COURSE OBJECTIVE: The course Mutagenesis and Carcinogenesis provides fundamental knowledge of the processes leading to tumor development at the cellular and molecular levels. It addresses the causes of genetic and epigenetic instability, the roles of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, cell cycle control, evasion of apoptosis, and the role of stem cells in the initiation and maintenance of tumors. Special attention is devoted to invasiveness, metastasis, angiogenesis, senescence, metabolic changes in tumor cells, and interactions with the immune system and the microbiome. The course links molecular mechanisms with classical histopathological and molecular tumor classification and discusses conventional and modern therapeutic strategies as well as molecular diagnostic methods. Through lectures, practical work, and seminars, students acquire theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to understand the processes of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis.
COURSE CONTENT:
LECTURES
1.?2. Introduction: Biology of cancer through the ?hallmarks of cancer.?
3.?6. Regulation of gene expression and mutations: Overview of transcriptional regulation, enhancers and promoter-regulated mechanisms of gene expression, comparison of mutations and repair mechanisms, introduction to therapy types with emphasis on chemotherapy and radiation.
7.?10. Oncogenes and proliferative signaling: Growth signaling pathways and the role of oncogenes, mechanisms of their deregulation, the cell cycle and regulatory controls, cell cycle phases, CDK?cyclin complexes and regulation of checkpoint transitions, targeted therapies for oncogenes.
11.?12. Tumor suppressor genes: Roles of tumor suppressors such as Rb and p53 in controlling proliferation and consequences of their loss, targeted therapies for tumor suppressors.
13.?14. Apoptosis and its evasion: Mechanisms of programmed cell death and how tumor cells evade apoptosis, alternative types of cell death, apoptotic therapies.
15.?16. Stem cells and cancer stem cells: Regulation of self-renewal, differentiation, and the role of cancer stem cells in disease progression; differentiation-based therapies.
17. Metastasis: Processes of metastasis including EMT, invasion, intravasation, transport, and colonization in target organs; diagnostics of circulating tumor cells; anti-metastatic therapies.
19. Tumor angiogenesis: Types of tumor vascularization, mechanisms of angiogenesis, and anti-angiogenic therapies.
20.?21. Metabolic adaptations of tumor cells: The Warburg effect, metabolic changes, and implications for diagnostics and therapy.
22.?23. Tumor immunology and immunotherapies: The role of the immune system, immunoediting, and modern approaches to immunotherapy.
24.?25. Inflammation, infection, and the microbiome: How chronic inflammation and infections promote carcinogenesis; strategies for therapeutic and diagnostic development.
26.?27. Novel therapeutic and diagnostic approaches based on molecular pathology.
28.?29. Examples of specific cancers: Breast, lung, and skin cancers ? histological and molecular types and targeted therapies.
30. Prevention, nutrition, environment, and the future of cancer research: The impact of diet, environmental factors, and perspectives in cancer research and therapy.
PRACTICAL WORK
During the practical sessions, students will become familiar with methods for investigating cell viability and genetic changes in tumor cells. The work will begin with an MTT cell viability assay to monitor tumor cell survival after treatment with chemotherapeutics. In this way, students will quantify the effectiveness of specific compounds in reducing tumor growth and better understand the mechanisms of cytotoxic drugs. A special focus will also be placed on the analysis of apoptosis through the identification of morphological features and molecular markers of programmed cell death, allowing students to gain deeper insight into how tumor cells evade controlled death mechanisms. Finally, students will learn how to search tumor genome databases to identify mutations contributing to cancer development and progression, and how such information can be linked to molecular mechanisms and therapeutic approaches.
SEMINAR
In seminar sessions, students will explore different molecular diagnostic methods used in research and clinical practice. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the principles of the methods as well as their advantages and limitations. Students will become familiar with techniques such as PCR and its variants, next-generation sequencing, gene expression profiling, and methods for detecting epigenetic changes. The aim is to develop critical evaluation skills and the ability to apply molecular diagnostics in early detection, classification, and monitoring of tumors. Students will prepare and deliver presentations on selected topics, thereby improving their scientific communication and argumentation skills.
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