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2020/2021

Molecular Bases of Signal Transduction and Cancer

Code: 42893 ECTS Credits: 9
Degree Type Year Semester
4313794 Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biomedicine OT 0 A
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Victor Jose Yuste Mateos
Email:
Victor.Yuste@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
english (eng)

Other comments on languages

80%

Teachers

Néstor Gómez Trias
José Miguel Lizcano de Vega
Jose Manuel Lopez Blanco
Joan Seoane Suárez
Victor Jose Yuste Mateos
Jose Ramon Bayascas Ramirez
Guillermo Yoldi Salinas
Anna Bassols Serra

External teachers

Guillermo Velasco, UCM, Madrid
Miguel F Segura - VHIR Barcelona
Xavier Trepat - IBEC, Barcelona

Prerequisites

This is an advanced course for graduate students in in Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Biomedicine, Genetics, Microbiology, as well as graduates in Medicine and Veterinary.

A comprehensive understanding of Molecular Cell Biology is highly recommended

Specific interest in the subject. Commitment active and dynamic students

High level of English is mandatory (Understanding, spoken writing).

Objectives and Contextualisation

Providing advanced training on the molecular mechanisms involved in signal transduction pathways and in the control of cell proliferation, and how these mechanisms are altered in the cancer cell.

Reviewing and updating key concepts of the field

Defining our current knowledge on the field, as well as identifying critical issues to be investigated.

Competences

  • Analyse and correctly interpret the molecular mechanisms operating in living beings and identify their applications.
  • Analyse and explain normal morphology and physiological processes and their alterations at the molecular level using the scientific method.
  • Develop critical reasoning within the subject area and in relation to the scientific or business context.
  • Identify and propose scientific solutions to problems in molecular-level biological research and show understanding of the biochemical complexity of living beings.
  • Integrate contents in biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology and biomedicine from a molecular perspective.
  • Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  • Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
  • Use and manage bibliography and IT resources related to biochemistry, molecular biology or biomedicine.
  • Use scientific terminology to account for research results and present these orally and in writing.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Describe, in molecular terms, the mechanisms involved in signal transduction and its alteration in cancer.
  2. Develop critical reasoning within the subject area and in relation to the scientific or business context.
  3. Discuss cases of molecular interactions that can trigger physiological reactions.
  4. Distinguish the mechanisms of action of antitumour drugs.
  5. Explain how the deregulation of normal processes in a tissue (angiogenesis, metabolism) affects tumour progression and degree of malignancy.
  6. Explain the importance of tumoral stem cells in the process of tumoral progression and the relation to to the processes of cell differentiation and cell death.
  7. Explain, in molecular terms, the mechanisms that control the cell cycle and genomic integrity.
  8. Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
  9. Understand responses triggered by receptors of growth factors and antiproliferative factors.
  10. Use acquired knowledge as a basis for originality in the application of ideas, often in a research context.
  11. Use and manage bibliography and IT resources related to biochemistry, molecular biology or biomedicine.
  12. Use scientific terminology to account for research results and present these orally and in writing.

Content

Introduction (Victor J. Yuste)

Protein kinases (Nestor Gomez). Structure, classification, regulation and its role in cancer.

MAP kinases and Protein phosphatases in cancer (Nestor Gomez).  MAP kinases function. Regulation of MAP kinases activity and subcellular localization. Phosphatases: Classification, structure and regulationInhibitors. Kinases and Phosphatases in cancer

The PI3-kinase pathway (Jose Miguel Lizcano).  The discovery of the PI3-kinase pathway. Role of the PI3-K signalling pathway on the activation of the AGC protein kinases Akt (PKB), and p70S6K.

mTOR and PDK1 signaling to the AGC kinases (Jose Ramon Bayascas). The PDK1 signalling network. Regulation of mTORC1 by nutrients. Insights into the regulation of mTORC2.

The stromal component of tumors (Anna Bassols). Molecular mechanisms mediating cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions. Components of the tumor stroma. How the stroma influences tumor biology and behaviour.

