PATHOLOGY
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Full programme
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
Students are required to possess the basic principles of the following fields: cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, microbiology, physiology.
A strong background in immunology is required.
The student must pass an oral exam that concerns questions related to the theoretical aspects of general pathology; knowledge acquisition and understanding (40%) and application of the knowledge acquired (30%), making judgments (10%), communication skills (10%) and learning ability (10%).
Precision in terminology and content correctness are required to pass the exam.
Ability to integrate the different knowledge acquired and contents will be considered to get higher marks (29-30 and honors).
The course introduces the students to the understanding of the mechanisms and phenomena underlying human pathologies. In particular, the course will allow the students to know the cellular and molecular alterations of the state of health; to know the main exogenous and endogenous causes of disease; to know the fundamental mechanisms of disease and the biological mechanisms of defense, adaptation to damage, regeneration, and repair. At the end of the course the student must understand how:
i) the etiological agents of disease, whether of an exogenous or endogenous nature, are translated into pathological events through complex cellular and molecular mechanisms.
ii) these mechanisms determine the organism's response to damage: adaptation, cell death.
iii) the state of disease results from the interaction of the causes with the body's cellular and molecular regulatory mechanisms.
iv) the triggering of the pathophysiological regulatory circuits generating/contributing the general pathology.
Basics of pathology: etiology, pathogenesis, cell injuries, cell adaptation.
Cell death mechanisms: necrosis and apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, anoikis,
methuosis, NETosis, immunogenic cell death.
Aging and senescence. Senescent-Associated-Secretory-Phenotype (SASP).
Intracellular accumulations: lipids, proteins, hyaline change, glycogen, pigments. Pathological
calcifications.
Acute inflammation: vascular events, immunological events, chemical mediators. Patterns of
acute inflammation. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of cell migration.
Chronic inflammation: cellular and molecular mediators, systemic effects of inflammation, consequences of defective or excessive inflammation. Fibrosis with a focus on cardiac fibrosis (cellular and molecular drivers).
Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.
Tissue renewal, regeneration, and repair. Mechanisms of tissue and organ regeneration: cellular, molecular and biochemical mediators. Atherosclerosis (ATS): cellular and molecular mechanisms. Immunology of ATS. Asymptomatic Vs symptomatic ATS. Plaque generation and composition. ATS plaque fate and clinical relevance.
Diabetes. Mechanisms of action of insulin and glucagon. Type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes. Other types of diabetes. Short-term and long-term diabetes associated complications (macrovascular and microvascular).
Cancers. Definition and classification of cancers. Staging and grading. Epidemiology of cancer. Risk factors. Genetics and environment contribution to cancer. Molecular basis of cancers: oncogenes (classification, molecular mechanisms and specific examples) and tumor-suppressor genes (classification, molecular mechanisms and specific examples). Oncogenic viruses (classification, molecular mechanisms and specific examples).
Metastasis. Basic concepts: migration, invasion, and metastasis. The metastatic cascade: cellular and molecular events. Induction of the metastatic phenotype: clonal evolution model, metastatic gene signature, cancer stem cells. Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and metastasis. Metastasis and organotropisms (oligo Vs poli-metastatic tropism). Spread of malignant tumors: local spread, lymphatic spread, blood (haematogenous) spread,
transcoelomic spread, Intraepithelial spread. Pre-metastatic niche: cellular and molecular effectors.
Tumor angiogenesis: cellular and molecular mechanisms, experimental procedures to study
angiogenesis (in vitro and in vivo).
Tumor Microenvironment (TME): overview of major soluble factors, cancer associated fibroblasts, cancer stem cells.
Innate immune cell polarization in pathophysiology. Monocytes subsets, macrophages subsets, neutrophil subsets, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MO-MDSCs, PMN-MDSCs), innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), natural killer cell subsets. Strategies to modulate immune cell polarization.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs). EV genesis and classification. EVs cargos. Techniques to isolate
and characterize EVs.
3D models in cancer biology: spheroids, multicellular spheroids, organoids .
Animal models in cancer biology: chemical carcinogenesis, xenograftsm, GEMM, humanized mice.
