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 |
Contact
- Name:
- Victor Jose Yuste Mateos
- Email:
- victor.yuste@uab.cat
Use of Languages
- Principal working language:
- spanish (spa)
Other comments on languages
Some lectures (30%) will be taught in englishTeachers
- Néstor Gomez Trias
- José Miguel Lizcano de Vega
- Jose Manuel Lopez Blanco
- Joan Seoane Suárez
- Victor Jose Yuste Mateos
- Jose Ramon Bayascas Ramirez
- Anna Bassols Serra
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
- Describe, in molecular terms, the mechanisms involved in signal transduction and its alteration in cancer.
- Develop critical reasoning within the subject area and in relation to the scientific or business context.
- Discuss cases of molecular interactions that can trigger physiological reactions.
- Distinguish the mechanisms of action of antitumour drugs.
- Explain how the deregulation of normal processes in a tissue (angiogenesis, metabolism) affects tumour progression and degree of malignancy.
- 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.
- Explain, in molecular terms, the mechanisms that control the cell cycle and genomic integrity.
- Solve problems in new or little-known situations within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to the field of study.
- Understand responses triggered by receptors of growth factors and antiproliferative factors.
- 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.
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.
Tumor heterogeneity (Joan Seoane, VHIO, Barcelona)
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Methodology
Oral lectures and student homework and preparation of different topics that will be discussed at the classroom
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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 | |||
| 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 (minimum required: 80% class attendance and 100% attendance at external seminars)
2.Active participation/intearction during classes and seminars, by adressing questions and comments.
3.Oral presentation/defense of a journal paper.
4.Writing a monograph.
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 monograph or she/he does not defend a journal scientific 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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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 monograph | 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
Software
Slide show from different platforms such as PowerPoint or Adobe, and videos from players like VLC.