LEARNING OUTCOMES

Molecular Oncology Cancer represents a special type of pathology that can be potentially dangerous even when affecting only an individual cell. At a molecular (biochemical-interactions) level, fundamental cellular functions (proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, tissue architecture) are controlled by networks of signaling-proteins. Signaling-proteins networks decide when and in which way a cell will activate the above mentioned basic cellular functions. Special discrete sets of mutations / alterations, inheritable at the somatic level, from a parental to a daughter cell, can give origin to new progressively transformed cells, endowed with more permissive controls of these same functions. We want the student to learn the basic features of this pre-neoplastic and subsequently neoplastic transformation process. By about ten years, medicinal chemistry has started to discover selective inhibitors of altered signaling-proteins affected by excess of function (especially kinase inhibitors). We want the student to enter the world of possible selective corrections of altered pathways and altered signaling-network sub-regions. Molecular Immunology This course is aimed to provide a broad view of the current knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the antigen-specific immune response and in innate immunity. Examples of translational applications of this basic knowledge to biotechnology approaches of therapy and diagnosis in neoplastic and immune-mediated diseases will be discussed.