Cancer Biology
The molecular and cellular basis of cancer: oncogenes and tumor suppressors, DNA repair, cell death, metabolism, the tumor microenvironment, metastasis, epigenetics and cancer viruses, diagnosis and genomic profiling, and how chemotherapy, targeted drugs and immunotherapy work and fail.
BIOL-450 Year 4 3 credits 12 lessons · 5 h 6 min
Offered by HSM University · Biology
This is the American version of this course. See the Canadian version.
What you'll learn
- Explain the hallmarks of cancer and describe cancer as an evolving population of cells shaped by mutation and selection.
- Describe how proto-oncogenes become oncogenes and how growth signaling pathways such as RAS–MAPK and PI3K drive proliferation.
- Apply the two-hit hypothesis to inherited and sporadic cancers and explain the roles of RB1, TP53 and other tumor suppressors.
- Relate defects in DNA repair to mutational patterns, inherited cancer syndromes and treatments such as PARP inhibitors.
- Explain how cancer cells escape cell cycle checkpoints, apoptosis and senescence, and how drugs target these controls.
- Describe the metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells and how it is exploited in imaging and therapy.
- Explain how the tumor microenvironment and angiogenesis support tumor growth.
- Describe the steps of invasion and metastasis, organotropism and dormancy.
- Explain epigenetic changes, oncogenic infections and tumor heterogeneity, including the cancer stem cell model.
- Interpret screening evidence, staging and molecular profiling results, including variant allele fractions and liquid biopsy.
- Explain how surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal and targeted therapies work and why resistance develops.
- Explain how the immune system recognizes tumors and how checkpoint inhibitors, cell therapies and other immunotherapies work.
Course content
12 lessons · 5 h 6 min total · final exam
- 1 What cancer is: hallmarks, epidemiology and evolution 24 min · quiz
- 2 Oncogenes and growth signaling 24 min · quiz
- 3 Tumor suppressors and the two-hit hypothesis 25 min · quiz
- 4 Genome instability and DNA repair 25 min · quiz
- 5 Cell cycle control, apoptosis and senescence 24 min · quiz
- 6 Cancer metabolism 23 min · quiz
- 7 The tumor microenvironment and angiogenesis 24 min · quiz
- 8 Invasion and metastasis 24 min · quiz
- 9 Epigenetics, cancer viruses and cancer stem cells 30 min · quiz
- 10 Diagnosis, staging and genomic profiling 27 min · quiz
- 11 Cancer therapy and drug resistance 28 min · quiz
- 12 Tumor immunology and immunotherapy 27 min · quiz
- E Final exam 20 questions
Requirements
Recommended background. You can start any course at any time.
Description
The molecular and cellular basis of cancer: oncogenes and tumor suppressors, DNA repair, cell death, metabolism, the tumor microenvironment, metastasis, epigenetics and cancer viruses, diagnosis and genomic profiling, and how chemotherapy, targeted drugs and immunotherapy work and fail.
Part of the Science stream, typically taken in year 4.