Cytotoxic T cells (also known as CD8+ T cells) can destroy cancer cells through a process called cell-mediated cytotoxicity. This process involves the secretion of perforin and granzymes by the cytotoxic T cells.
Perforin creates pores in the target cell's membrane, allowing granzymes to enter the target cell. Granzymes are proteases that induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the target cell, effectively killing it. This mechanism is a crucial part of the immune system's ability to recognize and eliminate cancerous or infected cells.
Cytotoxic refers to substances or processes that are toxic to cells, typically targeting and destroying them. In the context of cancer treatment, cytotoxic drugs or therapies are used to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells.
Cytotoxic cells are a type of white blood cell called cytotoxic T cells. These cells are important for the immune system's response to infection and cancer, as they can identify and kill infected or abnormal cells.
This process is called cell-mediated immunity. T cells, specifically cytotoxic T cells, recognize and destroy cells that are infected with a pathogen or abnormal cells, such as cancer cells. This immune response is crucial for clearing infections and providing immunity against future exposures to the same antigen.
Cells of the immune system, particularly certain types of white blood cells, primarily target cancer cells. The main types of immune cells involved in targeting cancer cells include: Cytotoxic T Cells (CD8+ T Cells): These cells directly attack and destroy cancer cells by recognizing specific antigens present on the surface of the cancer cells. Natural Killer (NK) Cells: NK cells are a type of lymphocyte that can recognize and kill abnormal cells, including cancer cells, without prior sensitization or the need for specific antigens. Macrophages: Macrophages are immune cells that engulf and digest foreign substances, including cancer cells, through a process called phagocytosis. They also play a role in presenting antigens to other immune cells to initiate an immune response against cancer. Dendritic Cells: Dendritic cells are antigen-presenting cells that capture antigens from cancer cells and present them to T cells, thereby activating an adaptive immune response against the cancer. Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs): These are lymphocytes that have migrated into the tumor microenvironment and are involved in recognizing and attacking cancer cells. Cytokine-Induced Killer (CIK) Cells: CIK cells are a type of immune cell that has been activated and expanded outside the body and then reintroduced into the patient to target and kill cancer cells. These immune cells, along with other components of the immune system, form a complex network known as the immune response, which plays a crucial role in recognizing and eliminating cancer cells from the body.
The study of cancer is called oncology, while the treatment of cancer is called oncology.
Cytotoxic T cells destroy cancer cells. The cytoxic T cell comes into contrack with a cancer cell. The T cell recognizes that the cancer cell is "nonself" and causes the destruction of the cancer. Also, they can reject transplants like kidneys, resulting in the attack and destruction of the transplanted organ.
Cytotoxic refers to substances or processes that are toxic to cells, typically targeting and destroying them. In the context of cancer treatment, cytotoxic drugs or therapies are used to kill rapidly dividing cancer cells.
Cytotoxic cells are a type of white blood cell called cytotoxic T cells. These cells are important for the immune system's response to infection and cancer, as they can identify and kill infected or abnormal cells.
Chemotherapy refers to the use of cytotoxic drugs in cancer treatment.'Chemo' means medicine or 'drug''therapy' means 'treatment'. Chemotherapeutic agents or drugs are 'magic bullets' that destroy the fast-dividing cancer cells. However these drugs are unable to differentiate between the normal cells and the cancer cells and they destroy the former too, in their war against cancer. This leads to certain side effects.
Cytotoxic T cells have the ability to recognize and target infected or abnormal cells in the body by releasing toxic chemicals that induce cell death. This process helps to eliminate pathogens or cancerous cells, playing a crucial role in the immune response against infections and tumors.
This process is called cell-mediated immunity. T cells, specifically cytotoxic T cells, recognize and destroy cells that are infected with a pathogen or abnormal cells, such as cancer cells. This immune response is crucial for clearing infections and providing immunity against future exposures to the same antigen.
A substance that kills cells or interferes with their functions is known as a cytotoxic agent. These agents are commonly used in chemotherapy to target and destroy cancer cells, but can also have harmful effects on healthy cells in the body. Examples include chemotherapeutic drugs, radiation therapy, and certain toxins.
The cytotoxic T cell, when it finds cells displaying the wrong antigens, ruptures the cell membrane of the offending cell killing it. Cytotoxic T cells are effective against virus infected cells and cancer cells.
C. white blood cells
The form of treatment in which drugs are used to destroy cancer cells is called chemotherapy. Chemotherapy works by targeting rapidly dividing cells, which include cancer cells. It can be administered orally or intravenously, and it may be used alone or in combination with other cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy, or immunotherapy, depending on the type and stage of cancer.
Killer cells, specifically cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells, play a crucial role in the immune system's defense against cancer. They recognize and bind to cancer cells that display abnormal antigens or stress signals, leading to the release of cytotoxic molecules that induce apoptosis, or programmed cell death, in the targeted cancer cells. This process is essential for controlling tumor growth and preventing metastasis. Additionally, the effectiveness of killer cells can be enhanced by immunotherapy, which aims to boost their activity against cancer.
How does chemotherapy work? Normal cells in the body are constantly dividing to produce new cells in order to replace cells which are damaged or worn out. This process of normal cell division is very precisely controlled so that the number of new cells produced exactly matches the number of cells that need to be replaced. A cancer develops when a cell, or group of cells, escape from the normal control process and begin to divide and multiply in a random fashion which leads to an excessive number of cells being produced. Chemotherapy simply means treatment with drugs and can be used to describe the use of drugs in any illness. In cancer treatment 'chemotherapy' is shorthand for 'cytotoxic chemotherapy', the 'cytotoxics' being the main group of drugs used against cancer. The word cytotoxic means 'cell poison' and this actually describes how the drugs work. Cytotoxic drugs interfere with the process of cell reproduction so that when cancer cells come to reproduce (by dividing into two) they are unable to do so and die off. At the present time there are about a hundred different cytotoxic drugs approved for cancer treatment. All of these act in one way or another to interfere with the process of cell division. Unfortunately none of these drugs can tell the difference between normal cells and cancer cells. So they will all affect the reproduction of normal cells as well as cancer cells. This is why cytotoxic chemotherapy often causes unpleasant side-effects. Normal cells will usually recover from the effects of a dose of cytotoxic chemotherapy far more quickly than cancer cells. This is why chemotherapy is often given a number of short courses, with several weeks in between each course to allow for normal cells to recover. In this way treatment can be given which destroys cancer cells but causes no lasting injury to normal cells. Different cancers respond differently to cytotoxic chemotherapy. Some are very sensitive and can be cured with drug treatment. Others often respond to chemotherapy but are not sensitive enough to achieve cure. In these situations chemotherapy is given with the hope of prolonging good quality life. Others, despite all the different drugs available, remain almost completely resistant and unaffected by cytotoxic treatment. The great majority of drug treatment for cancer involves the use of cytotoxic drugs but there are a few types of cancer where treatment with hormones may also be helpful. This is considered in a separate question on hormone therapy for cancer.