PřF:Bi1500 Cell Philosphy - Course Information

Bi1500 Tumor Biology for Everyone - Cell Philosophy

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).

Teacher(s)

prof. RNDr. Jan Šmarda, CSc. (alternate examiner)

Guaranteed by

prof. RNDr. Jan Šmarda, CSc.
Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Jan Šmarda, CSc.
Supplier department: Department of Experimental Biology – Biology Section – Faculty of Science

Timetable

Mon 17:00–18:50 B11/132

Prerequisites

!CORE2
High-school knowledge of essential cell biology.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is offered to students of any study field.

Course objectives

The basis of the course is generally accepted concept of tumor biology as defined by “Hallmarks of cancer”: eleven universal characteristics of this disease. Clarification of these characteristics is extended to definition of basic rules and principles required for functioning of viable and health organisms. Multicellular organism is presented as a complex system formed by many cooperating cells, while cancer results from failure of cooperation and breaking these rules. Based on the general systems theory, the course offers insight into parallels and extrapolations of cooperation rules and forms of their violation in other complex systems, including the human society. Besides the detailed insights into the cancer origin and development, the course offers discussion on question if people, similarly to tumor cells, do not dangerously break the key rules preconditioning good function of society.

Learning outcomes

By participating in the course students obtain detailed understanding of tumors and their general features what provides deeper insight into principles and rules that have to be followed by cells to create functional and healthy multicellular organisms. Based on the general systems theory they can deduce general rules and principles of behavior components forming any complex living systems, including human society.

Syllabus

• 1. Multicellular organism: multicellular organism development, cell number, diversity and organization in human body, cell differentiation, multicellular organism regulation; general systems theory, fractals, multicellular organism as a system, superorganisms, regulation from bellow. 2. Where cancers come from: cancers development models, Weinberg and Hanahan concept „hallmarks of cancer“; cancer as a metaphor, civilized man´s eight deadly sins by Konrad Lorenz, eleven civilized man´s non-deadly sins. 3. Cell cycle: cell cycle regulation, signal pathways, oncogenes and tumor suppressors and their alterations in cancers; communication importance, obsessive unbraked speed, truth and lie. 4. Programmed cell death: apoptosis and necrosis, cell death induction and regulation, mitochondria and apoptosis, physiological cell death; expelled death, death as life absence, death as life scaler, combination of “yes´s and no´s” as creativity tool. 5. Genetic instability: speed of cancer development, genetic instability, DNA damage sources, DNA repair mechanisms, congenital disposition to cancer development, mutator hypothesis, replication stress; chaos and order, DNA damaging – double-edged sword, why to follow the rules, slippery slope, “Don´t stop for repairs in a war zone” model. 6. Telomeres and cell senescence: Hayflick´s limit, telomeres, telomerase, unlimited replicative potential, cell senescence, cancers and aging; antagonistic pleiotropy, cancer as an old age disease, reluctance to aging, desire of immortality. 7. Angiogenesis and energetic metabolism: tumor angiogenesis, structure of physiological and tumor vascularity, genetic and epigenetic pro-angiogenic factors, Warburg effect reprogramming of energetic metabolism, tumor cachexia; communication, cooperation of tumor and non-tumor cells, selfish source abuse, wasting. 8. Metastatic process: metastatic cascade, carcinomas, adhesive complexes, anoikis, extracellular matrix degradation, epithelial mesenchymal transition, colonization and tumor dormancy; communication, home of cells, value of having home, value of relationships. 9. Tumors and immune system: immune surveillance hypothesis, tumor antigens, immune editing hypothesis, mechanisms of immune surveillance escape mechanisms, acute and chronic inflammation; role of immune system in cancer development – double-edged sword, law and legal system, law circumvention, permanent mobilization. 10. Two approaches to cancer development: one renegade cell or cell society, somatic mutation theory or tissue organization field theory, reductionists or organicists, central dogma of molecular biology, tumor microenvironment, epigenetic model of cancer development; Stanford prison experiment, fudge factor theory of Dan Ariely, corrupting impact of environment, three levels of responsibility, superciliousness and egoistic individualism. 11. Tumor suppressor p53: molecular mechanism of the p53 protein function, p53 cell role, p53 as key defender against tumor development, p53 evolution origin, p53 as prerequisite of multicellularity; p53 as cell sapience, conscience, responsibility and decisions making ability, social psychopath revolt. 12. Evolution approaches to cancer development: where tumors come from, big evolution transitions, big evolution transitions of individuality, multicellularity development, germ-soma differentiation, evolution innovations, cooperation and cheating; eusociality, superorganisms, selfishness/egoism and altruism, evolution theory of games, punishment and the fourth level of responsibility.

Literature

recommended literature
• WEINBERG, Robert A. Jediná odrodilá buňka : jak vzniká rakovina. Vyd. 1. Praha: Academia, 2003, 156 s. ISBN 8020010718. info
• WEINBERG, Robert A. The biology of cancer. Second edition. London: Garland Science, 2013, xx, 876. ISBN 9780815345282. info

Teaching methods

lectures – disscussions

Assessment methods

The course provides short and understandable summary of recent knowledge about cause and mechanisms of cancer development. It looks on cancer as inherent part of multicellular organism life and consequence of breaking the basic rules and principles of their functioning. The course encourages participants to consider consequences of breaking analogous / parallel rules and principles in human society. Thus, the main benefit of the course is not the gaining of the biological knowledge but the ability to personally contemplate the opened general topics and expressed it in the final essay.

Language of instruction

Czech

Further Comments

Study Materials
The course is taught annually.

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2023, recent)
  
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