Chromosome’s structure has different parts that confer it stability and function during the cell cycle, allowing the integrity of the cell throughout all the process. In this group of structures the telomeres and gene p53 have a huge importance. Telomeres are protein caps on the ends of eukaryotic chromosomes that act as a DNA protector. The shortening of the telomere length occurs in every cell cycle, determining the cell´s reproductive capacity and life expectancy. Because of that, these structures are an indicator of cell aging and cancer. The p53 gene acts as a protective defense against DNA alterations, producing defensive responses such as apoptosis. Then, a mutation of this gene can lead to cancer, because there is not recognition of the modified DNA. That, makes these factors important for keeping the integrity of the cell’s genetic material and hence its structure.

1. CELL INTEGRITY:
IMPLICATIONS IN
HEALTH
Katherin Garcés Yepes
Medicine student

2. MEDICAL UTILITY
The knowing of new methods to prevent,
diagnose and treat different diseases
such as lung cancer and cellular
degeneration, makes possible thinking
about a future without the pain that
involves these problems, not only for the
person that is being affected but also for
their families. These molecular studies
recognize the implication of these factors
in the cell and come up with the
localization of the problem, giving more
information that can be considered to
mark and treat the specific cells causing
damage to the person (not all of them
like in cases of chemotherapy).
The possibility of having an explanation
ahead for future disorders, allows the
search of treatments based on
molecular evidence, and also
the implementation of campaigns that
make people think about the
consequences of their lifestyles.
CELL INTEGRITY:
IMPLICATIONS IN HEALTH
By: Katherin Garcés Yepes
Molecular Biology
Teacher: Lina Martinez
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Martinez Sanchez, Lina Maria.
Biología Molecular. 7 ed. Medellín:
UPB. Fac.Medicina
• Virginia Commonwealth University.
(2017, June 14). Scientists may have
found a new way to halt lung
cancer growth. ScienceDaily.
Retrieved July 26, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20
17/06/170614112919.htm
• Research Society on Alcoholism.
(2017, June 26). Drinking makes
you older at the cellular
level. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July
21, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20
17/06/170626105322.htm

3. INTRODUCTION Scientists may have found a new
way to halt lung cancer growth
Scientists at VCU Massey Center have found
that the mutated version of the gene p53 could
be used to make lung cancer cells dependent.
The gene p53 is involved in the protection of
the cell`s DNA, and an alteration of it could
lead to the unstoppable duplication of cells
with damaged DNA, and then… to cancer.
A member of the Cancer Molecular Genetics
research program led a team of scientists to
prevent the growth of cancer cells by inhibiting
the ChK1 protein (needed for the duplication of
the cell).
Mutated p53 genes produce excess ChK1, so
this could lead to the development of new
treatments for cancer.
Student´s opinion: the relation between p53
and ChK1 stablishes the implication of genetic
expression in the cellular integrity. Getting to
the point of knowing that the inhibition of this
protein could lead to stopping the duplication
of mutated cell´s DNA, gives a wide future of
possibilities for the treatment of cancer.
The more alcohol that people drink, the
more their cells appear to age.
Researchers of the Society of Alcoholism
have found that patients with alcoholism
have shortened telomere length, giving
them a high risk not only of cancer but also
of metabolic diseases.
The study made possible the comparison of
DNA samples and habits, and the posterior
evidence of telomere shortening in the
alcoholic patients.
Factors like the oxidative stress produced by
alcohol were possible causes of this
phenomenon.
Student´s opinion: Placing the problem in
an specific place, reduces the possibilities
when talking about the causes of a certain
disorder, and contemplates that with the
knowing of the characteristics of the region,
it will be possible to make treatments with
a local effect.
Drinking makes you
older at the cellular level
Chromosome’s structure has different parts
that confer it stability and function during
the cell cycle, allowing the integrity of the
cell throughout all the process. In this
group of structures the telomeres and gene
p53 have a huge importance.
Telomeres are protein caps on the ends of
eukaryotic chromosomes that act as a DNA
protector. The shortening of the telomere
length occurs in every cell cycle,
determining the cell´s reproductive
capacity and life expectancy. Because of
that, these structures are an indicator of
cell aging and cancer.
The p53 gene acts as a protective defense
against DNA alterations, producing
defensive responses such as apoptosis.
Then, a mutation of this gene can lead to
cancer, because there is not recognition of
the modified DNA.
That, makes these factors important for
keeping the integrity of the cell’s genetic
material and hence its structure.

