Cancer and Radiobiology
Code: 42942 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4313782 Cytogenetics and Reproductive Biology | OT | 0 | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Anna Genescà Garrigosa
- Email:
- Anna.Genesca@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- catalan (cat)
Teachers
- Rosa Caballín Fernández
- Anna Genescà Garrigosa
- Montserrat Solanas García
- Joan Francesc Barquinero Estruch
- Laura Tusell Padrós
- Irmgard Costa Trachsel
- Iolanda Álvarez Cobo
- Marta Martín Flix
- Jordi Camps Polo
- Raquel Moral Cabrera
- Itziar Salaverria Frigola
- Mariona Terradas Ill
External teachers
- Beatriz Bellosillo
- Margarita Ortega
Prerequisites
There are not
Objectives and Contextualisation
- To recognize chromosome and molecular alterations related to specific cancer types and to understand their importance for diagnosis and prognostics.
- To explain the molecular bases of breast cancer, including genetic, epigenetic, and hormonal changes, as well as the influence of environmental factors.
- To know the biological effects of ionizing radiation interaction with DNA.
Competences
- Apply the basic tools of statistical analysis in cytogenetics and reproductive biology.
- Apply the scientific method and critical reasoning to problem solving.
- Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
- Design experiments, analyse data and interpret findings.
- Identify and take into account the genetic, epigenetic and hormonal changes involved in the development of cancer in pursuit of a correct diagnosis and prognosis (Specialisation in Cytogenetics).
- Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
- Interpret, resolve and report on clinical cases or scientific findings in the area of the master's degree.
- 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 or ICT resources in the master's programme, in one's first language and in English.
- Use creative, organisational and analytic skills when taking decisions.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply the scientific method and critical reasoning to problem solving.
- Communicate and justify conclusions clearly and unambiguously to both specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- Continue the learning process, to a large extent autonomously.
- Describe the importance of chromosomal and molecule alterations in the diagnosis of certain cancers and their prognosis factor.
- Design experiments, analyse data and interpret findings.
- Explain the biological effects of the interaction of ionising radiations with DNA.
- Integrate knowledge and use it to make judgements in complex situations, with incomplete information, while keeping in mind social and ethical responsibilities.
- 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 or ICT resources in the master's programme, in one's first language and in English.
- Use creative, organisational and analytic skills when taking decisions.
- Use statistical methods to estimate, through biological methods, the dose of exposure to ionising radiation.
- Write articles or report scientific findings in the area of cancer or radiobiology.
Content
Part 1: Genetics of cancer: solid tumors and hematologic neoplasms
The unstable genome of tumoral cells, telomeric dysfunction, and chromosome instability. Cancer genomics. The colorectal cancer models, lung cancer, and urological tumors. Patterns of intratumoral heterogeneity. Treatment of cancer in the era of personalized medicine. Methodology for the analysis of the genome of the tumor cell (PA). Genetics of mesenchymal and epithelial solid tumors. Genetics of hematological neoplasms. Acute leukemia, an example of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Chronic leukemia, an example of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Lymphomas.
Part 2: Molecular mechanisms of breast cancer
Molecular mechanisms of cancer. The example of breast cancer. Embryology and functional morphology of the normal breast and morphologic changes in breast cancer. Physiology of the normal mammary gland and pathophysiology of breast cancer. Genetic and epigenetic factors. Endocrine factors. Environmental factors and lifestyle. Clinical Basis of Breast Pathology. Biological diagnosis, prognosis, and predictive factors. Hereditary breast cancer.
Part 3: Radiobiology
Introduction to ionizing radiations and radioprotection. Induced DNA lesions and repair mechanisms. Radioinduced chromosome aberrations. Biological dosimetry (aberrations, methods of analysis, dose-effect curves, partial exposures). Radioprotectors and chromosome sensitivity. Telomeres, repair, and radiosensitivity. Effects of low-dose exposures. Aging and radiosensitivity.
Unless the restrictions imposed by the health authorities oblige a prioritization or reduction of contents, these are the contents that will be treated in this module of the master.
Methodology
The teaching methodology will consist of:
1.- Master lessons.
2.- Classroom practices
3.- Laboratory practices
3.- Discussion of scientific papers. Students must have read the papers beforehand to discuss them in class.
4.- Presentation of assignments
The proposed teaching methodology may experience some modifications depending on the restrictions to face-to-face activities enforced by health authorities.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Activities
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Master classes | 40 | 1.6 | 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| Type: Supervised | |||
| Homework presentation and scientific articles discussion | 17 | 0.68 | 1, 5, 11, 13, 7, 2, 3, 10, 12 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Scientific papers reading and study | 82 | 3.28 | 7, 3, 10 |
Assessment
To pass the subject, a minimum mark of 5 out of 10 is required. The course consists of three lessons with a weight, in time, of about 40% for lesson 1, 35% for lesson 2, and 25% for lesson 3. This weight will be maintained for the establishment of the final score, considering that attendance and active participation represents 10% of the final grade of each subject. The evaluation will consist of different types of tests: exams, preparation, and presentation of assignments and/or the resolution of problems and questions.