Biomarkers. Introduction to biomarkers in pathology. Features of the “perfect biomarker”. Biomarkers for prevention, early detection, diagnosis and prognosis. Biomarker localization in cells and tissues. Circulating biomarkers and liquid biopsy-based approaches.
Advanced Flow cytometry in general pathology.
Clinical pathology and laboratory medicine. Laboratory test features. The relevance of the sample processing (blood and tissue samples). Enzymes in clinical pathology.
Seminars by external speakers.
Basics of pathology: etiology, pathogenesis, cell injuries, cell adaptation.
Cell death mechanisms: necrosis and apoptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, anoikis,
methuosis, NETosis, immunogenic cell death.
Aging and senescence. Senescent-Associated-Secretory-Phenotype (SASP).
Intracellular accumulations: lipids, proteins, hyaline change, glycogen, pigments. Pathological
calcifications.
Acute inflammation: vascular events, immunological events, chemical mediators. Patterns of
acute inflammation. Cellular and molecular mechanisms of cell migration.
Chronic inflammation: cellular and molecular mediators, systemic effects of inflammation, consequences of defective or excessive inflammation. Fibrosis with a focus on cardiac fibrosis (cellular and molecular drivers).
Vasculogenesis and angiogenesis.
Tissue renewal, regeneration, and repair. Mechanisms of tissue and organ regeneration: cellular, molecular and biochemical mediators. Atherosclerosis (ATS): cellular and molecular mechanisms. Immunology of ATS. Asymptomatic Vs symptomatic ATS. Plaque generation and composition. ATS plaque fate and clinical relevance.
Diabetes. Mechanisms of action of insulin and glucagon. Type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes. Other types of diabetes. Short-term and long-term diabetes associated complications (macrovascular and microvascular).
Cancers. Definition and classification of cancers. Staging and grading. Epidemiology of cancer. Risk factors. Genetics and environment contribution to cancer. Molecular basis of cancers: oncogenes (classification, molecular mechanisms and specific examples) and tumor-suppressor genes (classification, molecular mechanisms and specific examples). Oncogenic viruses (classification, molecular mechanisms and specific examples).
Metastasis. Basic concepts: migration, invasion, and metastasis. The metastatic cascade: cellular and molecular events. Induction of the metastatic phenotype: clonal evolution model, metastatic gene signature, cancer stem cells. Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and metastasis. Metastasis and organotropisms (oligo Vs poli-metastatic tropism). Spread of malignant tumors: local spread, lymphatic spread, blood (haematogenous) spread,
transcoelomic spread, Intraepithelial spread. Pre-metastatic niche: cellular and molecular effectors.
Tumor angiogenesis: cellular and molecular mechanisms, experimental procedures to study
angiogenesis (in vitro and in vivo).
Tumor Microenvironment (TME): overview of major soluble factors, cancer associated fibroblasts, cancer stem cells.
Innate immune cell polarization in pathophysiology. Monocytes subsets, macrophages subsets, neutrophil subsets, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MO-MDSCs, PMN-MDSCs), innate lymphoid cells (ILCs), natural killer cell subsets. Strategies to modulate immune cell polarization.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs). EV genesis and classification. EVs cargos. Techniques to isolate
and characterize EVs.
3D models in cancer biology: spheroids, multicellular spheroids, organoids .
Animal models in cancer biology: chemical carcinogenesis, xenograftsm, GEMM, humanized mice.
Biomarkers. Introduction to biomarkers in pathology. Features of the “perfect biomarker”. Biomarkers for prevention, early detection, diagnosis and prognosis. Biomarker localization in cells and tissues. Circulating biomarkers and liquid biopsy-based approaches.
Advanced Flow cytometry in general pathology.
Clinical pathology and laboratory medicine. Laboratory test features. The relevance of the sample processing (blood and tissue samples). Enzymes in clinical pathology.
Seminars by external speakers.
The course objectives will be achieved through frontal lessons and seminars for a total of 48 hours. Given the extended area and complexity of the topics and the rapid evolution of modern pathology, the attendance of the lessons is highly recommended.
Dr. Bruno will receive students by phone call or web meeting, after making an appointment by e-mail.
e-mail: antonino.bruno@uninsubria.it