Differences between CANCER and NORMAL cells

[scai]

I'm trying to think of a research topic related to cancer. To do so, I feel like the first step is to literally list every single possible difference between cancer and normal cells. Aside from the obvious cancer replicates without bounds, there's other differences like differences in energy pathways, etc.

 

Would you guys mind helping me out and literally putting down EVERYTHING that you know is different between cancer and normal cells? Thanks a lot!

[CharonY]

That would be quite an extensive list. I am afraid that for a true exhaustive list you would have to got through lots of reviews. Also note that many differences are only inferred e.g. by identifying expression differences. They may not be "true" differences or false positive detection. Also, individual differences may not account for much alone (only in conjunction with other changes).

These are among the reasons why diagnostic biomarkers are so hard to validate for cancer.

[Tharindu]

normal cells are under control but cancer cells are not.

normal cells have links and signals among them and other types of cells, but cancer is not

normal cells are subjected to apoptosis but cancer is not

 

 

Cancer cells normally have a defect in their receptor proteins on the membrane. There are several growth receptors on the surface of cells, and if one of them is faulty, cancer may form. The cancerous mass will continue to divide if there is no negative feedback from the cells surrounding it. In addtition to not being able to receive normal signals that regulate the cell cycle, cancer cells do not stop dividing when growth factors are depleted, simply put cancer cells don't require nutrients to grow, however they may still receive nutrients. As long as a cancer cell is provided with nutrients they may grow indefinately until some random point in the cycle where they may stop, rather then stopping at checkpoints in the normal cell cycle, making them somewhat "immortal". These are the most common differences in cancer cells and normal cells.

 

Reference: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_cancer_cells_and_normal_cells

Edited March 16, 2012 by hypervalent_iodine
Included citation for plagiarised paragraph.

[CharonY]

That is an oversimplification all cells, cancerous or not are under a sort of control. Otherwise they would be able to do anything. However, certain regulatory functions in cancer cells are different to non-cancerous one. It is not as simple as regulation just going haywire. Also, the relationship between apoptosis and cancer is rather tricky. The reason is that the front end of the apoptosis pathways (i.e. all the regulatory elements that together may promote or inhibit the eventual initiation of apoptosis pathways) are connected in a very complicated way. There is literally not a simple apoptosis pathways but layers and layers of them.

 

It is therefore not necessarily the case that cancer cells do not undergo aptoptosis at all, however they react differently to stimuli and conditions that, under different circumstances, trigger apoptotic responses.

 

In short: it is complicated.

[slary]

The current cancer treatments in the face of a difficult is, how in the healing process is only for malignant cells and don't kill healthy cells. Scientists in Canada, a new study will likely help to solve this problem, a development deal with cancer cells can better without damaging the health of the cell therapy and the drugs. The relevant papers on January 4, published online natural-biological technology "(Nature Biotechnology).

 

Canada McMaster university researchers first demonstrates the normal human stem cells and the difference between the cancer stem cells. This discovery ultimately help development on an individual patient of cancer treatment, and will provide a drug development model, through the automatic screening to destroy the cancer cells have the potential for molecules. Zhengzhou university YiFuYuan ZhangMingZhi oncology

 

McMaster university stem cells and cancer research center science competent Mick Bhatia said: "normal stem cells and cancer stem cells, it is difficult to tell, now we have a way....... The discovery also let us can in the lab more normal stem cells and cancer stem cells, and according to the expression of genes and the response from the drug to define the difference between the two. The most important is, now, we can use the findings, find a or a series of can kill the cancer stem cells, and won't hurt normal drug healthy cells."

 

Bhatia said: "McMaster university has the best selection platform and chemistry lab, found to fighting infectious disease of molecular Eric Brown and professor Gerry Wright in here, they experience, now we can put all this focus on up. Research group goal is to eliminate cancer.

[Joatmon]

This is from another post of mine. It could possibly be a focal point, or might be something worth researching? (Note: you can "continue to site " without signing up.)

 

"Apparently the development of cancer is very similar to embryonic development . I wonder if it is part of the cost of evolution. Perhaps if cells were never able to reproduce under uncontrolled conditions there would never have existed the possibility of controlled reproduction? ">http://www.scientifi...es-from-embryos"

Edited April 18, 2012 by Joatmon

[CharonY]

I am pretty sure developmental factors are being investigated. I would not say that it is the cost of evolution, but rather the cost of complex multicellularity.Obviously unicellular organism have different restraints on their growth than those that have to coordinate with others in a highly complex fashion. That is in fact something that evo-devo people are looking into.