This course consists of lectures and exercises. First, students learn, through lectures, recent progress in cancer research and the mechanism of carcinogenesis based on the molecular and cellular functions of oncogenes and anti-oncogenes. Further, students will learn the relevance of signal transduction, cell cycle progression, cell adhesion, and gene regulation to tumor development and are encouraged to simulate effective methods of diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Further, through exercises, students will consider the relevance of genome sciences and systems biology to cancer research. Students are encouraged to refer to the textbook and to papers from the current literature. The course will also present special novel and important topics from year to year.
- Historical background of molecular oncology
- Viruses, chemical carcinogens, and tumor development
- RNA tumor viruses and oncogenes
- Discovery of anti-oncogenes
- Regulation of signal transduction and cell cycle progression by oncogenes and anti-oncogenes
- Roles of oncogenes and anti-oncogenes in normal physiology
- Molecular mechanisms of metastasis
- Genome, proteome, metabolome, and cancer
- Animal models of cancer
- Drug development for cancer treatment
- Cancer stem cells
- microRNA and cancer development
- Genome sciences in cancer research
- Systems biology in cancer research
Requires at least advanced undergraduate level Cell Biology and Genetics or similar background knowledge