Question

Cancer cells typically have less cholesterol and more phospholipid in their cell membranes. This phenotype is also associated with resistance to apoptosis. The FAS death receptor is localized to lipid rafts. Using this information to explain why increased phospholipid and increased cholesterol could inhibit the initiation of apoptosis. Rubric (2): Plausible link between increased change in membrane composition, effect on lipid raft formation and lack of FAS receptor activation.

Answer 1

The cancer cells have less amount of cholesterol and more amount of phospholipid. This structural change in the cell membranes of the cancerous cells allows a more fluid movement of the proteins. Different proteins like the MAPK or the related kinases that allows rapid cellular development and growth in the cancer cells gets easy access and movement due to the decrease amount of cholesterol and thus has an increased fluidity. Thus if somehow by using some appropriate drugs like licofelone, the cholesterol and the phsopholipid levels in the cancer cells are increased then the free fluidic movement of the cellular proteins would become difficult. No access to cell division proteins and no movement of the lipid rafts in the high hydrophobic phospholipid and dense cholesterol would inhibit the cancer cell growth and lead to apoptic cycles killing the cells.