- To identify the biological characteristics necessary for the diagnosis of some morphologically complex neoplasms - To identify patients who can benefit from specific treatments (e.g. molecularly targeted “targeted therapy”, immunotherapy). These activities include, for example, the search for molecular alterations in specific therapeutic targets for lung cancer (e.g. EGFR, ALK, ROS1), for biomarkers predictive of response to specific therapies in melanoma (e.g. BRAF, NRAS, KIT), in ovarian cancer (BRCA1 and 2) and in breast cancer (e.g. PIK3CA, ESR1), the search for prognostic and/or predictive mutations of resistance to specific drugs in colorectal cancer (BRAF, KRAS, NRAS) or the search for alterations molecules for possible use in clinical treatments.
Course Prerequisites
The activity of molecular diagnostics in the oncology field allows the oncologist to be guided in increasingly personalized therapeutic decisions because they are based on the specific biological characteristics of each patient's tumor
Teaching Methods
Theoretical and practical lessons at the genetics laboratory to view the instrumentation used: nucleic acid extractors, automatic sequencers for Sanger sequencing, NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) platform which allows the simultaneous analysis of several "actionable" (i.e. clinically relevant) genes thus generating a molecular profile of the neoplasm. This type of molecular analysis can be carried out both on tissue (biopsy samples or samples from surgical operations) for somatic genetics and on peripheral blood for constitutional genetics.
Assessment Methods
Oral exam in the laboratory to possibly have a view of the instruments during the exam.
Texts
The most up-to-date scientific literature and reviews on the topics covered are provided
Contents
• Extraction of nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) from biological materials (peripheral blood and tissues) • Search for germline mutations and somatic mutations • Direct automatic sequencing (Sanger) • Use of genetic databases (OMIM, GeneBank) • NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) The lessons take place partly in the laboratory in order to observe the aforementioned investigations and molecular methods and view the instruments used.
Course Language
Italian
More information
For the course program and for the useful study material, scientific updates relating to the topics covered will always be taken into account.
