- Docente: Pier Luigi Lollini
- Credits: 6
- SSD: MED/04
- Language: Italian
- Moduli: Pier Luigi Lollini (Modulo 1) Patrizia Nanni (Modulo 2)
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures (Modulo 1) Traditional lectures (Modulo 2)
- Campus: Bologna
- Corso: Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Molecular and industrial biotechnology (cod. 8022)
Learning outcomes
At the end the student will know the transformed phenotype, the pathogenesis of cancer, including the interactions with the microenvironment and the immune system, and molecular cancer progression up to the metastatic diffusion. The student will be able to identify the phases of development and the tumor types relevant to human oncology and to define molecular targets for innovative targeted therapies.
Course contents
Note: The course is fully integrated. The following syllabus includes both parts, conventionally referred to as "Molecular Oncology 1" and "Molecular Oncology 2".
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
Readings/Bibliography
- Robbins. Kumar & Klatt. Il manuale di patologia generale e anatomia patologica. Edra Masson.
- Pontieri, Russo, Frati: Patologia Generale (only chapters on oncology), Piccin.
- Boyle, Levin: World Cancer Report 2008. IARC. PDF liberamente scaricabile da www.iarc.fr
- Weinberg: The Biology of Cancer, Garland Science.
- Pecorino: Molecular Biology of Cancer, Oxford University Press.
- DeVita, Lawrence, Rosenberg: Cancer, Principles and Practice of Oncology, LWW.
Teaching methods
Lectures
Assessment methods
The oral exam will cover all the subjects of the course. The
student has to answer questions to demonstrate his/her knowledge of
speciifc subjects, the ability to understand the
links between different parts of the course, and the use
of appropriate terminology
Teaching tools
All the slides and other teaching tools used for lectures are made available to the students.
Links to further information
Office hours
See the website of Pier Luigi Lollini
See the website of Patrizia Nanni