The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Member Map
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. Life Sciences
  3. Cells, Microbes & Viruses
  4. What are "Cancer Genes"?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

What are "Cancer Genes"?

  • 13 Replies
  • 20076 Views
  • 0 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

This topic contains a post which is marked as Best Answer. Press here if you would like to see it.

paul.fr

  • Guest
What are "Cancer Genes"?
« on: 27/11/2007 14:20:49 »
Present thinking is that cancer is a genetic mutation (i think), but could it actually be a gene in it's own right? Say a gene that hides itself among other genes, thus causing the mutation?
« Last Edit: 07/01/2008 21:33:34 by chris »
Logged
 



Offline stana

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • 344
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Dare to be yourself!
    • View Profile
Re: What are "Cancer Genes"?
« Reply #1 on: 14/12/2007 17:48:11 »
Im not really 100% sure on this.

But you develop cancer when one of your cells isnt put through a proces (when it dies) to be taken away (to make bile i think, but i think thats just RBC), This cell then multipliesl, hence causing a specific area to be cancerous

But as i say, im not 100% sure on this answer, im mixing school work with wiki work hehe
Logged
 

Offline stana

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • 344
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Dare to be yourself!
    • View Profile
Re: What are "Cancer Genes"?
« Reply #2 on: 14/12/2007 18:04:30 »
Here we go    Quote from wikipedia

Cancer is a group of diseases in which cells are aggressive (grow and divide without respect to normal limits), invasive (invade and destroy adjacent tissues), and sometimes metastatic (spread to other locations in the body). These three malignant properties of cancers differentiate them from benign tumors, which are self-limited in their growth and do not invade or metastasize (although some benign tumor types are capable of becoming malignant). Cancer may affect people at all ages, even fetuses, but risk for the more common varieties tends to increase with age. Cancer causes about 13% of all deaths. Apart from humans, forms of cancer may affect other animals and plants.


When normal cells are damaged beyond repair, they are eliminated by apoptosis.  Cancer cells avoid apoptosis and continue to multiply in an unregulated manner.

Logged
 

another_someone

  • Guest
Re: What are "Cancer Genes"?
« Reply #3 on: 14/12/2007 18:16:32 »
I would argue that cancer is not actually a disease, it is a symptom (rather like a fever), and the causes can be many.

Some cancers are clearly partly caused by viruses (although again, it is normal that a virus that causes cancer in one patient, may do no such thing in another).  It seems quite plausible to me that cancers can be caused as collateral damage in the war between a virus and the anti-viral response of the human body.

It is mentioned above that cancers occur when cells fail to commit suicide when they should.  Apoptosis is a means by which the body can quarantine a cell that is infected by a virus, and thus it makes sense for the virus to try and switch off, or damage, the processes by which apoptosis might occur.
Logged
 

Offline HeLa

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • 10
  • Activity:
    0%
    • View Profile
Re: What are "Cancer Genes"?
« Reply #4 on: 14/12/2007 18:22:53 »
Aren't a lot of cancers caused by the absence of tumor-suppresser proteins, such as p53, during mitosis? 
Logged
Just remember.. if the world didn't suck, we'd fall off.
 



Marked as best answer by on Yesterday at 21:32:25

manicgeek

  • Guest
  • Undo Best Answer
  • Re: What are "Cancer Genes"?
    « Reply #5 on: 27/12/2007 01:24:18 »
    Cancer cells are just faulty cells.

    Nearly every cell reproduces new cells (copies of itself), when a cell produces a faulty copy the cell reproductive cycle is supposed to be suspended, and in time the cell (which is now failing to manufacture good copies) will die it's natural death without causing any problems.

    A cancerous cell is one where the cell reproduction suspend function fails, thus allowing faulty copies of cells to be produced which in turn may well produce more copies of themselves (all faulty).

    We believe that p53 triggers the cell reproduction suspend function when a faulty cell copy is detected, and that p400 is also in some way responsible for this process.

