84357 - General Pathology

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows the biological basis of the pathological manifestations, the etiological agents and the pathogenetic mechanisms responsible for the alterations of the homeostasis and the onset of the diseases. In parallel, it acquires elements of medical terminology and principles of pathophysiology in order to be able to then apply them for the study of the drug-toxicological disciplines and in the professional field.

Course contents

INTRODUCTION

Areas of study of pathology and general pathophysiology. Concept of health, pathological process and disease; etiology, pathogenesis, evolution; progression and outcomes.

IMMUNOLOGY AND IMMUNOPATHOLOGY

Cells and tissues of the immune system.

Innate immune response. The complement system.

Adaptive immune response. Antigens and antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies. Immunologic tolerance.

Hypersensitivity reactions. Transplant rejection. Immunodeficiencies.

INFLAMMATION

Etiology and classification of acute inflammation, chemical mediators, vascular changes and exudate formation, cellular events and phagocytosis.

Chronic and granulomatous inflammation.

Tissue repair and wound healing, fibrosis.

Systemic manifestations of inflammation: acute phase response and fever.

CELLULAR PATHOLOGY

Cellular adaptations and damages.

Pathologies from cellular accumulation.

Cellular degenerations. Cellular death: apoptosis and necrosis

GENETIC DISEASES

Structural and numerical chromosome abnormalities.

Monogenic diseases: autosomal dominant, recessive, linked to the X chromosome.

Multifactorial diseases

ONCOLOGY

Introduction, definitions and classification: the size of the problem. Benign and malignant neoplasms. Tumor classification.

The molecular basis of cancer: oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes: mechanisms and therapeutic implication. Genetic predispositions.

Natural history: monoclonality, heterogeneity, preneoplastic lesions. Angiogenesis. Metastatic process.

The causes of cancer: biological and molecular mechanisms of physical, chemical and biological carcinogenesis.

Fundamentals of cancer therapy. Tumor immunology.

Readings/Bibliography

1) Kumar, Abbas, Aster. Robbins&Cotran, Pathologic Basis of disease. Tenth edition

2) Tak W. Mak, Mary E. Saunders, Bradley D. Jett. Primer to the Immune Response. Second Edition

3) Lollini P-L. Cellular & Molecular ONCOLOGY A CONCISE PRIMER. First Edition (available on https://virtuale.unibo.it/)

Teaching methods

The course is divided into lectures (64 hours) held through the use of power points. Power Point support will be utilized during the lessons and a copy of it will be available for the Students.

 

As concerns the teaching methods of this course unit, all students (including all the international incoming exchange students, i.e. ERASMUS) must attend Module 1, 2 online [https://www.unibo.it/it/servizi-e-opportunita/salute-e-assistenza/salute-e-sicurezza/sicurezza-e-salute-nei-luoghi-di-studio-e-tirocinio], while Module 3 on health and safety is to be attended in class. Information about Module 3 attendance schedule is available on the website of your degree programme ("studiare"--"formazione obbligatoria su sicurezza e salute").

Assessment methods

The assessment of learning for the General Pathology course — Module 1 and Module 2 — will be carried out at the end of the course through an oral examination, aimed at evaluating the knowledge acquired on the topics covered during the course.

The examination will be considered passed with a mark of 18/30 or higher. In the event of failure or rejection of the mark, students may retake the examination on the first available date.

To obtain the final mark for the Molecular and Clinical Pathology (C.I.) examination, students must pass, with a mark of 18/30 or higher, both General Pathology and Basis of Clinical and Molecular Biology. The final mark will be calculated as a weighted average, based on the number of credits/CFU, of the two marks.

Registration through the online examination platform is required in order to take the examination, in compliance with the established deadlines.

Teaching tools

Lectures will be supplied on informatic supports (https://virtuale.unibo.it/)

Office hours

See the website of Alessandro De Vita

See the website of Cecilia Garofalo