This animated video, produced by Vassar College's Environmental Risks of Breast Cancer project, explains how normal cells are transformed into cancer cells, also known as carcinogenesis.
Often times cancer is a result of an accumulation of mutations within the genome. Since mutations are alterations in DNA that are maintained and propagated to daughter cells, they are irreversible by nature. However, some other molecular factors and therapies are emerging that may allow scientists to reverse a cancerous cell to a normal cell. For example, epigenetic mechanisms also influence cell behaviour without mutating the DNA; therefore, they are reversible. These processes have been identified in cancer and drugs are beginning to emerge to reverse their cancer-promoting effects (although they only show partial clinical success so far). Additionally, the CRISPR-Cas9 system may offer ways in which to correct DNA mutations, but their use for the clinical treatment of cancer is still under review due to safety and ethical considerations.
Knowledge of mutations that lead to cancer serves as the base to combat and prevent cancer. How are scientists supposed to know what mutations to intervene if they don't understand what has made cell cycles gone wrong?
It’s easier to break a vase than it is to put it back together. Especially if you didn’t get to see what it looked like before it was broken. Not that it’s impossible. Just very close to impossible.
