What Role do Negative Feedback Mechanisms Play in Cancer?
Negative feedback mechanisms work to dampen or shut down the initial signal, maintaining balance. In normal cells, these mechanisms help regulate cell growth and division. However, in cancer cells, these regulatory systems are often disrupted. For example, the tumor suppressor protein p53 normally acts as a negative feedback regulator by inducing cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in response to DNA damage, but mutations in the p53 gene can disable this protective mechanism.
