MedInTO Medicine and Surgery

ADE - INTRODUCTION TO MEDICAL BIOCHEMISTRY

Introduction to medical biochemistry

Academic year 2021/2022

Sommario del corso

• Course objectives
• Results of learning outcomes
• Course delivery
• Learning assessment methods
• Program
• Suggested textbooks and readings
• Notes
• Teaching tools

Course objectives

The ADE aims at reviewing the recent scientific history of cancer therapy with particular attention to the biochemical aspects. The topics covered are meant to recall concepts and ideas developed during the biochemistry courses of the first year.

Cancer's history is reviewed by its many paradigmatic aspects. Milestone scientific discoveries are explained through the detailed analysis of relevant scientists and their contributions. The students are asked to read and elaborate their own independent thought on such issues, by correctly identifying the main bibliographic records, citing them appropriately and by writing their thoughts in an informal yet scientifically sound style.

Results of learning outcomes

Students are expected to learn to search on PubMed, PubChem and biomedical databases, to familiarize with scientific literature on technical cancer-related biomedical research, and to express their own view on scientific milestones. 

At the end of the ADE students will be asked to answer a set of question on a documentary on cancer. The written assays will be manually corrected by the teacher which will provide feedback. Evaluation criteria include:

• accurate presentation of assigned authors’ viewpoints
• presence of a personal view on the subjects
• correct referencing of published works
• scientifically soundness and writing style.

Course delivery

Interactive lectures with references to experimental work and data explanation.

Learning assessment methods

Written essays on Moodle with personal research work on the subjects described in the documentary. 

Teachers will correct and evaluate the text and assign a pass/no pass score.

Presence is mandatory during the presentation lecture.

Program

Overview of the path to modern approaches in cancer therapy, with references to its biochemical basis.

Documentary The emperor of all maladies, a brief history of cancer

1. S. Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer, 2010;
2. Hanahan and Weinberg, The hallmarks of cancer, Cell, 2000;
3. Druker et al, Effects of a selective inhibitor of the Abl tyrosine kinase on the growth of Bcr–Abl positive cells, Nat Med, 2 (5), 1996;
4. H. Rubin, The early history of tumor virology: Rous, RIF, and RAV, PNAS, 108 (35), 2011;
5. V. De Vita and E. Chu, A History of Cancer Chemotherapy, Canc. Research, 68 (21), 2008
6. GS Martin, The hunting of the src, Nature Rev Mol Cell Biol, (2001), 2 (6)
7. Shepard et al, Herceptin, Handb Exp Pharmacol., 2008, (181)
8. S. Sigismund et al, Emerging functions of the EGFR in cancer, Mol. Oncol. 2018 12 (1)
9. Miller DR, A tribute to Sidney Farber-- the father of modern chemotherapy, Br J Haematol., 2006, 134 (1)

Class schedule

Note

Maximum number of students: 30

• Teaching materials
• Exams and finals
• Go to Moodle
• Visit the forums