    Hence a failure to make an accurate copy, combined with a failure of the reproductive cycle suspend function, is what causes cancer... which may be as a result of p53 failing to prevent the faulty cell reproducing... then again it may be something else entirely  [;)]
    Logged
     

    Offline MayoFlyFarmer

    • Hero Member
    • *****
    • 887
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 7 times
      • View Profile
      • http://www.myspace.com/wiguyinmn
    Re: What are "Cancer Genes"?
    « Reply #6 on: 06/01/2008 08:25:37 »
    paul, not 100% sure what you were asking in your original question; but hopefully this will help shed some light:

    cancer occurs when a cell takes on properties that allow it to divide out of control and cross tissue planes.  by definition, any cell/group of cells that does this would be considered cancer whether there was any mutation or not.  however, there is no way for cells to take on these properties (that we know of, or at least that i can think of) that would cause a cell to change its physiological properties other than some sort of genetic change.  This genetic change, though, can occur in countless different ways.  The most common way that people think of, as you pointed out, is by a simple point mutation in a gene or genes; that causes that gene to be transcribed and produce its corosponding protein more, or less, or not at all; or to produce an altered form of that protein, or a compltely different protein.  Another type of genetic change that can occur is by the insertion of new genetic material.  This material could come either from a different part of your own genome that just moved to a new place for whatever reason, or could be introduced by an outside vector such as a virus.  This new genetic material could be placed near or in the middle of an existing gene and would cause the same effect on that gene as I described for a point mutation above; or it could be a whole gene in itself that gets introduced into the genome.

    Now whether a new gene is introduced, or an existing gene is affected somehow, that gene has to affect (eithetr dirrectly, or indirrectly through a chain reaction involving other genes) some process that makes the cell take on the properties that I said make a cell "cancerous".  There are many genes in the human genom that have been found to be important in cancer.  a few of which have been named by other posters on this thread already, but more and more of them are being discovered by reserahcers all the time.

    i know this is a lot of information.  hopefully its at leats relatively clear.  if i didn't even come close to answreing your question, feel free to try and re-phrase it and i'll take another stab.  this is the area that i do my research in, so i'm always glad to try and help someone undrestand what we know about the subject.
    Logged
    How much CAML do you have in your toes?
     

    Offline chris

    • Naked Science Forum King!
    • ******
    • 7985
    • Activity:
      1.5%
    • Thanked: 285 times
    • The Naked Scientist
      • View Profile
      • The Naked Scientists
    Re: What are "Cancer Genes"?
    « Reply #7 on: 07/01/2008 21:33:05 »
    Thanks Justin, that's an excellent synopsis. One point I could add is that some cancers are the product of a single mutation; that is, a single gene is altered and this transforms the cell; I suppose this could be akin to what Paul was suggesting that cancer could be a "gene". however, such cancers are extremely rare.

    Another possiblity, that scientists are looking into, is the possibility that cancers could be transposons. These are mobile pieces of genetic material (e.g. DNA) that have the ability to insert themselves into another cell's genome. Some scientists have suggested that some of the spread of cancer around the body might be triggered by the primary tumour releasing pieces of DNA that can invade cells in other tissues and, by inserting itself into the genomes of these cells, destabilise them and trigger malignancy. I'm not sure if there's any evidence for this phenomenon, but I'll check it out. I'd say this is the closest analogy to Paul's "cancer gene" suggestion.

    Chris
    Logged
    I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception - Groucho Marx - https://www.thenakedscientists.com/
     

    Offline MayoFlyFarmer

    • Hero Member
    • *****
    • 887
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 7 times
      • View Profile
      • http://www.myspace.com/wiguyinmn
    What are "Cancer Genes"?
    « Reply #8 on: 08/01/2008 16:42:39 »
    wow, that's cool chris.  i've never heard of transposons jumping from one cell to another.  i'll have to read up on that.  makes sense though.  gets around the problem of "how does one little cell" create a whole tumor before the body realizes what's going on and attacks it.
    Logged
    How much CAML do you have in your toes?
     



    paul.fr

    • Guest
    What are "Cancer Genes"?
    « Reply #9 on: 08/01/2008 16:46:59 »
    Excellent information, thank Justin and Chris.
    Logged
     

    another_someone

    • Guest
    What are "Cancer Genes"?
    « Reply #10 on: 08/01/2008 17:45:18 »
    Quote from: MayoFlyFarmer on 08/01/2008 16:42:39
    wow, that's cool chris.  i've never heard of transposons jumping from one cell to another.  i'll have to read up on that.  makes sense though.  gets around the problem of "how does one little cell" create a whole tumor before the body realizes what's going on and attacks it.

