GENERAL PATHOLOGY
To take the General Pathology exam you must have passed the Biology and Genetics and Physiology exams.
The exam will consist of an oral exam, at least two questions, in which the student will be asked to demonstrate the knowledge about the program he is doing. The purpose of the exam is to verify the level of achievement of the training objectives stated previously. The exam results will be in thirty points, and to pass the exam, the student must score at least 18 (eighteen).
General Pathology is a multidisciplinary science of medicine that studies the etiology and pathogenesis of diseases and in particular the reactivity of the organism and in cases where such reactivity is not adequate or insufficient, the mechanisms that determine the persistence of the pathological condition.
The course therefore aims to provide knowledge of the causes and mechanisms of the diseases and the alterations that derive from them at a tissue, cellular and molecular level.
This course represents a fundamental teaching for Medicine and Surgery as it provides a set of knowledge that connects the biological and clinical-surgical disciplines.
At the end of the course, the student must demonstrate that he knows:
1) explain the functioning of cellular responses to stress and pathological stimuli; cellular adaptations to stress; of necrosis; apoptosis; necroptosis, autophagy and cellular aging;
2) describe the different cellular and tissue mechanisms implemented during acute inflammation, chronic inflammation, tissue repair, cell regeneration and angiogenesis;
3) illustrate and explain the various types of the major cells of the immune system: innate response and adaptive response, phagocytes, receptors and cytokines, T and B cells, antibody response, the major histocompatibility complex (MHC or HLA) system;
4) critically discuss the functions of T helper cells and their subtypes (Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg), their cooperation with B cells and cytolytic T cells (CTLs), and memory responses in the normal functioning of the immune system;
5) know how to illustrate and explain the various pathologies of the immune system: hypersensitivity reactions, autoimmunity, transplant and immune reactions, and some types of immunodeficiencies;
6) critically discussing the characteristics of benign and malignant tumors; of the metastatic process; carcinogenesis and the molecular basis of cancer, protooncogenes, oncogenes, oncosuppressors, anti-cancer immune responses or immunosurveillance, the main mechanisms of tumor evasion from immune recognition; innovative biological therapies against cancer, microbial oncogenesis: viruses and bacteria;
7) critically discuss and explain general concepts of the pathophysiology of the oral cavity: diseases of the teeth and supporting structures, inflammatory lesions, major infections of the oral cavity, oral manifestations during systemic pathology, and precancerous and cancerous lesions.
The lectures will address the following topics:
Cell damage, death and adaptation: Cellular responses to stress and pathological stimuli; cellular adaptations to stress; free radicals of oxygen and oxidative stress; cell damage and cell death; cell damage mechanisms; necrosis; apoptosis or programmed cell death, etiology and mechanisms; necroptosis; autophagy; cellular aging.
Inflammation and tissue repair: acute inflammation; vascular and cellular events; leukocyte recruitment and activation; inflammation mediators; inflammasome; cellular mediators, cytokines and chemokines; plasma protein mediators: the quinine and coagulation system and notes on the complement system; chronic inflammation; cells and mediators involved; granulomatous inflammation; systemic effects of inflammation; septic shock and disseminated intravascular coagulation; anaphylactic shock; tissue repair; cell and tissue regeneration; stamina cells; the extracellular matrix; healing; angiogenesis, fibrosis.
Immune system disorders: hypersensitivity reactions and immune-mediated damage mechanism; autoimmunity; etiology and pathogenetic mechanisms; transplant rejection; effector mechanisms; methods to increase the survival of transplants; hematopoietic stem transplant; immunodeficiency diseases.
Neoplasms: nomenclature; characteristics of benign and malignant tumors; metastases; epidemiology; inheritance; carcinogenesis and molecular basis of cancer; genetic lesions in tumors; carcinogenesis and multistep process; distinctive features of tumors; cancer etiology; oncogene virus and Helicobatcer pylori in carcinogenesis; clinical aspects of neoplasms; host defenses against tumors: anti-tumor immunity or immunosurveillance; mechanisms of tumor evasion from immune recognition; humoral and cellular responses against cancer; innovative biological therapies against cancer.
General concepts of the pathophysiology of the oral cavity: diseases of the teeth and supporting structures, inflammatory lesions, major infections of the oral cavity, oral manifestations during systemic pathology, and precancerous and cancerous lesions.
The course consists of 36 hours of frontal lessons (6 CFU). These lessons will be supported by power point slides projection.
The lecturer is available for further information or clarification on topics discussed for individual students or groups of students. He will receive students, after making an appointment by e-mail, at the Immunology and General Pathology Laboratory (1st floor), Biomedical Pole, former Colonia Agricola, via Monte Generoso 71 (int. 3), Varese.