The students that did not pass, have the opportunity of a retake that will consist of a written exam, where the three topics will be weighted in a balanced way. To participate in the retake, the students must have been previously evaluated in a set of activities whose weight equals a minimum of two-thirds of the total grade of the subject or module. Therefore, students will obtain the "No Evaluable" qualification when the assessment activities carried out have a weight less than 67% in the final mark.
Student’s assessments 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance and active participation | 10% | 3 | 0.12 | 1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13, 7, 8, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12 |
| Examination | 35% | 4 | 0.16 | 4, 6, 8, 2, 9, 10 |
| Homework presentation | 55% | 4 | 0.16 | 1, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13, 7, 8, 2, 3, 9, 10, 12 |
Bibliography
- Andersson AK et al (2015). The landscape of somatic mutations in infant MLL-rearranged acute lymphoblastic leukemias. Nature genetics 47(4): 330-337
- Arber DA etal. 2016). The 2016 revision to the World Health Organization classification of myeloid neoplasms and acute leukemia. Blood (127(20): 2391-405
- Arber DA etal. (2017) Initial diagnostic workup of acute leukemia: guideline from the college of American pathologists and the American society of hematology. Arch Pathol Lab Med 141(10) 1342-93
- Crasta K, Ganem NJ, Dagher R, Lantermann AB, Ivanova EV, Pan Y, Nezi L, Protopopov A, Chowdhury D,Pellman D. DNA breaks and chromosome pulverization from errors in mitosis. Nature. 2012 Jan 18;482(7383):53-8.
- Croce CM (2008). Molecular origins of cancer: Oncogenes and cancer. N Engl J Med. 358(5):502-11.
- Chiang AC, Massagué J (2008). Molecular basis of metastasis. N Engl J Med. 359(26):2814-23.
- Cytogenetic Dosimetry. Applications in preparedness for and response to radiation emergencies.EPR-Biodosimetry. IAEA, Vienna 2011.
- DePinho RA. The age of cancer. Nature. 2000 Nov 9;408(6809):248-54.
- Díaz-Chico B.N., Navarro D., Díaz Chico J.C., Escrich E.. Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators. A New Brand of Multitarget Drugs, págs. 3-47. En: Molecular mechanisms of estrogen acting in target tissues. Editores: A. Cano, J. Calaf, J.L. Dueñas. Ed. Springer-Verlag 2006.
- Sharma S, Kelly TK, Jones PA (2009). Epigenetics in Cancer. Carcinogenesis. 2009 Sep 13.
- Stingl J, Caldas C (2007). Molecular heterogeneity of breast carcinomas and the cancer stem cell hypothesis.Nat Rev Cancer. 7(10):791-9.
- Russo IH, Russo J (1998). Role of hormones in mammary cancer initiation and progression. JMammaryGland Biol Neoplasia. 3(1):49-61.
- Escrich E, Solanas M, Moral R (2006). Olive oil, and other dietary lipids, in cancer: experimental approachesIn Quiles JL, Ramirez-Tortosa MC, Yaqoob P (eds.) Olive Oil and Health. CAB International, Oxfordshire, pp.317-374.
- Heim S & Mitelman Eds.(2015). Chromosomal and Molecular Genetic aberration of tumor cells. Wiley-Blackwell. Four Edition
- Hunger SP. & Mulligan CG (2015). Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Children. N Engl J Med 373;16
- Moral R, Escrich E. Epigenética en cáncer de mama. Págs. 20-28. . En “Factores pronósticos y predictivos en cáncer de mama. Una visión evolutiva de la morfología a la genética”. Edita: Fundación Española de Senología y Patología Mamaria. Depósito Legal: V-2186-2017.
- Nergadze SG, Santagostino MA, Salzano A, Mondello C, Giulotto E. Contribution of telomerase RNAretrotranscription to DNA double-strand break repair during mammalian genome evolution. Genome Biol. 2007;8(12):R260.
- Pui, Ching-Hon, ed (2012). Childhood leukemias [Recurs electrònic] / Cambridge University Press, cop,3rd ed.
- Radiobiology for the radiologist. E.J. Hall i A.J. Giaccia. Ed. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Sixth Edition, 2006.
- Sachs R & Brenner D.Chromosome aberrations produced by ionizing radiation: Quantitative studies. NCBIbooks. http://web.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/bv.fcgi?rid=mono_002
- Sedelnikova OA, Horikawa I, Redon C, Nakamura A, Zimonjic DB, Popescu NC, Bonner WM. Delayedkinetics of DNA double-strand break processing in normal and pathological aging. Aging Cell. 2008 Jan;7(1):89-100.
Software
Web-based CNApp and MUSICA tools