GENERAL PATHOLOGY

Degree course: 
Academic year when starting the degree: 
2024/2025
Year: 
1
Academic year in which the course will be held: 
2024/2025
Credits: 
3
Period: 
Second semester
Standard lectures hours: 
36
Requirements: 

Refer to the content of the entire integrated course

Refer to the content of the entire integrated course

Assessment: 
Voto Finale

Refer to the content of the entire integrated course

Students will learn the basic notions of cellular and molecular pathology, and the pathologic processes at the basis of multicellular degeneration, inflammation and tumor development. The course will focus also on the innate and adaptive immunity. Special emphasis will be given to acute and chronic inflammation and to related diseases, to the pathogenesis of AIDS and to the neoplastic process. Given the importance of anticancer immunotherapy in the last decade, its applications in the preventive and therapeutic fields in the neoplastic field will be treated

General notions of Pathology:
Etiology (extrinsic causes, mechanisms of action of chemical and physical agents; intrinsic causes, genetic diseases)
Pathogenesis, Morphological and functional modifications
Cellular modifications (causes of cellular damage, necrosis, apoptosis)
Cell growth and differentiation (atrophy, hypertrophy, hypoplasia, hyperplasia, metaplasia)
Inflammation (acute inflammation: vascular and cellular modifications, chemotactic mediators, regeneration and repair of the lesion; chronic inflammation: histology, cellular infiltration, tubercular granuloma)
Inflammation-related diseases: Allergy (type I, II, III, IV), organ specific and systemic autoimmune diseases.
Innate and Adaptive Immunity: lymphoid organs, cells and mediators of the humoral and cellular responses, Major Histocompatibility Complex: polymorphism, function and role in the rejection of transplanted organs. Examples of congenic immunodeficiencies.
Pathogenesis of AIDS
- HIV infection: receptors, co-receptors and cellular targets
- Immune dysfunctions in HIV infection
- Clinical course of HIV infection
Oncology: control of cellular proliferation, anaplasia, tumors classifications; benign and malignant tumors; carcinogenesis: physical and chemical agents, oncogenic viruses; oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes; monoclonality of tumors; multistep carcinogenesis; the metastatic process
cancer immunotherapy

The educational objectives of the course will be achieved through lectures for a total of 36 hours, in which the basic topics of General Pathology and Immunopathology will be addressed, giving emphasis to how the figure of the technician fits into the different topics that will be covered . Attendance at the lessons is mandatory.

Office hours previous appointment by e-mail (greta.forlani@uninsubria.it) at Laboratories of General Pathology and Immunology “Giovanna Tosi”, Pad. Biffi, via O.rossi 9, Varese.