death
▪ Resulting from internal or external stresses such as mechanistic injuries, chemical
agents, or pathogens
▪ Occurs through swelling of cytoplasm
▪ No structural change is observed in chromatin
▪ DNA digestion occurs
▪ Phagocytized by phagocytes
Cancer Biology

ONCOLOGY
▪ A branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of
cancer.
Cancer develops only after a cell experiences ~6 key mutations (“hits”)
▪ Unlimited growth
– turn on growth promoter genes
▪ Ignore checkpoints
– turn off tumor suppressor genes (p53)
▪ Escape apoptosis
– turn off suicide genes
▪ Immortality = unlimited division
– turn on chromosome maintenance genes
▪ Promotes blood vessel growth genes
– turn on blood vessel growth genes
▪ Overcome anchor and density dependence
– turn off touch-sensor gene

GROWTH FACTORS and CANCER


▪ Growth factors can create cancers

• Tumor-suppressor genes
▪ Inhibits cell division
▪ If switched “OFF” can cause cancer
▪ Example: p53

• Proto-oncogenes
▪ Normal growth factor genes that become oncogenes (cancer-causing)
when mutated
▪ Stimulates cell growth
▪ If switched “ON” can cause cancer
▪ Example: RAS (activates cyclins)
CANCER
• Mutation is a change that occurs in our DNA sequence, either due to mistakes when
the DNA is copied or as the result of environmental factors:
▪ UV radiation
▪ Chemical exposure
▪ Radiation exposure
▪ Heat
▪ Cigarette smoke
▪ Pollution
▪ Age
▪ Genetics

Complementing Traditional Medicine and Precision Medicine


▪ Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation have been the backbone of cancer treatment
for decades, but recent advances are allowing doctors to further individualize their
patients’ treatment with precision medicine.

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