COURSE UNIT TITLE

: METABOLIC BIOLOGY IN CANCER

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
TRO 6011 METABOLIC BIOLOGY IN CANCER ELECTIVE 1 0 0 3

Offered By

Translational Oncology

Level of Course Unit

Third Cycle Programmes (Doctorate Degree)

Course Coordinator

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR GIZEM ÇALIBAŞI KOÇAL

Offered to

Translational Oncology
Translational Oncology

Course Objective

Tumor cells reprogram their nutrient intake and metabolism pathways to meet their needs for survival and rapid growth and reproduction under stressful conditions. While these reprogrammed activities provide a selective advantage during tumorigenesis, they also play an active role in the gaining an aggressive character. Therefore, metabolic reprogramming is recognized as one of the hallmarks of cancer.

In this perspective, a mechanistic understanding of how and why metabolic reprogramming occurs in tumor cells and the advantages of changing metabolism to tumorigenesis and metastasis is important for developing new treatment strategies and determining the cell's adaptive boundaries.

In the scope of the course;
By emphasizing the importance of metabolic reprogramming, the basic metabolic features that change in cancer cells compared to normal cells and their advantages to the cell will be explained. The connection of tumor microenvironment with metabolic changes will be established and re-educating of the tumor microenvironment will be discussed. The concept and advantages of drug repositioning with metabolic agents will be presented

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   Knows the concept of metabolic reprogramming in cancer.
2   Understands glucose, lipid, amino acid, nucleotide metabolisms that provide advantages to cancer cells.
3   Understands that changed environmental conditions such as hypoxia and pH may have a metabolic effect on cancer cells.
4   Has an idea that the cells and parameters associated with the tumor microenvironment will affect the cancer cell.
5   Has an idea about cancer and cachexia and energy metabolism.
6   Has an idea about the concept of drug repositioning and its clinical advantages.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Introduction to metabolic biology
2 Metabolic reprogramming in cancer
3 Glucose metabolism in cancer
4 Lactate, pyruvate and acetyl-CoA metabolism in cancer
5 Lipid metabolism in cancer (Ketones and fatty acids)
6 Glutamine and glutamate metabolism in cancer
7 Alanine metabolism in cancer
8 The role of pH in cancer progression and metastasis
9 Nucleotide metabolism in cancer
10 Hypoxia and cancer metabolism
11 Tumor microenvironment in metabolic adaptation
12 Metabolism of immune cells in cancer (Immuno-metabolism)
13 Redox metabolism and cancer
14 Redox metabolism and cancer
15 Drug repurposing with metabolic agents

Recomended or Required Reading

Tumor Cell Metabolism-Pathways, Regulation and Biology. Springer. 2015. Editors: Mazurek, Sybille, Shoshan, Maria.
Metabolism in Cancer. Springer 2016.Editors: Cramer, Thorsten, Schmitt, Clemens.
Pavlova NN, Thompson CB. The Emerging Hallmarks of Cancer Metabolism. Cell Metab. 2016 Jan 12;23(1):27-47.
Zhang J, Pavlova NN, Thompson CB. Cancer cell metabolism: the essential role of the nonessential amino acid, glutamine. EMBO J. 2017 May 15;36(10):1302-1315.
Vettore L, Westbrook RL, Tennant DA. New aspects of amino acid metabolism in cancer. Br J Cancer. 2020 Jan;122(2):150-156.
Cerezo M, Rocchi S. Cancer cell metabolic reprogramming: a keystone for the response to immunotherapy. Cell Death Dis. 2020 Nov 11;11(11):964.
Yoo HC, Yu YC, Sung Y, Han JM. Glutamine reliance in cell metabolism. Exp Mol Med. 2020 Sep;52(9):1496-1516.
Jin MZ, Jin WL. The updated landscape of tumor microenvironment and drug repurposing. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2020 Aug 25;5(1):166.
Lieu, E.L., Nguyen, T., Rhyne, S. et al. Amino acids in cancer. Exp Mol Med 52, 15 30 (2020).
Wei, Q., Qian, Y., Yu, J. et al. Metabolic rewiring in the promotion of cancer metastasis: mechanisms and therapeutic implications. Oncogene 39, 6139 6156 (2020).
Martinez-Outschoorn, U., Peiris-Pagés, M., Pestell, R. et al. Cancer metabolism: a therapeutic perspective. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 14, 11 31 (2017).
Ghoneum A, Abdulfattah AY, Warren BO, Shu J, Said N. Redox Homeostasis and Metabolism in Cancer: A Complex Mechanism and Potential Targeted Therapeutics. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Apr 28;21(9):3100.
Lukey MJ, Katt WP, Cerione RA. Targeting amino acid metabolism for cancer therapy. Drug Discov Today. 2017 May;22(5):796-804

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lectures, the topics with classroom activities (presentations and homework assignments) to consolidate and discussion

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 PRF PERFORMANCE
2 FIN FINAL EXAM
3 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE PRF * 0.40 + FIN*0.60
4 RST RESIT
5 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) PRF * 0.40 + FCGR*0.60


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

LO1, LO2, and LO3 will be evaluated with exam.
LO4, LO5 and LO6 will evaluate with homework and presentations prepared by the student.

Language of Instruction

Turkish

Course Policies and Rules

To be announced.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

gizem.calibasi@deu.edu.tr ; 0 232 412 58 35

Office Hours

Thursday 14:00-15:00

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 15 1 15
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 15 4 60
Final 1 1 1
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 76

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8PO.9PO.10PO.11PO.12
LO.155
LO.255
LO.355
LO.455
LO.555
LO.655