Unit MOLECULAR BASIS OF HUMAN DISEASE AND IMMUNOLOGY

Course
Medical, veterinary and forensic biotechnological sciences
Study-unit Code
A001597
Curriculum
In all curricula
CFU
12
Course Regulation
Coorte 2023
Offered
2023/24
Type of study-unit
Obbligatorio (Required)
Type of learning activities
Attività formativa integrata

MOLECULAR BASIS OF HUMAN DISEASES

Code A001763
CFU 6
Teacher Francesco Grignani
Teachers
  • Francesco Grignani
Hours
  • 42 ore - Francesco Grignani
Learning activities Caratterizzante
Area Discipline biotecnologiche comuni
Academic discipline MED/04
Type of study-unit Obbligatorio (Required)
Language of instruction English
Contents Elements of immunology: cell regulation of the immune system, immunopathology.

Inflammation: the responses and inflammatory mechanisms; causes; interaction with the external and internal environment: the low-grade inflammation.

Causes of disease: genetic, genomic, environmental

Cell and tissue responses to stress: molecular events

Molecular Oncology

Elements of molecular pathophysiology in organs and tissues
Reference texts - Robbins e Cotran - Le basi patologiche delle malattie Vol.1
- Pontieri - Russo - Frati - Patologia generale e fisiopatologia generale - V edizione volume primo
Educational objectives The course aims to provide knowledge of the main bases of etiology of pathological phenomena, at molecular and cellular level, as well as of the diversion from the normal biology and physiology of the cell. The course intends to provide a deep knowledge about the basic mechanisms underlying the most common diseases in humans and the response of cells and tissue to the alterations of the external and / or internal environment.
The main objective of the course is to acquire knowledge about:
• Immunity, cellular and molecular processes of inflammation
• intrinsic molecular pathology
• environmental causes of disease and molecular responses
• molecular damage response in cells and tissues
• carcinogenesis, molecular oncology
• molecular pathophysiology of tissues and organs in humans
 The oral examination, performed during seminars, acting also also as a further training tool, allows the assessment of the degree of learning and the ability to communicate and explain, in a vocational projection.

The main skills gained in the study of this discipline will enable students to:

• reach a broad overview of the relationship between the human genome, the environment and the development of diseases.
 
• have a clear picture of the molecular mechanisms of human disease, namely, their specific role in the onset, development and general pathophysiology of common diseases.
• expand the skills of a Biotechnologist within Medical, Veterinary and Forensic knowledge for the employement.
Prerequisites The aim of the course is the contextualization of the previously acquired theoretical knowledge in a highly vocational view which allows an effective competence for an actual job employment. Therefore, according to the Academic Regulation, the cultural prerequisites necessary for the course are primarily the extensive and substantiated knowledge of the major elements of cellular and molecular biology, histology, genetics and genomics, biochemistry, anatomy and physiology.
The skills obtained in these disciplines are essential so that students can understand the concepts of the molecular etiopathology of diseases. Based on these assumptions, the student will be able to draw considerable profit from the training course.
Teaching methods Students receive frontal lectures. The lectures are on the whole program of the course of study, but also on specialized topics emerging  from the specific needs of learners, all in view of a highly vocational training, as expected by the CdLM.  Each lesson lasts two hours or four hours and is on a specific subject, relating it to others already exposed, to allow an integrated vision.
Students are then invited to conduct seminars about their personal interest. The seminars were held in small groups, in the presence of all the students of the course. For this purpose, the teacher can support students also with materials in english language related to the subject of the seminar, which must be presented using computer support (Power Point), and that has the value of teaching implementation and evaluation.
Other information University Pole,  - Via Gambuli 1 Sant'Andrea delle Fratte (Perugia)

Detailed timetable of educational activities are available on the website http://www.dipmed.unipg.it to start the academic reference.
Learning verification modality The evaluation of the student is performed through an oral exam at the end of the course lectures. On the basis of the vocational training of the CdLM, the oral exam consists in the preparation of an oral presentation, individually or in a small group (maximum 4-5 persons), on topics included among the molecular basis of diseases. During the presentation, which takes place in the presence of all students and that also has educational value, at the same time, is verified the acquisition of the cultural basis inherent in the course, the ability to integrate informations, to perform an in-depth analysis and the level of professionalism achieved by the learners.
Extended program Principles of Immunology

-Cells and organs of the immune system functions, interactions and regulation

-Immunodeficiencies, hypersensitivity and autoimmune reactions (I, II, III. IV type)

-Interaction between host and microbiome: modulation of biological responses and the concept of low-grade inflammation.


 Inflammation
 -General

- Definition of inflammation. Mechanisms for recognition of a pathogen. Distinctive characters between acute and chronic inflammation.

-The inflammosome

-Acute Exudative phlogosis

The Phases. The plasma and tissue mediators of inflammation. The exudation: different types of exudate. The acute phase proteins. The cells of acute inflammation. Diapedesis, the chemotaxis and phagocytosis. The different types of acute inflammation: serous, sero-fibrinous, fibrinous, catarrhal, purulent, hemorrhagic, necrotic-hemorrhagic and allergic.

 -Chronic phlogosis
The cells of chronic inflammation. Chronic Inflammation: granulomatous and interstitial. Structure of granuloma.

-Outcome of inflammatory processes

Molecular aspects of reparative and regenerative process


 Intrinsic causes of disease
 -Molecular mechanisms of principal genetic diseases.

-Elements of genomic medicine.

 Extrinsic causes of disease
 -Molecular basis of environmental and behavioral diseases

 Cellular and tissue pathology
 -Cellular stress: molecular responses; degeneration; cell death: necrosis, programmed necrosis (necroptosis, piroptosis), apoptosis; autophagy; cell senescence.

 -Adaptive phenomena: atrophy and hypertrophy.

Elements of molecular oncology

-Benign and malignant neoplasms; classification; molecular characteristics of the transformation; dysplasia and anaplasia; elements of carcinogenesis; classes of genes mutated in tumors; tumor progression; familiarity; tumor angiogenesis; mechanisms of metastasis.

 Considerations of molecular pathophysiology of organs and systems
Sintesi del Programma:
Elements of immunology: cell regulation of the immune system, immunopathology.

Inflammation: the responses and inflammatory mechanisms; causes; interaction with the external and internal environment: the low-grade inflammation.

Causes of disease: genetic, genomic, environmental

Cell and tissue responses to stress: molecular events

Molecular Oncology

Elements of molecular pathophysiology in organs and tissues
Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile

MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY

Code A001762
CFU 6
Teacher Francesco Grignani
Teachers
  • Francesco Grignani
Hours
  • 42 ore - Francesco Grignani
Learning activities Caratterizzante
Area Discipline biotecnologiche comuni
Academic discipline MED/04
Type of study-unit Obbligatorio (Required)
Language of instruction English
Contents Biotechnologies using immunological tools in the study, diagnosis and therapy of human pathology, with a selection of the most advanced immunological, cellular and molecular tools.
Reference texts Janeway's Immunobiology
Garland Science

Abbas, Lichtman, Pillai:
Cellular and Molecular Immunology
Educational objectives Basic knowledge of the immune system and the main immunological approaches in the biotechnological sector. In particular, knowledge of classic and modern polyclonal and monoclonal antibody production strategies; on the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of antibodies in oncology, rheumatology and cardiology; on the fundamental immunochemical and immunofluorescence techniques, including the flow cytometer; on the main applications in research of Immunoprecipitation technologies for the analysis of proteins, RNA, and chromatin.
Prerequisites Cell biology and signaling transduction. Innate and specific immune system cells. Basic mechanisms of immune reactivity.
Teaching methods Lectures, class discussions, visualization and commentary of images and laboratory procedures. Viewing movies. Work in a group.
Inverted classes.
Peer to peer teaching
Learning verification modality Classroom discussion. Presentation of specific topics and insights and Bibliographic searches, as constituents of the oral exam.
The exam tends to verify knowledge in the field of Molecular Immunology, the ability to communicate knowledge, the ability to expand knowledge with bibliographic research, the ability to apply knowledge to a concrete case represented by a research problem and the ability to create links between different topics and the ability to work in a team. The exam includes the autonomous construction of an original paper and the presentation of its content in a specified time of 20 minutes.
Extended program - Basic immunology: innate and acquired immunity. Antigens and antigenic recognition by B and T lymphocytes. The antibody response. I-IV hypersensitivity reactions such as allergies and diagnostic tests.
- Structure and function of antibodies (Ab) or immunoglobulins (Ig).
- Rearrangement of immunoglobulin and antigenic T receptor genes
- Signal transduction of the antigenic receptors B and T.
- Protein immunoprecipitation: principles and uses.
- Immunological assays and methods based on the antigen-antibody reaction: precipitation (in solution and agarose gel) and agglutination. Some applications in the biomedical diagnostic field: blood typing, bacterial typing, pregnancy test, Coombs test. Nephelometry, Turbidimetry
- Polyclonal antibodies: production of an antiserum and its applications.
- Monoclonal antibodies (mAb): production of murine, chimeric, humanized, human mAb (using phage display technology, transgenic animals and other technologies).
- Applications of mAb in the diagnostic and therapeutic biomedical field.
- Mechanisms of therapeutic antibody activity
- Bispecific antibodies, BITEs and Single Chain Variable Fragments (scFv)
- Chimeric antigenic receptors (CARs)
- Antibodies used in anti-inflammatory therapy and in immune pathologies
- Antibodies used in cholesterol lowering therapy
- Immune response to tumors and tumor immunotherapy.
- Signal transduction of growth factors and main types of receptors.
- Antibodies active on proliferative and angiogenetic signaling
- Antibodies useful for activating anti-tumor immunity (CTLA-4 system, PD-1 PDL, others)
- Cellular immunotherapy and CAR-Ts
- Immunotherapeutic combinations.
- Chromatin structure and epigenetic regulation of gene expression
- Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP)
- ChIP Sequencing and ChIP on chip
- RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP)
- RIP-Sequencing
- Direct and indirect immunofluorescence techniques for the identification of surface and intracellular antigens.
- Flow cytometry. Its applications in the analysis of the normal and pathological white blood cell phenotype. Elements of cell sorting.
- Radio Immunological Assays (RIA, radio immuno-assay) and Immuno-Enzyme Adsorption ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), for the identification and dosage of antigens and antibodies. Some applications in the biomedical diagnostic field
- Transplants and transplant rejection: tissue typing and donor-recipient compatibility tests.
- Immune response to infections and strategies for vaccine development.
Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile Health and wellness
Quality education
Gender equality
Condividi su