Course program, A.Y. 2018-19
Lesson | Date | Topics | Linked slides and useful links |
1 | January 29th, 2019 | Basics of radiation damage. Stopping power and LET. Radiolysis of water and radiolytical species. Dynamics of water radiolysis. Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). G values. |
|
2 | January 30th, 2019 | Radiosensitivity
of different animal cells; the radiosensitivity of
extremophiles. Broad classification of human cells. The main
parts of a human cells. The sizes of biological objects from
single molecules to the largest cells. Exercise: measurement of
the replication time of a strain of leukemia cells. |
|
3 | February 5th, 2019 | Basic
information on the structure of DNA. The molecular structure of
DNA. DNA replication. Coding and non-coding DNA. The genetic
code. The meaning of the code: protein synthesis. The shape of
proteins. Ribosomes. |
|
4 | February 6th, 2019 | Radiation
damage to the constituents of cells. Direct and indirect damage.
The role of ROS; endogenous and exogenous ROS-related damage.
The first line of defense: superoxide dismutase, catalase, etc.
The second line of defense: DNA repair mechanisms. Cell death in case of unrepaired damage. Mutations. Gene modifications linked to cancer; oncogens, tumor-suppressor genes, repair genes. |
|
5 | February 12th, 2019 | The hallmarks
of cancer. The tumor microenvironment. Mathematical models of
carcinogenesis: a simple model of colorectal cancer. Peto's
paradox. Cell death and cell survival curves. Biological endpoints. The linear-quadratic (LQ) model. Target theory. Multitarget model. |
|
6 | February 13th, 2019 | Conditions that
influence the shape of the cell survival curve: RBE, OER, etc.
Dose-response curves. Use of the LQ model in radiation therapy. Tumor control probability. Normal tissue complication probability. Low-level radiation and radiation protection issues. Radiosensitizers. Fractionation. The Biologically Effective Dose (BED) and its modifications. The 4 R's of radiotherapy (... 5 R's). Simple examples of treatment schedules. Isoeffect and equivalent dose at 2 Gy. |