Current Topics in Molecular and Cellular Toxicology

COURSE OBJECTIVE
The course aims to give a general introduction to the use of cell cultures, in particular induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), and their application for toxicology and personalized medicine

COURSE CONTENT
Subjects of this course/caput are optional and may vary, depending on the rest of the program and/or the interest of the BSc-student(s). In close cooperation with the teaching coordinator, several topics will be chosen, focusing on induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and using stem cells for assessment of toxicity.

Detailed description: Studying the effects of pharmaceuticals in human cell culture systems, offers a number of advantages over animal experiments, including the use of human material and the possibility to use mechanistic approaches to understand the mechanism of action or mechanism of toxicity of a compound. In particular the use of iPSC opens exciting new avenues, as they provide unlimited material, are of non-cancerous origin, and can be collected/generated from individual living patients. iPSC can be generated from somatic cells, e.g. from skin fibroblast or blood cells, and in the last decade, many patient-specific iPSC have been made, including cells that carry SNPs or mutations in drug transporters or metabolizing enzymes. These cells can then be differentiated into target cells that are important in toxicology, including cells types of the liver, kidney, heart and intestine, and employed in toxicology studies. Topics addressed in this course include, general cell culture techniques, iPSC reprogramming and differentiation strategies, and a basic understanding in developmental biology and physiology of the target organs known to be involved in toxicity. In addition, strengths and limitations of iPSC for their potential application of studying toxicity and personalized medicine will be discussed.

TEACHING METHODS
This course consists of a series of lectures as well as discussion sessions of recent literature. For this, the students are expected to do a literature search and to prepare a presentation on a selected topic.

TYPE OF ASSESSMENT
An assignment on a selected topic in form of a short presentation or report will count for 70% of the mark. A test on the lectures will count for 30% of the mark. Both need to be passed to pass the course. Whether assignment work is performed by each student individually or in groups will depend on the number of students enrolled.

RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Cellular Biology, Bioanalysis, Pharmaceutical toxicology, Pharmacokinetics and ADME processes