66430 - Veterinary General Pathology and Molecular Oncogenesis

Learning outcomes

The student knowscell and tissue pathologic processes, in particular molecular pathogenetic processesin regressive, difensive, neoplastic trasformation and in vascular disorders. The student is able torecognize a pathologic process.

Course contents

Veterinary General Pathology

Aims of the course, study materials, books, exam. cell injury, reversible cell injury and irreversible cell injury. Cell adaption, acute cell swelling, vacuolar degeneration. Protein and lipid accumulation. Tissue degeneration. Atrophy, Classification of necrosis. Apoptosis andgangrene. Inflammation: changes in vascular flow and caliber, exudation and leukocyte extravasation, fluid and cellular components of inflammation, molecular basis of inflammation, acute and chronic inflammations. Hypersensitivity reaction I, II, III, and IV type and organ transplant

Molecular oncology

Biology of tumor growth: benign and malignant neoplasms (differentiation, anaplasia, rates of growth, cancer stem cells and cancer cell lineages, local invasion, metastasis). Molecular basis of cancer (essential alterations for malignant transformation, the normal cell cycle, self-sufficiency in growth signals, oncogenes, protooncogenes, oncoprotein, insensitivity to growth inhibitory signals, tumor suppressor genes, evasion of apoptosis, DNA repair defect and genomic instability in cancer cells, telomerase, development of sustained angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, stromal microenvironment and carcinogenesis, dysregulation of cancer-associated genes). Molecular basis of multistep carcinogenesis. Carcinogenic agents and their cellular interaction (chemical carcinogenesis, radiation carcinogenesis, microbial carcinogenesis). Host defense against tumors, tumor immunity (tumor antigens, antitumor effector mechanisms, immune surveillance).Clinical characteristic of tumors. Effect of the tumour in the host. Tumoral grading and staging. Laboratory diagnosis of tumours

Readings/Bibliography

• Robbins e Cotran Pathological basis of disease. Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N. 9° ed, elsevier, 2015.
• Patologia Generale Veterinaria. McGavin, Zachary. Elsevier, 4° ed, 2008
• Files available at Alm@ DL

Teaching methods

The course consists of 40 hours of lectures and 8 hours of practical work.

The lectures are conducted in classroom with the aim of a computer, a projector and when necessary the use of a database of images (Noas'h Arkive), which allow the viewing of microscopic and macroscopic presented lesions. Many videos on youtube are also shown on the topics covered, videos are in English, so in addition to strengthening the visual memory thanks to the animations, the learning of the English language is practiced.
The practical lessons  will be held in a classroom equipped with optical microscopes and a microscope connected to a videocamera and to a projector for interactive explanation of the provided slides. For each slide, the student has at its disposal a card with a description of the preparation and the teacher is available to provide any additional explanation.
The aims of the practical lessons are twofold:
• students acquire familiarity with the optical microscope - acquisition of professional skills;
• students develop the ability to recognize organs and lesions and, to use the appropriate language when describing histological sample - acquisition of diagnostic skills and communication

Assessment methods

For the final exam are provided at least 3 questions. The exam lasts about 30 minutes. To be promoted it is necessary to answer all three questions in a sufficient way or to respond optimally to two out of three questions. To take 30 you need to respond optimally to all the questions.

Teaching tools

Projector connected to a light microscope, PC, youtube video.

Office hours

See the website of Barbara Brunetti