01132 - Molecular Pathology - Immunology (Integrated Course) (LZ-B)

Academic Year 2018/2019

  • Docente: Patrizia Nanni
  • Credits: 5
  • Language: Italian
  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: Single cycle degree programme (LMCU) in Medicine and Surgery (cod. 8415)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student knows the mechanism through which genomic alterations cause diseases; the phenotype of  tumor cells, the origin and natural history of tumors within the framework of cancer prevention and innovative preclinical approaches to the control of cancer; the student is able to apply this knowledge to specific pathologies.

Course contents

The following syllabus includes the entire program of the Basic Oncology module. The integrated course also includes Immunology and Genetic Pathology.

Introduction, definitions and classification
    Basic Oncology and Medical Oncology
    The size of the problem
    Benign and malignant tumors

Tumors are genic diseases
    Oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, "gatekeepers" and "caretakers"
    Mechanisms of cancer gene activation/inactivation and their consequences
    Therapeutic implications of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes
    Genetic predispositions

The neoplastic phenotype
    Growth - Differentiation - Cell death
    Genomic instability
    Morphological and metabolic features

Natural history
    Monoclonality - Heterogeneity
    Preneoplastic lesions
    Progression

*The causes of cancer
    Exogenous and endogenous carcinogens
    Biological and molecular mechanisms of physical, chemical and biological carcinogenesis
    Cancer epidemiology
 *Primary, secondary and tertiary cancer prevention. Chemoprevention. Immunoprevention

Tumor-host relationships
    Angiogenesis
    The metastatic process
    Paraneoplastic syndromes
    Tumor immunology

*Fundamentals of cancer therapy Basis and molecular/biological mechanisms of cancer therapy: radiation therapy, drugs, biological and immunological agents, gene therapy

 

*= see course contents of Prof. Pier-Luigi Lollini


Readings/Bibliography

Note: english-speaking students can use original versions of the books, when available.

Recommended

Robbins. Kumar & Klatt. Il manuale di patologia generale e anatomia patologica. Edra Masson


Alternative

Pontieri, Patologia generale, Piccin

Teaching methods

Lectures.

Assessment methods

Final examination aims to assess the achievement of learning objectives, and therefore the knowledge of the main subjects in:

  • Immunology
  • Genetic pathology
  • Basic oncology, with special emphasis  on molecular oncology

The final grade takes into account the synthesis of final evaluations of different subjects belonging to the integrated course of Immunology and Molecular Pathology. Each single evaluation (performed as oral test) is integrated in order to obtain the unique final grade (maximum 30 points). Such grade is the CFU-weighted average of grades obtained in specific questions on main objectives of the integrated course (10 CFU), which consists of the following three subjects: Immunology (5 CFU), Genetic Pathology and Oncology (5 CFU).

Examination is passed if the vote in each subjects is not lower than 18 points.


Teaching tools

All the slides used are available for download from the Campus web site.

Links to further information

http://www.lollini.it/

Office hours

See the website of Patrizia Nanni