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The Mystery of Cancer Cells: Why Can They Divide Without Limits?
Cancer cells are a worrying term because their unrestricted division not only results in solid tumors but may also be filled with abnormal cells in the blood or lymph. Normal cell division is a process used by the body for growth and repair. During this process, a mother cell divides into two daughter cells, which are used to build new tissue or replace cells that die due to aging or damage. However, while healthy cells stop dividing when they no longer need more daughter cells, cancer cells continue to replicate. Worse, they can spread from one part of the body to another through a process called metastasis.
Classification of cancer cells
Cancer cells can be divided into different categories based on the type of origin of the cancer cells. The most common cancer cells are those of epithelial origin, called carcinomas, which begin in the tissues that line the inner and outer surfaces of the body. Additionally, leukemia originates from tissue that produces blood cells, most commonly in the bone marrow. Lymphoma and myeloma, on the other hand, originate from immune system cells. Other types of cancer include sarcomas that originate in connective tissue, central nervous system tumors that originate in the brain and spinal cord, and mesothelioma that originate in the lining of body cavities.
Histological characteristics
Under a microscope, cancer cells have distinctive histological characteristics. Their nuclei are often large and irregularly shaped, and the cytoplasm may also show abnormalities.
The nuclei of cancer cells often change in shape, size, protein composition, and texture, and the combination of these abnormalities is characteristic of different types of cancer.
Causes of cancer
Cancer cells form when the genes responsible for regulating cell division are damaged. Carcinogenesis is caused by mutations and epimutations in the genetic material of normal cells, which disrupt the normal balance between proliferation and cell death. As cells proliferate uncontrollably and rapidly, this can lead to the formation of benign or malignant tumors (cancer). Benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body or invade other tissues, whereas malignant tumors may invade other organs, spread far away (metastasize) and become life-threatening.
DNA repair and mutation
When a cell's ability to repair DNA damage is insufficient, these lesions are retained in the cell at increased levels. These lesions can lead to replication errors as the cell replicates itself, including mutations that lead to cancer. Additionally, specific DNA repair enzymes have been found to be deficient in a variety of cancers, and these deletions increase cancer risk.
For example, lack of expression of the DNA repair enzyme O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase has been observed in a variety of different cancers.
Discovery of cancer
Early evidence of cancer in humans can be traced back to Egyptian documents from 1538 BC and mummified remains. In 2016, a 1.7-million-year-old osteosarcoma was reported, becoming the oldest evidence of a malignant human cancer in the literature to date.
Advances in treatment methods
With the continuous advancement of science and technology, cancer treatment methods are also constantly being explored. In February 2019, medical scientists announced that photosensitive molecules formed by combining rhodium and albumin can penetrate cancer cells and effectively destroy cancer cells after receiving light irradiation.
The reason why cancer cells can continue to survive and proliferate in our bodies is undoubtedly related to a variety of factors, including genetic mutations, environmental influences, and immaturity of internal repair mechanisms. This makes people wonder, in today's era of rapid technological development, can we find a perfect solution that can fundamentally solve cancer?