4. INTRODUCTION
Chromosome’s structure has different
parts that confer it stability and function
during the cell cycle, allowing processes
such as the right distribution of the
genetic material, the duplication without
losing information and the integrity of
the cell throughout all the process. In
this group of structures the telomeres
and gene p53 have a huge importance.
Telomeres are protein caps on the ends
of eukaryotic chromosomes that act as a
DNA protector, conferring it a
transcriptional process that keeps all the
genetic information. The shortening of
the telomere length occurs in every cell
cycle, determining the cell´s reproductive
capacity and life expectancy. Because of
that, these structures are an indicator of
cell aging and cancer.
The p53 gene acts as a protective
defense against DNA alterations,
producing defensive responses such as
apoptosis. Then, a mutation of this gene
can lead to cancer, because there is not
recognition of the modified DNA.
That, makes these factors important for
keeping the integrity of the cell’s genetic
material and hence its structure.
P53 gene
-Codified by the chromosome 18.
-Senses DNA alterations in the cell cycle,
specifically in the 1st checkpoint (between G1
and S phases).
-Induces protective responses in case there is
any atypical DNA.
-Heterochromatin composition that makes
them not transcriptional material.
-Keep and protect the end of chromosomes,
not allowing translocation.
-Enable the duplication of all the genetic
information content in the chromosome.
Telomeres

5. Scientists may have found a
new way to halt lung cancer
growth
Scientists at VCU Massey Center have
found that the mutated version of the
gene p53 could be used to make lung
cancer cells dependent.
The gene p53 is involved in the protection
of the cell`s DNA, and an alteration of it
could lead to the unstoppable duplication
of cells with damaged DNA, and then… to
cancer.
A member of the Cancer Molecular
Genetics research program at Massey and
an associate professor in the Department
of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at
the VCU School of Medicine led a team of
scientists to prevent the growth of cancer
cells by inhibiting the ChK1 protein
(needed for the duplication of the cell).
Mutated p53 genes produce excess ChK1,
so this could lead to the development of
new treatments for cancer.
Student´s opinion: the relation between
p53 and ChK1 stablishes the implication of
genetic expression in the cellular integrity.
Getting to the point of knowing that the
inhibition of this protein could lead to
stopping the duplication of mutated cell´s
DNA, gives a wide future of possibilities for
the treatment of cancer.
The gene
p53 acts as
a cancer
suppressor
Mutated versions of
the gene are
involved in the
development and
evolution of nearly
half of all human
cancers
Lung cancer has a
high risk of
mortality

6. One of the authors, Swati Palit
DebSome, said: “mutated versions of
p53, known as gain of function
mutations, not only loose tumor
suppressor functions, but also gain
oncogenic functions”
It allows the
growth and
progression of
cancer
Cancer cells
depend on the
mutated
versions of the
gene
Scientists may have found a
new way to halt lung cancer
growth

7. Production of
excess ChK1
and Cyclin A
proteins
-Regulate cell
cycle
-Protect
replication
forks
If the forks
collapse, the
cell division
fails
Scientists may have found a
new way to halt lung cancer
growth

8. - Inhibitors act right in the cancer cell’s
way of survival
- Stopping cells mitosis, allows the
prevention of cancer metastasis
- Leads the possibility for the treatment
of other cancers
ChK1 inhibitors could be
an effective cancer
therapy by acting in the
gain of function p53
mutations
"We plan to develop strategies that utilize these findings to block the spread of lung cancers with mutated p53,”-Deb.
Scientists may have found a
new way to halt lung cancer
growth

9. The relation between p53 and ChK1 stablishes the
implication of genetic expression in the cellular
integrity. Getting to the point of knowing that the
inhibition of this protein could lead to stopping the
duplication of mutated cell´s DNA, gives a wide future
of possibilities for the treatment of cancer, without
implicating the destruction of all the structures of the
cell and giving viability for the patient´s health during
the processes (without being so traumatic).
Student’s opinion

