You will learn advanced imaging techniques such as Nuclear Medicine and MRI, which are used to assess if your patient is responding to the given therapy. All these aspects will be covered by (pre)clinical and scientific experts in their own field.
The minor (24 or 30 EC) consists of two components:
- The minor-module Cancer-Immune Diseases-Personalized Therapies (24 EC)
- Tracks of 30 EC will be completed with a literature essay (6 EC)
NB: Exchange students who wish to apply for one of these tracks need to have completed at least 90 EC in a relevant program, like for example in medicine, biomedicine, psychobiology, technical medicine, medical biology, liberal arts & sciences or biopharmaceutical sciences.
Course Objective
- Immune system functioning in health and disease
- Interaction between host and pathogens
- Diagnosing immune-mediated diseases and cancers in early phases
- Using the immune system to treat cancer
- The role of imaging in the diagnosis, targeted treatment, and monitoring of patients
- Current and future treatment modalities for liquid and solid cancers
As a treating physician, you will soon realize that immune-related diagnostics, monitoring and treatment options are becoming a mainstay in the treatment of cancer, as well as in inflammatory diseases. You, as a doctor, are the one that orders these tests or treatments for your patient. To provide you with a solid background, this minor addresses various immune-related processes that play a crucial role in disease development, progression and treatment. It is often the balance within the immune system that determines the outcome of disease, ranging from tissue destruction or the development of cancer to complete cure. To illustrate this point, we will touch upon immunological reactions that are out of balance, resulting in chronic inflammatory diseases. This minor will also give insight into the ongoing battle between the human host and its pathogens. On the other hand, lack of immunity due to specific molecular deficiencies can result in cancer. The role of the immune system in the development of cancer and the latest achievements in the field of cancer treatment by immune therapy will be highlighted.
To reach these aims, the minor addresses the latest diagnostic techniques in order to understand the underlying pathophysiology: these techniques include genome-wide DNA and RNA sequencing, metabolomics and microbiome analysis.
The minor is completed with the role of medical imaging and nanomedicine in the context of personalized therapy. Patients are different in their genetic DNA profile, immune system, microbiome and metabolism, so if possible, treatment should be optimized by accounting for these personal characteristics. You will learn advanced imaging techniques used in cancer treatment such as nuclear medicine and MRI, which are used to assess if your patient is responding to the given therapy. Knowing which imaging techniques are available and when they are best applied, will support you to request the right diagnostic and therapeutic tools when treating patients. This minor aims to incorporate one or more patient demos, which will illustrate applications of the discussed treatment options in real life.
All these aspects will be covered by preclinical and clinical scientific experts in their own field.