COURSE UNIT TITLE

: MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES

Description of Individual Course Units

Course Unit Code Course Unit Title Type Of Course D U L ECTS
MBG 6105 MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES ELECTIVE 3 0 0 12

Offered By

Molecular Biology and Genetics

Level of Course Unit

Third Cycle Programmes (Doctorate Degree)

Course Coordinator

PROFESSOR DOCTOR ŞERMIN GENÇ

Offered to

Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology and Genetics

Course Objective

This course is designed for graduate students with a basic knowledge of biology. This course will cover the mechanisms of the neurodegenerative diseases at a molecular and cellular level. This course will familiarize students with advances in our understanding of the clinical features and pathogenesis of a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases and disease processes. Students will analyse original research reports of proposed pathological processes that may represent steps in cell death pathways leading to the neuronal dysfunction and death seen in these diseases. Representative topics will include accumulation of misfolded and aberrant proteins, inflammatory response and release of neurotoxic cytokines. Significant emphasis will be placed on the fast-expanding field exploring genetic contributions to neurodegenerative disease. Identification of genetic mutations pathogenic for familial neurodegenerative diseases has been a major driving force in neurodegenerative research. Strategies for therapeutic intervention in the management, prevention, and cure of neurodegenerative disease will be addressed. Diseases affecting the nervous system will be discussed each week.

Learning Outcomes of the Course Unit

1   To understand major classifications of neurodegenerative diseases.
2   To describe the disease-specific neuroanatomical regions of pathological insult.
3   To discuss proposed hypotheses regarding common vs disease-specific pathological processes leading to the variable biochemical and molecular cascades of neuronal death.
4   To discuss past, current, and future strategies for therapeutic intervention in the management, prevention, and cure of neurodegenerative disease.
5   To acknowledge the challenges facing neuroscientists in elucidation of causative cellular and molecular mechanisms in the progressive events underlying neurodegeneration.

Mode of Delivery

Face -to- Face

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

None

Recomended Optional Programme Components

None

Course Contents

Week Subject Description
1 Alzheimer s Disease: ß-amyloid Hypothesis and Tauopathies
2 Alzheimer s Disease: ß-amyloid Hypothesis and Tauopathies
3 Synucleinopathies and Polyglutamine Repeat Diseases
4 Synucleinopathies and Polyglutamine Repeat Diseases
5 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Superoxide Dismutase
6 Creutzfeldt-Jakob and Prion Protein Diseases
7 Genetic Contributions to Neurodegenerative Disease
8 Midterm
9 Misfolding and Aggregation of Disease Proteins
10 Oxidative Alterations in Neurodegenerative Disease
11 Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Neurodegenerative Disease
12 Current FDA-Approved Therapies, Future Strategies
13 The Ongoing Vaccine Story
14 Future Strategies Stem Cells and Gene Therapy
15 Future Directions and Challenges; Questions and Controversies
16 Final Exam

Recomended or Required Reading

Textbook(s): Recent scientific research and review papers will be used for class.
Supplementary Book(s):
References:
Principles of Neural science, Kandel, Schwartz, Jessel, Appleton and Lange.
Neuroscience: Neuroscience, Exploring the Brain, by M.F. Bear, B.W. Connors, and
M.A. Paradiso, 3rd edition, 2007, Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.
Materials: In addition to the lectures and text readings, papers related to various diseases of the nervous system with be assigned. These will be discussed in class. It is expected that the papers will be read by the assigned date and that
students will be prepared to participate in class discussion. Some topics will be decided by the class, but multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophies, Alzheimer s Disease, Parkinson s Disease, and schizophrenia will be covered.
Approximately ten neurological diseases will be studied. Primary literature sources will be used.

Planned Learning Activities and Teaching Methods

Lectures and problem based study
The material presented in the lectures will cover the most important parts of the text reading assignments, therefore class attendance is important.

Assessment Methods

SORTING NUMBER SHORT CODE LONG CODE FORMULA
1 ASG ASSIGNMENT
2 MTE MIDTERM EXAM
3 FIN FINAL EXAM
4 FCG FINAL COURSE GRADE ASG * 0.30 + MTE * 0.30 + FIN * 0.40
5 RST RESIT
6 FCGR FINAL COURSE GRADE (RESIT) ASG * 0.30 + MTE * 0.30 + RST * 0.40


Further Notes About Assessment Methods

None

Assessment Criteria

Knowledge about the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the neurodegenerative diseases and strategies for therapeutic intervention will be evaluated by exams.
Tests will be composed of multiple choice, fill in the blank, and short answer
questions.

Grade %
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
E <60

Language of Instruction

English

Course Policies and Rules

To be announced.

Contact Details for the Lecturer(s)

To be announced.

Office Hours

To be announced.

Work Placement(s)

None

Workload Calculation

Activities Number Time (hours) Total Work Load (hours)
Lectures 14 3 42
Preparations before/after weekly lectures 14 6 84
Preparation for midterm exam 1 30 30
Preparation for final exam 1 37 37
Preparing assignments 12 5 60
Preparing presentations 2 20 40
Final 1 3 3
Midterm 1 4 4
TOTAL WORKLOAD (hours) 300

Contribution of Learning Outcomes to Programme Outcomes

PO/LOPO.1PO.2PO.3PO.4PO.5PO.6PO.7PO.8
LO.12
LO.22
LO.32
LO.42
LO.52