Cellular and Molecular Physiology

The aim of the course is to deepen the students' knowledge on the cellular and molecular physiological mechanisms especially in relation to cellular excitability and cardiovascular function. Examples of how specific molecular components of excitable and/or endothelial cells are implicated in cell function and in specific cardiovascular diseases will be given, with a focus on the role of blood vessels and vascular dysfunction, and ion channels and their interaction with the cytoskeleton and other macro protein complexes. Diseases treated include rare genetic diseases such as cardiac arrhythmias/channelopathies, caveolinopathies, dystrophies, solid tumours, atherosclerosis and ischaemic diseases, diabetic retinopathy and other neovascular diseases of the eye.
The teaching strategy is based on a "problem solving" approach.
Students will learn physiological mechanisms that are essential for cellular functions that are made up of different interactions (e.g.: membrane potential, calcium release, activation of intracellular pathways), how alteration of specific components of these processes can cause a pathophysiological state and what countermeasures could be adopted to restore physiological cellular and organ homeostasis.
Students will learn physiological mechanisms that are essential for cellular functions that are made up of different interactions (e.g.: membrane potential, calcium release, activation of intracellular pathways), how alteration of specific components of these processes can cause a pathophysiological state and what countermeasures could be adopted to restore physiological cellular and organ homeostasis.

At the end of the course, the student is expected to have acquired the critical ability to analyse, through the literature, the behaviour of a physiological process that changes into a pathological one. The second objective is to integrate the basic knowledge of different disciplines to cope with a complex physiological problem by including quantitative approaches. Moreover, students should have developed the ability to understand, interpret and critically evaluate the scientific literature relative to physiopathological mechanisms and to disseminate the conclusions emerging from such publications.