PATH 7340 - Molecular Biology of Cancer and Growth Control

This advanced lecture course will cover our current understanding of the molecular biology of growth control and its involvement in cancer. A major focus of the course will be on the regulatory molecules which control the cell cycle, signal transduction, transcription, and cell-to-cell communication. The different mechanisms by which proto-oncogenes are converted into oncogenes will also be discussed. The central roles of genomic instability and tumor suppressor genes in the development of cancer will be extensively covered. The role of growth factors and their receptors in normal cell growth and development will be discussed in addition to mechanisms by which cells recognize their environment. DNA replication and repair will be covered, as will mechanisms by which cancer therapies are thought to work.