Type: Practical with Student Seminar

Date: 07.11.-25.11.2011

Introduction, delivery of script/literature: Oct. 26, 5 p.m. (DKFZ Main Building, INF 280, 2. floor, H2.02.073)

Hosts/Supervisors: Karin Müller-Decker, Alexandros Vegiopoulos, Susanne Bartels, Rajiv Kumar (contact: k.mueller-decker@dkfz.de)

Topics:

1. The role of pro-inflammatory COX-2 in cancer: Analysis of a transgenic mouse tumor model
2. Role of inflammation in hepatocarcinogenesis
3. Hematopoietic disorders: understanding the basics of blood cancers
4. Germline genetic variation in pigmentation related genes in skin cancer

Content:

1. Transgenic mice as tumour models. Analysis of transgene expression and activity. Protein enrichment from various tissues by immunoprecipitation, immunoblot analysis, in situ protein detection by multi-colour immunofluorescence; lipid extractions, reverse-phase-chromatography of lipids, enzyme-immuno-assay of lipids.
2. Analysis of the role of inflammatory cytokines and NfKb in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma: cell culture of human cell lines, transfection with distinct promoter luciferase reporter constructs and stimulation with proinflammatory agonists, luciferase assay.
3. Identification and isolation of hematopoietic stem cells, flow-cytometric discrimination of different hematopoietic lineages, clonality assays to assess hematopoietic potential, stem cell transplantation as therapy for non-solid cancers.
4. Determination of germline genetic variants in the MC1R gene in DNA from patients with skin cancers using different DNA sequencing strategies.