But as you grew, they were switched off.When they become corrupted, they switch back on and the cell starts to divide uncontrollably.The third mutation is in the DNA repair genes, or DRGs. These genes are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the DNA you inherited from your parents.They continuously scan your DNA for damage and fix it.But if they get mutated, they can’t do their job and damage accumulates.
Cancer and the Immune System
Cancer is a result of corrupted cells multiplying uncontrollably, and can emerge from any type of cell in the body. It can grow slowly or aggressively, be treatable or deadly, and is a result of cells behaving as individuals rather than part of the collective. In order to combat cancer, our immune system is constantly on the lookout for any cells that become corrupted and kills them before they can cause any harm.
The key mutations that can lead to cancer are in the tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes, and DNA repair genes. The tumor suppressor genes produce control mechanisms that detect and repair any DNA errors or copying errors. Oncogenes are responsible for telling cells when to multiply rapidly, and when corrupted switch back on and cause the cell to divide uncontrollably. DNA repair genes are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the DNA, and if mutated can not do their job leading to DNA damage.
The majority of cancer cells that develop are killed by the immune system without us ever noticing, which is an incredibly hard job due to what cancer cells are. Damage to our DNA can be caused by things such as smoking, drinking alcohol, being obese, breathing in asbestos, not using sunscreen, or contracting a virus like HPV. However, for many cancer cases, there is no cause other than bad luck and just the fact that we are alive long enough for the damage to accumulate. It is constantly patrolling your body, looking for cells that have turned off their display windows, have forgotten how to fix themselves, and have lost the ability to die.If it finds them, it will kill them as quickly as possible, before they can turn into a real threat.
Your immune system is constantly on the lookout for cancer cells, which can turn from a single original cell into trillions in a matter of months. These cells grow rapidly due to corrupted oncogenes, and have lost their ability to fix mistakes in their genetic code, to destroy themselves when they become damaged, and to be restrained in their growth. Your immune system is able to identify and kill these corrupted cells by looking for certain proteins they produce, which are displayed in MHC class I molecules. If a cell does not have these molecules, it is assumed to be hiding something and is killed by Natural Killer Cells. Despite our bodies being prepared to fight cancer, cancer cells can still mutate and become more resistant. This is why it is a never-ending arms race between us and cancer. Fortunately, new therapies are beginning to show great promise in the fight against cancer, such as cancer fighting vaccines, engineered T Cells, and Natural Killer cells. We are making progress in the battle against cancer and it is possible that we may be able to eliminate cancer sooner than we think.