What are Cancer Cells?

Cancer cells, which are mutant cells, are the source of cancer. Different from normal cells, cancer cells have three characteristics of infinite proliferation, transformability and easy metastasis, which can infinitely proliferate and destroy normal cellular tissues. In addition to uncontrolled division (multipolar division), cancer cells also locally invade normal tissues and even metastasize to other parts of the body via the circulatory or lymphatic system.

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Cancer cells are a variant

Normal cells due to physical, chemical, viral, etc.

I. Principles of Cytology

Cancer cells, inside and outside, have hidden reversal factors that cannot be overcome and eliminated by themselves.

Cancer cells are often very restless and quickly spread to other organs. This behavior is related to the growth mode of cancer and the characteristics of cancer cells. The reasons can be summarized as follows:

First, cancer cells multiply fast. Due to the rapid increase in the number of cells, the original space cannot accommodate so many cells, and the cells at the edge of the tumor are "squeezed" into the surrounding tissue.

Second, due to the special chemical composition and structure of the cancer cell surface, the adhesion between cancer cells is low, the connection is loose, and it is easy to detach from the cancer mass, creating conditions for spread.

3. Cancer cells secrete special substances, dissolve and destroy surrounding tissues, and open the way for spread and metastasis.

Fourth, cancer cells contain a special substance that can promote the formation of blood clots. After the cancer cells enter the blood vessels, they can attach to the blood vessel wall or other parts and continue to grow, laying the foundation for blood metastasis. ^[2]

GLUT1 Crystal structure of human glucose transporter GLUT1 in cancer cells

On June 5, 2014, Tsinghua University announced that the research group of Professor Yan Ning of the Tsinghua University School of Medicine has analyzed the crystal structure of the human glucose transporter GLUT1 for the first time in the world, and initially revealed its working mechanism and the pathogenic mechanism of related diseases. This research achievement has been hailed as a "significant landmark" scientific achievement by the international academic community. ^[9]

Cancer cells need glucose as their "rations" to survive, and because cancer cells digest glucose less than 15% of the energy of ordinary cells, cancer cells need more glucose than normal cells. By loading more glucose transporter GLUT1, the process of transporting glucose from extracellular to intracellular is completed. ^[9]

Therefore, if the composition, structure, and working mechanism of the transporter GLUT1 can be studied clearly, it is possible to achieve artificial intervention of glucose transport by regulating it, which can increase the supply of glucose in normal cells to achieve the purpose of treating related diseases, or may be through specific resistance Cut off the supply of glucose to cancer cells to achieve the goal of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells. ^[9]

Yan Ning also emphasized: "Many diseases have complex causes, especially cancer is the most complicated disease, and our scientific research is very basic. There is a long way from basic scientific research to transformation. But through many basic scientific research results, Gradually accumulating clues can better understand the pathogenesis and hope that eventually the disease may be cured. " ^[9]

Telomeres are too long for cancer cells

According to the latest genomic research led by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), two common genetic mutations make telomeres longer, but they also greatly increase the risk of glioma brain cancer. Many scientists previously believed that the function of telomeres is to prevent cell aging and maintain cell health. Related papers have been published online on the recent Nature-Genetics website. ^[10]

On June 8, 2014, these two gene variants were TERT (telomerase reverse transcriptase) and TERC (telomerase). 51% of people carried the TERT mutation and 72% of them carried the TERC mutation. Both genes have the function of regulating telomere behavior and are enzymes that maintain the length of telomeres. Such mutations in risk genes carried by most people are relatively rare. Researchers believe that carriers of these variant genes have longer telomeres, which makes the cells stronger and stronger, but also increases the risk of high-grade gliomas. ^[10]

Biological clock of cancer cells

On January 26, 2019, researchers at the University of Southern California and the University of Nagoya in Japan announced the development of a new drug that can inhibit the growth of cancer cells by destroying the biological clock of cancer cells. Disturbing the rhythm of the circadian clock can harm human health, as well as cells. If you can disrupt the biological clock of cancer cells, you can theoretically damage or destroy these cancer cells. This drug may become an effective new weapon to eliminate cancer. ^[11-12]

Cancer cells starve to death

The method of "starving" cancer cells discovered by Professor Hu Xun's team at the Institute of Oncology, Zhejiang University, China, was published in elife, an international authoritative journal in the field of biology and medicine, and was affirmed by internationally renowned oncologists. Since 2012, the team of Radiation Intervention Doctors of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University Medical College with 30 years of clinical experience, Lu Ming and Hu Xun's team have just hit it off, and have invested in the research of new therapies for primary hepatocellular carcinoma. "Artery intubation chemotherapy and embolization targeting lactate anion and hydrogen ion in tumor", referred to as "TILA-TACE". The results of clinical studies conducted by them showed that 37 patients were treated with cTACE and 18 were effective; 40 patients were treated with TILA-TACE and 40 were effective-referring to the effective response rate rather than cure. And in this clinical study, the liver cancer treated with TILA-TACE was refractory liver cancer .

Effective professional meaning: that is, the tumor responds to this treatment, if it does not respond, it is ineffective. Don't misunderstand as ordinary people understand.

Q: For malignant tumors other than liver cancer, which are treated by baking soda? Tong Ming: There is a very strict definition in this study, which is aimed at patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma . Other tumors need further research.