Elective Courses

elearning.med.unideb.hu

Title of the course: Understanding medical problems through experiments

Curse type: required elective course

The teaching Department:  Dept. Medical Chemistry

Year and semester: 1st year 2nd semester (course is open to 2nd and 3rd year students as well)

Prerequisite: Medical Chemistry

Entrance conditions: a maximum of 10 (minimum 1) students (preference will be given to students who obtained excellent marks in Medical Chemistry)

• Number of lessons: 30
  • Lecture: 0
  • Seminar: 0
  • Laboratory practical: 30

Lecturers: staff of the Dept. Medical Chemistry

Cordinator: László Virág /

Credit: 3

The curse’s objective: The course provides a unique opportunity to investigate important medical problems at the cellular and molecular level or in animal experiments. Enrolled students choose a topic from the list below. Students will work in small groups (2-3 students/group) and will be assigned a tutor who will supervise their activities and labwork. First, students make a thorough literature search to understand the medical problem in question, its possible experimental approach and then discuss it in detail with their tutor. During the laboratory sessions, the students perform experiments related to the chosen problem and will learn how to collect data, interpret and evaluate results, how to analyze data statistically and how to draw conclusions. The students prepare assays (5 pages) on their achievements.  In a closing session, the group and the tutor discuss the results and evaluate the project.
Scheduling the course is fully flexible and requires prior discussion with supervisor of the chosen topic.

The topic details

The week-to week program of the course depends on the topics chosen.

1. Activate my phagocyte!
2. What cells „inhale” and „exhale”? What a Seahorse can teach us about mitochondrial function and dysfunction?
3. Killer mitochondria!
4. How to kill tumor cells?
5. Help! My nucleus is falling apart.
6. Beware of the Sun!
7. Robocop finds the toxin.
8. Let's grow tumors!
9. Keep quiet! How to make genes stop working?
10. Show me your breath, I tell you who you are!
11. Watch your DNA!
12. Do your blood vessels leak?
13. Interact with me!
14. How to create green cells?
15. Where is my protein?
16. Inhibitors of protein phosphatases – dangerous biological weapons?
17. Green tea – enemy of cancer cells?
18. Calm your nerves.
19. Does pregnancy make women strong?

Recommended readings: Recommended readings (mostly scientific publications) will depend on the project chosen and will be provided by the tutors.

Exam: Submission of a project summary

Exam type: AW5

Molecular biology techniques and their application

The methods of molecular biology have been used in current clinical diagnosis and gene therapies based on the progress in molecular biology are close to introduction. The goal of our course is to describe basic molecular biology techniques that are used in medical practice in seminars and to demonstrate these methods in practical classes. A set of videotapes will be used to show experimental approaches and the evaluation of results.

Pathobiochemistry of oxidative stress

1. What is oxidative stress? Free radicals and reactive intermediates. Antioxidant systems. 2h
2. Biological effects of oxidative stress 2h
3. Role of poly(ADP-ribozil)ation in the regulation of the oxidative stress response 2h
4. Research techniques for the detection of ROI/RNI and ADP-ribosylation 2h
5. Role of oxidative stress in ageing and carcinogenesis. 2h
6. Role of oxidative stress and poly(ADP-ribozyl)ation in the pathogenesis of inflammation, ischaemia-reperfusion injury, shock, diabetes and diabetic complications 2h
7. Therapeutic opportunities in oxidative stress-related diseases 2h

Signal transfer and protein phosphorylation

Covalent modification of specific intracellular proteins by phosphorylation and dephosphorylation serves a key role in the cellular regulation.This general regulatory mechanism can be found in all cell types affecting various intracellular phenomena. After a short introductory course detailed and up-to-date cover of specialized topics on protein kinases and phosphatases will be given.