Ateneo - UPO

The course includes: a pathophysiology part focused on the functional alterations caused by diseases, in particular those related to nutrition; an immunology part focused on the alterations of the immune system in allergies and autoimmune diseases.

Robbins and Cotran The pathologic bases of disease. Elsevier Kuby Immunology, ed. W.H.Freeman & Co Ltd; Janeway "Immunobiology" - ed. Garland Science. Scientific papers provided during the course.

The students must acquire the knowledge and understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the most important diseases related to nutrition, in particular those due to gene-environment interactions and to the alterations of the immune system. The student must be able to use the correct scientific terminology.

Basic knowledge of the principles of molecular and cellular biology, biochemistry, genetics, histology, physiology, general pathology, immunologia.

The course will be held in class, with power point slides, that will be provided to the student. Interactive discussion will be held in class.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Written exam with 30 multiple-choice questions on pathophysiology and 30 multiple-choice questions on immunology . A minimum score of 18/30 is needed to pass the exam. The exam consists in an oral test. The student will show to have acquired adequate information on General Pathology, Pathophysiology and Immunology and to be able to use this information to analyse the pathophysiological mechanisms of the most frequent human diseases. The final assessment is carried out collectively and shared among all the teachers of the individual modules. The final grade is calculated using a (weighted) average of the assessments for the individual modules.

Pathophysiology: - Pathophysiology of lipid metabolism - The causes and biology of cancer - Malnutrition and micronutrients. - Laboratory activities: cell counting, protein extraction and quantification; DNA isolation. Theory of PCR and quantitative PCR. Immunobiology: - Allergy and hypersensitivity - Tolerance and food allergy (pathogenetic mechanisms) - Diagnostic test of food allergies - Autoimmune diseases: organic and systemic, antibodies and cell-mediated - Examples of autoimmune disease and pathogenetic mechanisms - Etiology of autoimmune disease (environmental factors: infection and nutrition) - Introduction to the intestinal microbiota: composition, diversity, concepts of dysbiosis and eubiosis - Impact of diet and lifestyle on the microbiota - Intestinal microbiota and allergies - The intestine-brain axis and role in autoimmunity - Microbiota revolution (personalized medicine): prebiotics, probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (TMF). Gender mainstreaming: gender-specific aspects will be discussed for each disease.

The student must acquire the knowledge and understanding of the fundamental mechanisms underlying the most important diseases related to nutrition, in particular those due to gene-environment interactions and to the alterations of the immune system. The student must be able to use the correct scientific terminology. The student will acquire information on the most important pathophysiological processes that cause disease. The student will also acquire the ability to apply the information to the study of the mechanism of human disease.