    OK, so what is the exact difference between a transposon and a virus (is it only that a virus is infectious, from person to person, whereas a transponson is localised to one person - if so, is that a sharp dividing line, or are there shades of grey)?
    Logged
     

    Offline MayoFlyFarmer

    • Hero Member
    • *****
    • 887
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 7 times
      • View Profile
      • http://www.myspace.com/wiguyinmn
    What are "Cancer Genes"?
    « Reply #11 on: 31/01/2008 19:34:54 »
    viruses and transpossons are completely seperate things, but i think that you hit the most functionally important difference between the two that a transposon is a piece of DNA that can move abotu the genome within ONE SINGLE CELL, while a virus infects from cell to cell (and as you mentioned, from individual to individual).  There is a lot more to a virus than a transposon that allows it to do this that make the two very different.
    Logged
    How much CAML do you have in your toes?
     

    Offline DoctorBeaver

    • Naked Science Forum GOD!
    • *******
    • 12653
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 4 times
    • A stitch in time would have confused Einstein.
      • View Profile
    What are "Cancer Genes"?
    « Reply #12 on: 01/02/2008 18:22:13 »
    It may be that there is more than 1 gene involved - and not always the same genes. Many functions within the body are the result of multiple genes working together. That is 1 of the things that makes genetics such a complicated issue.

    I was studying autism a while back and there are some forms of autism that seem to have a correlation with transposition or deletion. However, the same type of autism can be manifested without the same transpositions or deletions, and those transpositions and deletions can be present without autism being manifested. The same could be true with the genetics of cancers.
    Logged
     



    Offline MayoFlyFarmer

    • Hero Member
    • *****
    • 887
    • Activity:
      0%
    • Thanked: 7 times
      • View Profile
      • http://www.myspace.com/wiguyinmn
    What are "Cancer Genes"?
    « Reply #13 on: 03/02/2008 00:27:48 »
    yes, its pretty commonly believed that its very rare for cancer to be caused by a defect in only one gene.  And in the cases where this is though to occur, its usually a case of one gene being initially effected, but then having downstream effects on multiple other genes.

    typically to transform a cell (make it go from a normal cell to a cancer-like cell) you have to affect a minimum of three genes.  (similar to transforming a cell into a stem cell as in the study cited by the original poster to this thread.
    Logged
    How much CAML do you have in your toes?
     



    • Print
    Pages: [1]   Go Up
    « previous next »
    Tags:
     

    Similar topics (5)

    Can cancer stem cells be reverted or reprogrammed to become healthy stem cells?

    Started by Honda2000Board Cells, Microbes & Viruses

    Replies: 8
    Views: 20675
    Last post 01/02/2008 16:18:51
    by Honda2000
    Engineering a virus to kill cancer: what virus would you use?

    Started by DegeBoard Cells, Microbes & Viruses

    Replies: 16
    Views: 17171
    Last post 30/08/2017 22:46:25
    by Villi
    Are people with different skin colour really at the same risk of skin cancer?

    Started by amaliaBoard Physiology & Medicine

    Replies: 0
    Views: 2406
    Last post 17/12/2019 11:21:00
    by amalia
    Turning On And Turning Off Genes

    Started by Curious AshBoard Physiology & Medicine

    Replies: 2
    Views: 4442
    Last post 06/08/2008 19:18:56
    by Curious Ash
    What was the bacterium used in cancer study was mentioned in May 28th 5 Live Science program.

    Started by thedocBoard Physiology & Medicine

    Replies: 0
    Views: 2748
    Last post 23/07/2016 06:53:01
    by thedoc
    There was an error while thanking
    Thanking...
    • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
      Privacy Policy
      SMFAds for Free Forums
    • Naked Science Forum ©

    Page created in 0.113 seconds with 61 queries.

    • Podcasts
    • Articles
    • Get Naked
    • About
    • Contact us
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe to newsletter
    • We love feedback

    Follow us

    cambridge_logo_footer.png

    ©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.