TRANSFORMED CELL - THE UNUSUAL SUCCESSION OF A USUAL CELL

Abstract

After the first observations of life under the microscope, it took almost two centuries of research before the idea that all living things are composed of cells or their products was speculated. The development of the microscope was a requirement for the discovery of cells. In 1673, the Dutch botanist, Anton van Leeuwenhoek, reported seeing a myriad of microscopic "animalcules" in water. Over several decades, knowledge about the structure and functions of the cell has progressed tremendously due to the advancement in various techniques like next generation sequencing, and genome wide analysis. Cancers are generated from normal cells by random karyotypic rearrangements. Immortality is a common characteristic of cancers, but its origin and purpose are still unclear. Since such rearrangements disturb long-established mitosis genes, cancer karyotypes vary instinctively but are stabilized perpetually by clonal selections for autonomy. The differentiation stage of tumors is a vital aspect in the histopathological classification of solid malignancies, strongly associated with tumor behavior, as an immature tumor is more aggressive than the more differentiated counterpart. The central focus in these events is the cell that undergoes a series of morphological and biochemical changes in course of its transition from normal to a transformed tumor cell; thus acquiring typical characteristics which aids in the process of progression. In this review an attempt has been made to enlighten upon the unusual behavior of a normal cell in transition.