10. Drinking makes you older at
the cellular level
The more alcohol that people drink, the
more their cells appear to age.
Researchers of the Society of Alcoholism
have found that patients with alcoholism
have shortened telomere length, giving
them a high risk not only of cancer but
also of metabolic diseases.
The study was based in 255 participants
that were in an alcoholism treatment at
Kurihama National Hospital in Yokosuka,
Japan; 134 of them were alcoholic and
the other ones were age- matched
controls or non-alcoholics. This made
possible the comparison of DNA samples
and habits, and the posterior evidence of
telomere shortening in the alcoholic
patients.
Factors like the oxidative stress produced
by alcohol were possible causes of this
phenomenon.
Student´s opinion: Placing the problem
in an specific place, reduces the
possibilities when talking about the
causes of a certain disorder, and
contemplates that with the knowing of
the characteristics of the region, it will be
possible to make treatments with a local
effect.
Protein caps on the
ends of eukaryotic
chromosomes
Markers of cell aging
and cancer
Keep the genetic
information through
the duplication
Protect the DNA
Get shortened in
every cell cycle

11. One of the authors, Yamaki, said that
their study displayed that alcoholic
patients have a shortened telomere
length, reflecting that a high ingest of
alcohol causes biological aging at a
cellular level. Also, he mentions that
alcohol is more associated with a
shortened telomere length than
acetaldehyde.
Drinking makes you older at the cellular level

12. Drinking makes you older at the cellular level
The findings on shortened telomeres are
associated with oxidative stress
-Preventing the translocation of
chromosomes
-Keeping the DNA endings
-Allowing the duplication without
losing the endings (done by a
telomerase that forms an DNA strand
based in a RNA one).
Having consequences in

13. Drinking makes you older at the cellular level
The disadvantages presented on the cell
cycle cause that cell’s reproductive
capacity gets decreased (in the case of
aging) or increased (in the case of
cancer). Both being not beneficial for
the tissues development or way of
regeneration.

14. These research makes possible the understanding of diseases
through molecular bases, allowing the conception of future
treatments and early diagnoses (the determination of factors
that are involved in the development of diseases) that
prevent a huge deterioration of all of the body cells. Placing
the problem in an specific place, reduces the possibilities
when talking about the causes of a certain disorder, and
contemplates that with the knowing of the characteristics of
the region, it will be possible to make treatments with a local
effect.
Student’s opinion

15. The knowing of new methods to prevent, diagnose and
treat different diseases such as lung cancer and cellular
degeneration, makes possible thinking about a future
without the pain that involves these problems, not only
for the person that is being affected but also for their
families. These molecular studies recognize the
implication of these factors in the cell and come up with
the localization of the problem, giving more information
that can be considered to mark and treat the specific cells
causing damage to the person ( not all of them like in
cases of chemotherapy).
The possibility of having an explanation ahead for future
disorders, allows the search
of treatments based on
molecular evidence, and also
the implementation of campaigns that make people think
about the consequences of their lifestyles (one step of
control).
MEDICAL UTILITY

16. Even though science advances everyday
making possible the unthinkable, cancer
therapy has not had a huge development
through the years, connoting not only
physical consequences but also emotional
ones for the patients.
The recognition of the function and
characteristics of specific cell components,
differentiating them compositionally, brings
the bases for the investigation of new
therapies that interact specifically with the
elements, proteins or receptors placed in the
cell, without affecting the surrounding
structures or cells. This would avoid the
huge tissue damage that is usually done in
chemotherapy
Medical utility

17. Medicine´s future could be visualized
through molecular biology bases, making
the comprehension of the cell a whole
universe of possibilities for the diagnose
and treatment of altered factors (since
metabolic disorders to hereditary diseases).
Beginning with the establishment of
relations between the cell and its
surroundings, gives a more realistic and
visual understanding of lifestyle
consequences, making possible the
ethereal change of daily basis habits that
acts as a first step prevention of many
alterations.
Medical utility

18. DNA structure studies have allowed the
recognition of certain sequences that codify
the expression of certain diseases. This
places the comprehension of oncogenic
factors, cell damage and DNA alterations in
a whole new level; in which, the
recombination of DNA or the inhibition of
proteins that are fundamental for cell’s
duplication, give a “prevention” or control
vision of the aggressive disorders
development.
Medical utility

19. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Martinez Sanchez, Lina Maria. Biología Molecular.
7 ed. Medellín: UPB. Fac.Medicina
• Research Society on Alcoholism. (2017, June 26).
Drinking makes you older at the cellular
level. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 21, 2017 from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/17062610
5322.htm
• Virginia Commonwealth University. (2017, June 14).
Scientists may have found a new way to halt lung
cancer growth. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 26, 2017
from
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/17061411
2919.htm