30 Questions
What is the primary function of normal alleles of tumor suppressor genes?
To control cell proliferation
How do mutant tumor suppressor alleles act?
Recessively to cause increased cell proliferation
Why do individuals who inherit a mutant RB allele have a high risk of retinoblastoma?
Because the RB+ allele can be lost or mutated during retinal cell proliferation
What happens when the wild-type allele in somatic cells of a heterozygote is lost or mutated?
Abnormal cell proliferation occurs
How are tumor suppressor genes often identified?
Through genetic analysis of families with inherited predisposition to cancer
What is the result of the loss of heterozygosity in retinal cells of individuals who inherit one copy of the RB- allele?
Tumor development as a clone
What is the characteristic of the retinoblastoma tumor-suppressor gene at the organismal level?
Dominant predisposition to cancer
What is the function of the normal Rb protein in the cell cycle?
To delay entry into S-phase
What is the role of BRCA1 and BRCA2 proteins in DNA repair?
To repair double-strand breaks in DNA
What is a consequence of losing p53 function in a cell?
Genomic instability
What is the goal of personalized cancer treatment?
To tailor treatments for individual cancers
What is an ancient treatment for cancer that is still used today?
Surgery
What is the effect of a gain-of-function mutation in oncogenes?
Increased protein activity
How is the Ras oncogene typically activated?
Constitutively, regardless of receptor activity status
What is the result of Her2 overexpression in breast cancer?
Gene amplification
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a Ras oncogene?
Requires growth factor binding for activation
What is the mechanism of activation of the c-Abl oncogene?
Chromosomal translocation
What is the normal function of the Ras protein?
Inactive until activated by growth factors
What is the main goal of receptor design in cancer treatment?
To bind antigens on cancer cells but not normal cells
What is the purpose of whole-genome sequencing in cancer treatment?
To identify driver mutations and druggable targets
What is a common reason for cancer recurrence?
Heterogeneity of tumors
What is the focus of large-scale genome projects?
Characterizing hundreds of cancer genomes
What is the potential benefit of identifying druggable targets in cancer treatment?
Expanded usefulness of developed drugs
What is the significance of the mutation of some genes being common in cancer genomes?
It may indicate potential druggable targets
What is the primary function of PARP inhibitors in cancer treatment?
To block the PARP enzyme that repairs DNA nicks
What is the role of immune checkpoints in cancer cells?
To avoid recognition by the immune system
What is the mechanism of action of CAR T-cell therapy?
By adding a synthetic receptor to T cells to recognize cancer cells
What is the purpose of antibodies against PD-1 or PDL-1 in cancer treatment?
To allow T cells to attack cancer cells
What is the role of T cells in the immune system?
To recognize and destroy foreign/abnormal cells
What is a common side effect of antibodies against PD-1 or PDL-1?
Severe side effects
Identify and understand oncogenes through cell transformation assays, including examples of oncogenes such as Ras and c-Abl. Learn how oncogenic point mutations and chromosomal translocations lead to gain-of-function effects.
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