Oxygen: We Need It, But Cancer Doesn’t!?
Image by Valerie J. Marallano, PhD
Our dependence on oxygen (O2) is undeniable. We need it to live. Even now as you’re reading this, your chest is strategically rising up and down allowing the flow of air to travel from your nose to your lungs, pumping oxygenated blood through your veins and heart. Oxygen is our life force, and without it, we wouldn’t be able to function, let alone read this article about it!
But why is oxygen so important? The reason is because our cells require oxygen for energy production. Without enough energy, cells wouldn’t be able to carry out their daily biological tasks, which is fatal for us. In simpler terms, no oxygen is very bad for a cell’s ability to live! However, what if I told you that there is a type of cell that doesn’t require oxygen to survive? “No way!”, you’re probably saying. But it’s true. It’s called a cancer cell. So now the question becomes, “what is cancer and how can a cancer cell thrive in our bodies without oxygen?”
Well, cancer is when a cell malfunctions and doesn’t respond to signals to die when they are no longer needed. By sticking around well after their use, they multiply and use up our energy reservoir. Now, as I mentioned before, cells need oxygen to replenish this energy source. However, cancer is so impatient that it would rather switch off its reliance on oxygen than wait for more to become available. This low-oxygen state, referred to as hypoxia, triggers a response in cancer cells that allows them to turn on functions that are beneficial to them, such as growing blood vessels to gain nutrients and enabling the production of energy through anaerobic (not requiring oxygen) means. This allows the survival of these cancer cells in otherwise uninhabitable hypoxic areas. These actions unfortunately have dire consequences on our health that lead to complications and even death in cancer patients.
Thankfully, there are many treatments options available to combat cancer and some of those actually utilize oxygen to help us. How lucky! One of the most common forms of treatment, radiation therapy, requires oxygen to work properly. Oxygen allows the radiation to penetrate cancer cells by marking them and then destroying them. These hypoxia areas are also great hiding places for cancer cells, who love sleeping there, waiting for the perfect time to strike! Scary, I know! However, never fear, scientists are currently finding ways to introduce oxygen back into these areas, so that it can act as our greatest ally once again. As a result, the cancer cells would have nowhere left to hide and become more vulnerable to the effect of treatments, resulting in a speedier recovery!
Wow, oxygen is truly amazing, isn’t it? It’s not only important for our lungs to breathe in but it’s also important for our overall health and survival against cancer. So, the next time you inhale a gulp of fresh air, just think how lucky we are, that we can use our greatest life source as our greatest defense against this oxygen-less enemy. Cancer, you’ve taken your last breath!
Edited by Emma Hays
