Course Identification

Cancer: Genome, micro-environment and immunology
20203151

Lecturers and Teaching Assistants

Prof. Yosef Yarden, Prof. Ziv Shulman, Prof. Valery Krizhanovsky, Prof. Ruth Scherz-Shouval, Prof. Zvi Livneh
Dr. Diana Drago-Garcia

Course Schedule and Location

2020
First Semester
Wednesday, 09:15 - 11:00, Wolfson Auditorium
06/11/2019

Field of Study, Course Type and Credit Points

Life Sciences: Lecture; Elective; Core; 2.50 points
Life Sciences (Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience Track): Lecture; Elective; Regular; 2.50 points
Life Sciences (Computational and Systems Biology Track): Lecture; Elective; Regular; 2.50 points

Comments

N/A

Prerequisites

No

Restrictions

120

Language of Instruction

English

Attendance and participation

Required in at least 80% of the lectures

Grade Type

Numerical (out of 100)

Grade Breakdown (in %)

10%
90%

Evaluation Type

Examination

Scheduled date 1

23/02/2020
Wolfson Auditorium
1115-1315
N/A

Scheduled date 2

18/03/2020
Wolfson Auditorium
1115-1315
N/A

Estimated Weekly Independent Workload (in hours)

3.5

Syllabus

The course will provide comprehensive, updated views of  the molecular, genomic and immunological aspects of cancer, as well as present tumours as multi-faceted organs. We will adopt a historical perspective, which will follow the discovery of tumour viruses, oncogenes and the cellular proto-oncogenes. Cancer initiation and progression will be described as multi-step processes driven by mutations and Darwinian evolution, while capturing signal transduction and metabolic pathways. The regulation of the cell cycle, apoptosis and senescence by tumour suppressor genes, such as p53 and Rb will be discussed in light of genome integrity, replication stress and the origin of mutations. We will then focus on angiogenesis, the tumor microenvironment, the cell biology of invasion and metastasis. An especially important aspect of the tumour microenvironment, namely participation of immune cells, will be critically described. The course will devote the final lectures to cancer therapy, including checkpoint inhibitors (immunotherapy), chimeric antigen receptors and molecular targeted treatments, including experimental strategies.

The course will confer a holistic view of cancer as an organ and a game field of many cell types, especially immune cells. The roles for mutations and mutation generating processes will be highlighted, and terms like tumour heterogeneity, driver and passenger genes will be defined. Finally, the audience will receive a snapshot highlighting cancer therapy, the process leading to approval of cancer drugs and the contemporary arsenal of drugs available to medical oncologists. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate In-depth understanding of carcinogenic processes, their molecular bases and the controversy around cancer stem cells.
  2. Demonstrate familiarity with molecular networks controlling signaling, metabolism and energy.
  3. Demonstrate understanding of the processes most critical to cancer development: Cell cycle, growth arrest, cell motility and surface proteolytic activity, apoptosis and senescence.
  4. Demonstrate knowledge of a holistic view of cancer as an organ and a game field of many cell types, especially immune cells.
  5. Explain the roles for mutations and mutation-generating processes
  6. Define terms like tumour heterogeneity, driver and passenger genes.
  7. Describe a snapshot highlighting cancer therapy, the process leading to approval of cancer drugs and the contemporary arsenal of drugs available to medical oncologists. 

Reading List

Source books

  1. The Biology of Cancer by Robert A. Weinberg (2nd Edition)
  2. Principles & Practice of Oncology by Vincent T. DeVita, Theodore S. Lawrence and Steven A. Rosenberg (editors)

Website

N/A