Molecular Oncogenesis
Theory: 3 hours/week | ECTS Units: 3
Content – Aim of the course
Recent advances in the fields of Molecular Biology and Genomics during the last 20 years have revolutionized our view regarding oncogenesis, neoplastic progression and interaction of the tumor with its microenvironment, providing an expanding toolbox for molecular diagnostic and personalized therapy purposes. The course addresses undergraduate students that have successfully completed 75% of the required departmental courses from the 1st and 2nd year of their studies. The course is designed to train the students in cutting edge topics of molecular oncogenesis with the aim of generating competitive bio-scientists with specialized knowledge in modern research trends of the field, such as cancer stem cells, cancer epigenetics, tumor microenvironment as well as molecular cancer diagnostics and personalized therapies. In addition, the course includes practical training in cancer databases that organize, browse and analyze cancer genomic data from international consortia
Analytical Description of the Course
- Introduction to molecular oncogenesis and cancer epidemiology
- Cancer cell signaling
- Modification of cancer cell cycle and cytokinesis – cancer cell immortalization
- Regulation of apoptosis and cancer DNA repair pathways
- Genomic instability and tumor evolution
- Cancer stem cells, epigenetics and ncRNAs in cancer
- Cancer cell metabolism and hypoxic signaling
- Tumor microenvironment I
- Tumor microenvironment II
- Molecular neo-angiogenesis and tumor growth
- EMT and cancer cell invasion
- Distant organ metastasis
- Viral- and hormone-induced carcinogenesis
- Molecular cancer diagnostics and personalized therapy
Assessment
Students are assessed after written exams at the end of the course, along with Individual and team essays
Reading Suggestions
- Molecular and Cell biology of Cancer, 2019, (ISBN 9783030118129)
- The Molecular Basis of Human Cancer, 2017, (ISBN 9781597454582)
- Molecular diagnostics in Cancer, 2019, (ISBN 9789811358777)
Teaching Material / E-class
Lecturer
