Hallmarks of Cancer 5: Growth Signals

Cells talk A continuous chatter exists between the 10 trillion or so cells that make up your body. But cells cannot talk so how do they communicate? Biological communication occurs with the use of small ‘signalling molecules’ that cells produce and release at their surface. These molecules travel over to a neighbouring cell and are picked by specialised ‘receptors’. Just like there are … Continue reading →

Hallmarks of Cancer 4: Apoptosis

When copying 6.3 billions base pairs mistakes are bound to happen When cells divide all the DNA is copied, letter-by-letter, for the new cell. That in itself doesn’t sound like much – to comprehend how huge this undertaking is you have to understand just how long the human genome actually is. Scientists at the University of Leicester … Continue reading →

Hallmarks of Cancer 3: Immortality

  Mortality Most of the cells in your body do not have an limitless ‘replicative potential’ – they cannot continually divide and produce new ‘daughter’ cells forever*. For most cells mortality is a safety backup that means even if a cell becomes damaged and mutated it won’t live forever. At the end of the cell’s replicative … Continue reading →

Hallmarks of Cancer 2: Angiogenesis

Angiogenesis Angiogenesis is another hallmark that cancer cells must achieve – a growing tumour will induce the formation of new blood vessels to provide nutrients and oxygen. Like normal cells, cancers cells require blood vessels in order to survive. The cells need to be near enough to a blood vessel for oxygen to diffuse to … Continue reading →

Hallmarks of Cancer 1: Invasion and metastasis

Metastasis – a transition from order to disorder  Epithelial cancers account for 85% of human cancers. They are found in the cells that line our organs and tissues, or make up the lining of the cavities inside our bodies. Epithelial cells undergo many changes during cancerous transformation. One of these changes involves the loss of epithelial … Continue reading →