Ateneo - UPO

The students will learn the basis of mucosal immunity, the pathogenesis of inflammatory skin disorders, either autoimmune disorders or allergies, and the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying wound healing. The students will also gain knowledge on the physiological microbiota of skin and on the principal pathogens associated with skin diseases 

The slides of the lectures and additional material, such as selected scientific papers and laboratory protocols will be available to students.
Andreas Schwiertz - Microbiota of the Human Body: Implications in Health and Disease -Springer Verlag - 2016 (1st edition) will provide insights into the microbiota topic
For background knowledge, we recommend the following text books:
Michael T. Madigan, Kelly S. Bender, Daniel H. Buckley, W. Matthew Sattley, David A. Stahl - Brock Biology of Microorganisms – Pearson - 2018 (15th edition).
Abul Abbas Andrew H. Lichtman Shiv Pillai. Cellular and Molecular Immunology, 10th Edition.
Lauren Sompayrac. How the Immune System Works. Wiley Blackwell.

The course aims to:
- provide students with adequate information about the skin as an ecosystem, the structure and function of the skin microbiota and factors affecting the microbial flora of the skin.
- provide students with the basis for the understanding of the main microbial skin pathogens/host interaction mechanisms, microbial skin infections, microbial life in biofilms and their adverse effects on health.
- provide students with the instruments for the application of some of the principal methods concerning bacterial and fungal cells cultivation and
microscopic observation.
- provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of skin immunity and of the pathological mechanisms underpinning the most common skin
disorders.
- provide students with the competences to address unmet clinical needs by suggesting experimental approaches that could be taken to identify new
targets/approaches and to analyse their therapeutic potential.

Basic knowledge of microbial cell biology, genetic and metabolism that can be acquired by studying the textbook “Brock Biology of Microorganisms”.
Basic knowledge of cell biology and immunology is mandatory and can be acquired by pre-course intensive tutoring.
Anatomy, physiology and molecular biology are recommended.

Lectures, seminars held by experts in the field, flipped classroom based on journal club discussion, lab practicals.

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.

The exam will be aimed at evaluating the knowledge and notions acquired during the lectures and selected seminars. The exam will be a written test
composed of 4 open questions (answers of 150-200 words maximum) and 10 multiple choices and true/false questions (with one true answer). The
questions will be aimed at evaluating knowledge and understanding of the topics addressed during the lecturers and the ability to discuss the topics
critically and concisely by using specific scientific and technical language.
At each open question a maximum score of 5 points will be assigned. For multiple choice and true/false questions, 1 point will be obtained for the
correct answer, whereas wrong or blank answers will be evaluated 0 points (maximum score will be 30 points).
Teams composed of 3-4 students/each will have to prepare a journal club presentation. A list of research manuscripts that falls into the topics
discussed during skin pathology lectures will be provided. However, students might discuss additional original research articles, provided that
the manuscript is approved by lecturer. The scientific paper will be discussed with all classmates – who will gain valuable insights into the
different topics - and lecturer, who will evaluate the students work. Each student might be awarded with a maximum score of 3 points that will be
added to the score of the written test.

Microbial life on skin: importance for human health and implications in skin diseases. Frontal lessons (Fracchia L.)
- Brief introduction about skin as an ecosystem. Definition of Microbiota and Microbiome. Sites of microbial colonisation on the skin and influence of skin components and properties on microbial life. Overview of the principal methodologies to study the human microbiota.
- Structure of the healthy human skin microbiota. Functions of the healthy human skin microbiota. Skin microorganisms or communities with and adverse or sickening effect on their hosts and relations with skin microbiota.
- Microbial biofilms and skin infections. Prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics and the skin microbiota in the cosmetic industry.

The good and the bad: a close sight to some microorganisms belonging to skin microbiota and to those involved in skin diseases. Laboratory (Fracchia L.)
- Theory and practice of microorganism cultivation on selective media, observation of relevant skin pathogens cultivated on agar plates, Gram-
staining and observation of slides by optical microscopy.
- Isolation and identification of microorganisms from skin surface.
- How to cultivate a biofilm in vitro

Skin immunity.
Overview of the immunological anatomy of the epidermis and derma biology under steady state, wound healing and skin disorders. Discussion of research articles
Porta C. (frontal lessons)
Infectious skin diseases.
Pathogenic mechanisms underpinning the most common bacterial, fungal and viral (HPV, HSV, MCV) skin infections. Discussion of research articles.
Porta C. (frontal lessons and seminars)
Inflammatory skin disorders.
Pathogenesis, current therapeutic options and new potential therapeutic targets of the major autoimmune and inflammatory diseases of the skin and the skin appendages, including alopecia areata, vitiligo, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and acne vulgaris. Discussion of research articles.
Porta C. (frontal lessons and seminars)

At the end of the course, the student will acquire theoretical knowledge and understanding about the composition and the role of the physiological
human skin microbiota as well as about the skin microorganisms or communities with adverse effect on human health and the main strategies
to limit microbial invasion.
The student will acquire the instruments for the application of the acquired knowledge to critically analyse and discuss clinical and experimental
themes in the field of skin microbial diseases and for the application of some of the principal methods for cultivation and observation of microorganisms.
The student will gain independence of judgment on the different topics addressed during the course, knowledge of their possible applications and
repercussions in other scientific fields and skills regarding the verbal and written communication by the use of specific scientific and technical
language.
The student will acquire theoretical knowledge and understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning cutaneous immunity, pathogenesis of inflammatory and infectious skin disorders.
The student will acquire the specific scientific terminology and application of the acquired knowledge to critically analyse and discuss clinical and
experimental data in the field of skin immunity and disorders.
Finally, the student will gain competence to conceptually design small research projects aimed to: 1) discover new targets, 2) study the therapeutic potential of a given target 3) evaluate new approaches to target key pathogenic events.