Corso di Laurea in Tecniche di Laboratorio Biomedico - Torino

Macroscopic Pathology

The student needs to learn the fundamental notions for a correct management of histological and cytological samples, for diagnostic purposes. In particular, the educational objectives include:

• procedures for registration and processing of all pathology laboratory specimens
• ultimate aims of diagnostic pathology within diagnostic and therapeutic pathways and guidelines for each disease
• risks connected to a wrong sample management
• risks derived from the handling of specimens from infectious disease affected patients;
• fixation and tissue preservation procedures
• diagnostic methods in cytopathology and histopathology
• modern techniques of molecular diagnosis applied to pathology
• minimal requirements for tissue processing and preservation for the purposes of molecular diagnosis (e.g. bio-banks, tumor banks, etc)

Applied Sciences in Surgical Pathology

• Knowing the composition, the operational aims and the human and technical resources of an anatomical pathology unit
• Understanding the complexity of the logistics and the organization of the several laboratories of the anatomical pathology unit
• Knowing the procedures and the operational steps from specimen reception to compound preparation
• Knowing the working principles of the main instruments needed for the several techniques
• Understanding the roles of laboratory technician and pathologist in each procedure
• Understanding the health hazards in laboratory procedures and knowing the safety provisions to prevent and reduce them

Molecular Biology

Acquisition of theoretical and practical knowledge of basic molecular biology applications in oncology.

Medical Oncology

The module will be focused on tumor markers with the aim to understand the value and the specificity of tumor markers used in the clinical practice.

Specifically, the student will acquire knowledge of:

• the molecular-genetic basis of tumorigenesis and the hallmarks of tumor cells;
• the classification of tumor markers, the scope and limitations to their clinical use (screening, diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic);
• the methods for the determination of tumor markers;
• "good laboratory practice".

The course as a whole is intended to emphasize the importance of close collaboration among clinicians, pathologists, and laboratory technicians by providing a multidisciplinary vision of modern Pathology.

Macroscopic Surgical Pathology

-Introduction to diagnostic pathology, with special reference to the role of gross pathology examination of surgical samples
-Difference between  histological and cytological diagnosis

· Types of cytological samples and tests

· Basic elements of macroscopic histopathology in different organs

· Role of laboratory technician in the handling and management of gross pathology samples of the following organs and apparatuses: pleuro-pulmonary, gynecological (including breast), urological, gastrointestinal (including liver and pancreas), cardio-vascular, endocrine, central and peripheral nervous system

· Tumor staging and grading

· Tumor banks and tissue banks

 Applied Sciences in Surgical Pathology

-Specimen reception: reception, macroscopic documentation, specimen preparation

-Processing: hystoprocessor types, RHS system, Pathos system

-The inclusion unit: main features and issues
-Specimen preparation: microtome section types, floating bath, hot bed, automatic and manual staining, mounting
-Impromptu analysis: the cryostat
-In-depth analysis: immunohistochemistry (IHC)
-A saving tool: the Tissue Micro Array (TMA)
-Cytospin

Molecular Biology

-Analysis of nucleic acids: Hybridization of nucleic acids, Restriction enzymes and modification enzymes, The polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing technologies (Sanger, Pyrosequencing, massive parallel sequencing), DNA polymorphisms;
-Gene expression analysis: Control of gene expression, Northern blotting, Reverse-transcription-(RT)-PCR, Quantitative PCR, Microarrays technologies for whole genome expression profiling;
-Protein expression analysis: Western blotting, ELISA, Proteomics;
-Principles of Bioinformatics: Outline of the main biological databases (PubMed, Books, Entrez-Gene, Ensemble), Alignment of sequences through BLAST,
design of oligonucleotides for PCR and sequencing reactions, Restriction maps;
-Applications of sequencing technologies and gene expression analysis in oncology

Medical Oncology

-Cellular Biology: hallmarks of cancer cells, molecular bases of tumorigenesis, cellular oncogenes, oncosuppressors, angiogenesis, metastatic process
-Clinical Considerations: clinical use of Tumor Markers (TM), Marker’s  Definition : "the ideal marker", choice of new markers;
-Classification of circulating TM: mucine  like markers, hormones, enzymes, molecular genetic markers;
-Clinical Applications of the TM: Screening, Diagnosis, Therapy, Follow up;
-Application examples :PSA, Ca15-3, CEA, Alpha-fetus Protein;
-Application problems: False positive, Choice of the cut-off, Interpretation of the results (Over-expression  in inflammatory illness - analytical problems);
-Examples: prostate, breast, thyroid, and liver carcinomas;
-Clinical / laboratory: suitable applications, suitable results validation;
-Quality controls: analytical characteristics (sensibility, specificity, precision, accuracy); diagnostic characteristics (sensibility, specificity, effectiveness, predictive value ); correlation between analytical and diagnostic characteristics; standardization and cut-off;
-Dosing Techniques: Radio Immuno Assay, immunohistochemistry, Molecular Biology;
-Technical’s problems and possible solutions;

The Tumor markers VEQ in Italy.

·               personal notes from lectures and practical teaching (or printed slides from lectures)

·               web sites of “pathology” including educational material with special reference to gross  pathology atlases

·               Robbins e Cotran, Pathological bases of diseases, Elsevier

·               Daniel S. e Zanin T, Manuale di tecnica cito-istologica, Documentazione Scientifica Editrice Bologna;

• Ruco L e Scarpa A, Anatomia Patologica Le basi, UTET Editrice Scienze Mediche;
• DaleSchantz, From Genes to Genomes, Wiley;
• Bombardieri E, Interpretazione dei Test di Laboratorio per la Clinica Oncologica, Seregni Ettore.