The LBK1-AMPK- mTOR pathway (Jose Miguel Lizcano). The signaling pathway regulated by the tumour suppressor protein kinase LKB1.

Tumor supresor genes (Jose Ramon Bayascas). Generalities. Tumor suppressor genes in cell cycle, signalling, DNA repair, DNA methylation and as microRNAs.

Apoptosis and its role in cancer tumorigenesis and resistance (Victor Yuste). Signal transduction in apoptosis. Necroapoptosis or programmed necrotic cell death. Senescence and its alteration in cell death. Apoptosis and cancer: importance of genome degradation in chemotherapy.

Cancer epigenetics (Nestor Gomez) DNA Methylation. Chromatin/Histonemodifications. Epigenetics in cancer and cell signalling.

Transcriptional and translational control and cancer (Jose Manuel López)

Therapeutic strategies (Anna Bassols)  Radiotherapy. Chemotherapy. Hormone therapy. Immunotherapy. Some examples of targeted therapy.

Immunotherapy and cancer (Guillermo Yoldi)

Tumor heterogeneity (Joan Seoane, VHIO, Barcelona)

microRNAs in cancer (Miguel Segura, VHIR Barcelona) Application of microRNAs in diagnosis and treatment of cancer

Autophagy and cancer (Guillermo Velasco, UCM, Madrid)

Mechanisms of resistance of cancer therapies (Violeta Serra; VHIO, Barcelona).  Predicting pathways for breast cancer resistance to Pi3-K/Akt/mTOR inhibitors

 

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*Unless the requirements enforced by the health authorities demand a prioritization or reduction of these contents.

Methodology

Oral lectures and student homework and preparation of different topics that will be discusses ath the classroom

 

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*The proposed teaching methodology may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities.

 

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Lectures 45 1.8 9, 1, 4, 7, 6, 8
Type: Supervised      
Supervised work 52.5 2.1 9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 6, 8, 11, 12
Type: Autonomous      
Homework 125.5 5.02 9, 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12

Assessment

Evaluation will be the result of:

1.Class attendance

2.Active participation/intearction during classes and seminars, by adressing questions and comments.

3.Oral presentation/defense of a journal paper.

4.Writing a scientific report

The student will not be evaluated ("Non-evaluable" mark) if misses more than 20% of the lectures, or in case she/he does not write a scientific project or she/he does not defend a journal paper.

Important: If plagiarism is detected in any of the works submitted, the student will fail the whole module!

Retake process:  To be eligible for the retake process, the student should have been previously evaluated in a set of activities equaling at least two thirds of the final score of the course or module. Thus, the student will be graded as "No Avaluable" if the weighthin of all conducted evaluation activities is less than 67% of the final score.

 

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*Student’s assessment may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities.

 

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Oral criticism of a journal paper. 30% 1 0.04 9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12
Oral presentation of a journal paper. 30% 1 0.04 9, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 6, 8, 11, 12
Writing a scientific report 40% 0 0 9, 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12

Bibliography

Molecular Biology of the Cell. Alberts et al. Garland Science. (2007). 5ed.

The Biology of Cancer. Weinberg. Garland Science. (2013). 2ed.

Targeting protein kinases for cancer therapy. Matthews and Gerritsen. Wiley. (2010). 1ed.

Cell Signalling.Wendell, Mayer and Pawson. Garland Science (2014). 1ed

Cancer Biology. King and Robins. Pearson Education. (2006) 3ed.

Signal Transduction in Cancer. Edited by David Frank. Kluwer Academic.(2003). (Access from the browser www.bib.uab.cat).

Molecular Biology of Human Cancers. Edited by Wolfgang Schultz. Kluwer Academic. (2006). (Access from the browser www.bib.uab.cat).

 

Jourmals devoted to cancer research:

Cancer Cell

Nature Reviews Cancer

BBA Reviews on Cancer

Cancer Treatment Reviews

Nature Reviews in Drug Discovery

Cancer Discovery