The video discusses the complex process of how the immune system identifies and kills cancer cells. It explains that cancer is when corrupted cells multiply uncontrollably, and it could emerge from any type of cell in the body. The video also explains that cancer cells stop being part of the collective and become individuals again.
The video then delves into the process of how DNA mutations can lead to cancer. It explains that DNA gets a tiny bit corrupted and mutates tens of thousands of times each day, most of the time without any special cause just by being alive. Almost all of these mutations are fixed very quickly or are not problematic. However, over time as your cells make copies of themselves, damage is accumulating.
The video then discusses three categories of genes that need to be corrupted so cancer can arise. The first key mutation is in the tumor suppressor genes or TSGs, the second crucial mutation can happen in your oncogenes when they get corrupted, and the third crucial mutation is in your cell's suicide switch.
The video then explains how the immune system identifies and kills corrupted cells. It mentions that the immune system needs to know what proteins they're making inside to solve this. Evolution came up with MHC class 1 molecules, a sort of display window that makes cells transparent. Cells constantly take little samples of the proteins they make and put them into thousands of these MHC molecules to showcase what they're doing.
The video then discusses the natural killer cell, a judge, jury, and executioner. It explains that natural killer cells are always in murder mode, patrolling your body checking cell after cell with the intention of killing it.
Finally, the video discusses why we still get cancer despite the immune system's preparedness. It explains that sometimes cancer cells mutate more and get much better at fighting back. The video ends by stating that this is a story of an arms race that we will win eventually.
1. The immune system in the body kills cancer cells all the time.
2. The majority of cancer cells are killed without the person noticing.
3. Cancer is when corrupted cells multiply uncontrollably.
4. Cancer can emerge from any type of cell in the body.
5. There are hundreds of types of cancer, some grow slowly, others are aggressive.
6. Some cancer types can be treated effectively, others are deadly.
7. A cell that becomes cancer turns into something ancient and new.
8. Evolution has molded cells to survive and thrive in a hostile environment.
9. Cooperation requires sacrifices for a multicellular being to stay healthy.
10. Cancer cells stop being part of the collective and become individuals again.
11. Cancer cells divide again and again, becoming a new organism within the body.
12. Cancer cells are not evil, they don't want to hurt you.
13. Cells are protein robots that follow their programming, which has been corrupted.
14. The DNA of a cell mutates tens of thousands of times each day, most of the time without any special cause.
15. Almost all of these mutations are fixed very quickly or are not problematic.
16. DNA damage accumulates over time as cells make copies of themselves.
17. DNA damage can be increased by doing things like smoking, drinking alcohol, being obese, breathing in asbestos, not using sunscreen, or contracting a virus.
18. The simplest way to damage DNA and get cancer is to be alive long enough for many cancer cases there is no cause other than bad luck.
19. There are three categories of genes that need to be corrupted so cancer can arise.
20. The first key mutation is in the tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) that control cell repair and multiplication.
21. The second crucial mutation can happen in the oncogenes, which are turned on to tell the cell to multiply rapidly.
22. The third crucial mutation is in the cell's suicide switch, which controls a controlled suicide called apoptosis.
23. If a cell becomes unable to fix the mistakes in its genetic code, it loses the ability to destroy itself and begins to grow rapidly without restraint, turning into a young cancer cell.
24. These cells have to be killed as quickly as possible while they are still weak and easy to kill.
25. If they continue to mutate and increase in number, they can learn to avoid your defenses and become a real threat at any moment of your life.
26. The immune system is hunting these cells, but how do you identify and kill corrupted cells that seem indistinguishable from healthy ones?
27. Evolution came up with MHC class 1 molecules, a sort of display window that makes cells transparent.
28. The selection is constantly refreshed, always giving an up-to-date picture of what the cells are doing.
29. There's a whole library of proteins that are highly dangerous and should not be made by healthy cells, and the immune system has them all on file.
30. The immune system has billions of specialized cells called T cells made to recognize specific proteins.
31. If a T Cell sees a forbidden protein in an MHC display window, it knows that the cell is corrupted and kills it immediately.
32. But there's a floor in this system, what if a cancer cell mutates and finds a way to circumvent this process?
33. Fortunately, Evolution found an ingenious solution, the natural killer cell, a judge, jury, and executioner.
34. Natural killer cells patrol your body looking for cells that have already turned into cancer or are corrupted by a virus.
35. Natural killer cells go from cell to cell to check for one thing: does a cell have MHC class 1 molecules, does it have a display window, and is it doing its duty of showing off what's going on inside itself?
36. Natural killer cells look for the absence of the expected, the absence of something that should be here.
37. The logic is if a cell does not have display Windows, it wants to hide something, and a cell that hides something must be killed.
38. What makes the natural killer cell even more metal is that it's always in Murder mode, it patrols your body checking cell after