CanBio2:

Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Biology

Course Name: Cancer Biology 2: Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Biology

Course Number: CABI30900/CCTS40200/MPMM30900
Course Director: Donald Vander Griend
Days: Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Time: 10:30-11:50 AM
Room Location: BSLC Room 240

TA: Nesli Dolcen and Calvin VanOpstall

Contact Info:
Donald Vander Griend: prostate@uchicago.edu, office: 773-702-2260
Calvin VanOpstall: cvanopstall@uchicago.edu
Nesli Dolcen: dndolcen@uchicago.edu

Lecturers: Donald Vander Griend, Mark Lingen, Geof Greene, Kay Macleod, Karl Matlin, Peter Savage, Lucy
Godley, Brandon Pierce.

Chalk Info: Course Name: CABI 30900 (Winter 17) Cancer Bio-2: Mol Mech Cancer Biology; Course ID:
2016.01.1033090001

Prerequisite: Cancer Biology 1 Preferred

Introduction: This class will provide the students with an in depth understanding of cellular signal transduction
and its relation to cancer biology. It will focus on a detailed analysis of a defined set of signaling pathways, as
well as cover important topics pertaining to cell signaling within cancer research. It will also focus on current
concepts of cell signaling, including context-dependency, model systems, and therapeutic interventions.
Students will have the opportunity to present a chalk-talk style presentation, and will write a mini grant proposal
outline the design of a bioassay for screening compounds to modulate a specific signaling pathway.

Class outline:
Class format: Lectures on Mondays and Wednesdays; Student-presented chalk talks on papers pertinent to
lecture material from that week. