QuestionSBA
QuestionChoice
HER2 is a proto-oncogene that, when activated, leads to the increased production of downstream proteins and signalling molecules that promote cell growth and differentiation.
10023707
c
HER2
QuestionChoice
Telomeres are the structures at the end of chromosomes that control how many replications a cell can undergo. As DNA is replicated, the very end of the strand is lost. As a healthy cell divides, the telomeres shorten and once there are no telomeres, the cell undergoes apoptosis. Cancer cells can evade this apoptosis by making more telomerase enzymes which prevent the telomeres from getting shorter.
10023705
a
Telomeres
QuestionChoice
TNF-alpha is a pro-inflammatory chemokine that is produced by white blood cells during inflammation and leads to the necrosis or apoptosis of cells.
10023709
e
TNF-alpha
QuestionChoice
p53 is a tumour suppressor gene which repairs DNA damage if detected. It is often inactivated in breast cancer, hence disrupting the cell cycle and allowing the cancerous cells to keep dividing.
10023706
b
p53
QuestionChoice
BRCA1 encodes a protein that recognises and repairs ds-DNA breaks. Therefore, cells that lack BRCA proteins have a reduced ability to detect and repair damaged DNA, leading to a significant increase in the risk of that cell progressing through the cell cycle without being destroyed. This means that there is a higher chance of the cells becoming cancerous.
10023708
d
BRCA1
Concept
Chapter
2693
4362
Genetic concepts
Topic
156
Medical Genetics
17139
A 66-year-old female has just been diagnosed with breast cancer and asks what has caused the cancer to grow as fast as it has done, as she only noticed the lump on her breast a few weeks ago. The doctor explains that there are regions at the end of DNA strands that protect them from damage, and every time a cell divides they get shorter. When they get too short, the cell they are in usually dies. However, some cancer cells can evade this death by making these regions longer, allowing them to continue proliferating.

What structure is the doctor referring to?
a