Course Coordinator: V. Bravou (Professor)

Educational Objectives

The educational objectives of the Molecular Anatomy-Molecular Histopathology course are:

• The systematic presentation and in-depth knowledge of the physiological molecular structure of human cells-tissues-organs both during embryonic development and in the adult organism, and the integration of knowledge at the macroscopic (anatomy, embryology), microscopic (histology), ultramicroscopic (electron microscopy) and molecular level. The connection-correlation of this knowledge with physiology-physiological function and the pathology and pathogenesis of human diseases.
• The systematic study of the pathogenesis and histopathology at microscopic and molecular level of human diseases with emphasis on cancer, bone and soft tissue diseases, kidney diseases, cardiovascular system, etc. The direct connection-correlation of knowledge with translational-applied research in the respective fields.
• The familiarization of students with the theoretical background and the practical application of modern molecular methods and techniques applied in research and diagnostics (diagnosis, prognosis-prediction of response to treatment) in the study of human tissue samples.

Course Content

The Molecular Anatomy – Molecular Histopathology course includes theoretical lectures by faculty members and invited speakers, presentations of projects by students/work in small groups and practical training – familiarization with tissue study techniques.

The Molecular Anatomy – Molecular Histopathology course content includes the following sections:

• Molecular Anatomy of human cells/tissues/organs.
  • Integration of knowledge of the physiological structure-composition of human cells/tissues/organs at the microscopic (histology); ultramicroscopic (electron microscopy) and molecular level.
• Molecular Histopathology. Linking the knowledge of molecular anatomy with pathophysiology-pathogenesis as well as with characteristic microscopic – ultramicroscopic and molecular changes of human diseases with emphasis on cancer, bone and soft tissue diseases, kidney and cardiovascular diseases.
• Developmental Molecular Anatomy
  • Study of the molecular profile (expression and function of regulatory macromolecules) of cells/tissues/organs of the human embryo during histogenesis/organogenesis
  • Correlation with knowledge of classical developmental anatomy (embryology)
  • Correlation with pathology of the embryo, neonate and adult human
• Theoretical background of microscopy techniques (photon microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, electron microscopy) and molecular methods of tissue study (histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, tissue microarrays, cell cultures, PCR, quantitative PCR, Western blotting, etc.)

Laboratory training of graduate students

The laboratory exercises of the course include exposure and training of students in techniques of tissue fixation and preparation for photon microscopy and electron microscopy, techniques of staining of tissues for microscopic study (histochemical staining), study of tissue morphology under the photon microscope, molecular techniques for the study of protein expression in tissues (immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, tissue microarrays, Western Immunoblotting) molecular techniques for the detection of nucleic acids in tissues (extraction of DNA and RNA from tissues, real-time PCR, in situ hybridisation, etc.) and primary cell cultures (mainly of mesenchymal origin).