2021 Faculty Courses School of Life Science and Technology Department of Life Science and Technology Graduate major in Life Science and Technology
Functional Life Science
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Life Science and Technology
- Instructor(s)
- Nobuhiro Nakamura / Kanami Orihara / Naohiko Koshikawa / Ayuko Hoshino / Shunichiro Ogura
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 3-4 Mon / 3-4 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- LST.A421
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2021
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Cell and tissue homeostasis is tightly regulated by complex signaling networks at intracellular, intercellular and interorgan levels, and its dysfunction often leads to disease development and progression.
In this course, we will review the basic knowledge of biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, immunology and physiology, and further learn high-level biological and pathophysiological processes, such as 1) allergic diseases and the effect of circadian rhythm regulation, 2) cancer development and acquisition of malignant progression of cancer cells, and 3) the role of intercellular and interorgan communication in disease progression.
Course description and aims
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
１）explain the basic knowledge of biochemistry, molecular/cell biology and physiology, such as homeostasis, metabolism, signal transduction and ubiquitination.
２）explain the basics in immunology and learn the mechanism of allergy development.
３）explain the mechanism of circadian system and learn about its impact on the immune system.
４）explain the basic concepts of cancer development and progression and its application for cancer medicine.
５）explain the importance of cell-cell communication for progression of diseases such as cancer metastasis and obestric disease.
６）explain the importance of mitochondrial dynamics and ubiquitination for cell homeostasis.
Keywords
Cell biology, Physiology, Immunology, Allergy, Circadian rhythm, Cancer (Carcinogenesis, Invasion and metastasis, Diagnosis and therapy), Molecular biology and human disease, Cell-cell communication, Ubiquitination, Mitochondria
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
This course will be organized by five lecturers and given in English.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Metabolism and its control（Ogura） | Students will become able to explain metabolism and its control. |
| Class 2 | Signal transduction（Ogura） | Students will become able to explain signal transduction. |
| Class 3 | Mechanisms of allergy development (Orihara) | Learn the basics in immunology and students will become able to explain the mechanism of allergy development. |
| Class 4 | Basics and mechanisms of biological clock (Orihara) | Learn the basics of biological clock and students will become able to explain the mechanism of circadian rhythm. |
| Class 5 | Circadian control of the immune system (Orihara) | Students will become able to explain ubiquitination and learn its role in protein localization and degradation. |
| Class 6 | Cell Biology (1): Ubiquitination: Fundamental functions (Nakamura) | Students must be able to explain the molecular mechanism of tumor development (Carcinogenesis). |
| Class 7 | Cell Biology (2): Ubiquitination: Fundamental functions - Viral immune evasion (Nakamura) | Students will become able to explain ubiquitination and learn its role in viral immune evasion. |
| Class 8 | Cell Biology (3): Mitochondrial dynamics (Nakamura) | Students will become able to explain the mechanism of mitochondrial dynamics and learn its role in mitochondria homeostasis. |
| Class 9 | Mechanism of cancer development (Koshikawa) | Students must be able to explain the molecular mechanism of tumor development (Carcinogenesis). |
| Class 10 | Mechanism of cancer malignant progression (Koshikawa) | Students must be able to explain the molecular mechanism of cancer malignant progression (Invasion and metastasis). |
| Class 11 | Current and future cancer diagnosis and therapy (Koshikawa) | Students must be able to explain cancer dignosis and therapy based on scientific basis. |
| Class 12 | Cancer metastasis (organotropic metastasis) (Hoshino) | Students will be asked to explain the mechanism underlying cancer metastasis. |
| Class 13 | Underlying mechanism of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Hoshino) | Students will be asked to explain multiple possibility for underlying mechanism of ASD. |
| Class 14 | Current situation with prenatal testing and obstetric disease in Japan (Hoshino) | Students will be asked to explain about prenatal testing and obstetric disease. |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
N/A
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Handouts will be distributed in advance via the OCW-i system when necessary.
【Book】The Biology of Cancer (Garland Science)
Evaluation methods and criteria
Academic assessment will be done by the scores of quizes and/or reports assigned by each lecturer .
Related courses
- LST.A208 ： Molecular Biology I
- LST.A213 ： Molecular Biology II
- LST.A203 ： Biochemistry I
- LST.A218 ： Biochemistry II
- LST.A248 ： Molecular Genetics
- LST.A344 ： Animal Physiology
- LST.A404 ： Cell Physiology
Prerequisites
Students are expected to have successfully completed Biochemistry I & II, Molecular Biology I & II, and Molecular Genetics, or have equivalent knowledge (Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Genomic Biology).