GS040213   Mechanisms in Cancer Therapeutics

Gandhi, Varsha. Three semester hours. Spring annually. Prerequisite: Background in biochemistry and cell biology.

This course will establish a foundation of the principles of cancer therapy, including pharmacologic rationales, consideration of biological targets, and mechanism-based approaches to combinations. A major emphasis will be placed on agents that damage DNA, and the response of tumor cells to such insults. In depth presentations will consider all classes of chemotherapeutic agents, their metabolism, and mechanisms of action, and the resistance mechanisms of tumor cells. Mechanistic rationales for other therapeutic modalities used for cancer treatment such as radiotherapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy will also be covered. Students will have the opportunity to learn to identify novel therapeutic targets, and the procedures used to develop new agents for clinical evaluation.