IMMUNOLOGY OF CANCER
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
In order to attend profitably the lessons, the student should be endowed with basic notions in immunology
The final exam consists of an oral test.
Immunology of cancer deals with the complex relationship between host immune response and the neoplastic disease. Recent advances in this field of research holds promise for fighting cancer. The principal goals of the course are a) to provide the student with a comprehensive knowledge of immunopathology and the underlying immune regulatory circuits b) to provide the student with an updated view of the role of chronic inflammation and acquired immunity in cancer and of recent immunotherapy approaches to manage advanced neoplastic disease. After the course the student should be endowed with a comprehensive knowledge of immunopathology and cancer immunology.
GENERAL IMMUNOPATHOLOGY
Immune regulatory circuits
-innate receptors, pathogen associated molecular patterns PAMP and PRR
-properties and functions of effector T cells
-conventional T helper cells, Th1, Th2 and Th17
-peripheral tolerance, second and third signal in antigen presentation
-regulatory T cells and IL-2
-damage associated molecular patterns DAMPs and sterile inflammation
-M1 and M2, gatekeeper of tissue homeostasis
Hypersensitivity and allergy
type I, II, III and IV
Autoimmunity
-autoimmunity represents a breakdown or failure of the mechanisms of self- tolerance
-epidemiology of autoimmune disorders
-classification of autoimmune diseases
-pathogenic mechanisms of autoimmune disorders
-genetic and environmental basis of autoimmunity
-example of autoimmune diseases
-therapy of autoimmune diseases
Mucosal immunity and gut microbiota
-gut microbiota, general concepts
-functional anatomy of the gastrointestinal tract, a focus on immunity
-gut microbiota and food antigens are somehow tolerated by the host immune system
-individual members of the microbiota produce relevant immunomodulatory effects on host immune system
-gut dysbiosis promoting illness inside and outside the gastrointestinal tract
-the cross-talk between gut microbiota and host physiology is best understood as a matter of developmental biology
-microbiota and cancer therapy
IMMUNOLOGY OF CANCER
Tumor antigens
-immunosourvelliance theory statements and previsions
-experimental data supporting the theory in the murine model
-the theory applied in human oncology
-tumor antigens (tumor-specific or tumor-associated)
-discovery of tumor antigens
-generation of acquired responses against the cancer
immunotherapy of cancer
-cancer immunotherapy, general principles
-cancer vaccines
-adoptive cell transfer (ACT)
-immune checkpoints inhibitors
-CTLA-4 pathway in cancer immunotherapy
-PD-1 pathway in cancer immunotherapy
-chimeric antigen receptors CARs in cancer therapy
-future prospects: biomarkers and combination therapies
Cancer cachexia
-cancer cachexia, clinical definition
-mechanisms of cancer cachexia
-inflammation is regarded as the main driving force behind cancer cachexia
-molecular mediators of cancer cachexia
-cancer cachexia and muscle atrophy
-altered metabolism, atrophy/browning of adipose tissue and resting energy expenditure REE
-approaches to the therapy of cancer cachexia
immunopathology section:
Kuby Immunology W. H. Freeman and Company, New York
Kenneth Murphy, Casey Weaver Janeway’s immunobiology Garland Sciences
Peter Parham The immune system Garland Sciences
Immunology of cancer section:
Robert Weinberg The biology of cancer Garland Sciences
Reviews or original papers on the subject and lecture’s files provided by the teacher on the e-learning platform
The course consists of lectures (32 hours, 4 CFU).
Students may communicate with the teacher through the university E-mail address. The gathering place is the teacher’s study office in Busto Arsizio.