Cancer: Fundamentals, Origin and Therapy

Abstract

Etiology of cancer. Epidemiology. Impact of food, physical activity and infections. Genetic predispositions. Molecular basis of cancer development. Concept of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Cancer stem cells and tumor micro-environment. Interactions between chemicals and DNA. Test systems to recognize mutagenic chemicals. Conventional and new therapeutic strategies, immunotherapy.

Objective

Students are able to describe selected chemicals, biological and molecular processes that occur in cells spontaneously or after physical or chemical exposure and resulting in a tumor. They are able to list important cancer-inducing agents and explain the respective mechanism of action. They have knowledge of significant risk factors for cancer diseases. They are confronted with the basics of toxicology and they can explain the principle of the most common therapeutic strategies.

Content

The lecture deals with problems of tumor epidemiology (causes, mortality, incidence). Cancer is delineated as a multi-step process. Classes of chemical compounds that induce cancer are discussed as well as the reactive metabolites that may be built from. Covalent binding to DNA is discussed and different types of mutations resulting therof. A selection of proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes is presented. Their function will be discussed as well as the changes which are found in these genes in tumor cells, starting from single nucleotide exchanges up to large deletions. The reason for genetic predisposition to cancer will be discussed as well as cancer relevant aspects of cell cycle regulation. The role of tumor microenvironments and phenomenons like angiogenesis and metastasis are presented as well as the mechanisms that protect the genome from mutagenic damage. Further subjects address old and new strategies of cancer treatment. Personalised cancer treatment.

Resources