Immune Cells
What type of immune cell is responsible for producing antibodies?
B-cells
What type of immune cells are often called professional antigen presenting cells and play a key role in initiating anti-tumor immunity?
Dendritic cells (DC)
What is the primary role of immune checkpoints in the immune system?
To prevent overactivation of the immune system and maintain self tolerance
What is the process called when cancer spreads from it's original site to other parts of the body?
Metastasis
What laboratory technique is commonly used to separate and analyze the different types of cells in a sample based on their size and surface markers?
Flow cytometry
Which organ is the primary site for T-cell maturation?
Thymus
Name the immune suppressive cells commonly found in the tumor micro environment that inhibit T cell function?
Regulatory T -cells and Myeloid derived suppressor cells
What does PD-1 stand for?
Programmed Death - 1
What type of genes when mutated , can drive cancer progression by promoting cell growth and division?
Oncogenes
What is the name of the technique used to measure the concentration of proteins or other molecules in a sample by using specific antibodies?
Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
What is the name of the process where immune cells engulf an destroy pathogens?
Phagocytosis
Which type of macrophage in the tumor microenvironment is associated with tumor promotion and immune supression?
M2 macrophages
What does the term "immune escape" mean?
The process by which tumors exploit immune checkpoint pathways to evade immune detection and destruction
What is the term for changes in gene expression that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence but can contribute to cancer development?
Epigenetic changes
What laboratory technique is used to amplify specific DNA sequences , often used in gene expression studies or mutation detection?
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
What major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class presents endogenous antigens to CD8+ cells?
MHC class I
What is the name of the molecule secreted by tumors that promotes angiogenesis by stimulating blood vessel growth?
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)
What type of molecule are most immune checkpoint inhibitors consist of ?
Monoclonal antibodies
What is the name of the enzyme that cancer cells often activate to maintain their telomere length and enable unlimited replication?
telomerase
Which lab technique uses antibodies to detect and localize specific proteins in tissue samples , often used to study tumor samples?
Immunohistochemistry (IHC)
What term describes the process by which immune cells distinguish between self and non-self antigens, preventing autoimmunity?
Central tolerance
The tumor microenvironment can induce metabolic shift in immune cells , leading to a state pf dysfunction. What term describes this phenomenon?
Immune cell exhaustion or metabolic programming
What is the major difference between CTLA-4 and PD-1 in terms of where they regulate T -cell activity?
CTLA-4 regulates T cell activation in lymph nodes , while PD-1 regulates T cell activity in peripheral tissues and the tumor microenvironment.
What is the name of the protein that regulates cell cycle progression and is often mutated in many cancers , leading to uncontrolled cell division?
Cyclin D
What laboratory technique is used to detect specific proteins in a sample by separating them based on size , transferring them to a membrane and then detecting them with specific antibodies?
Western Blotting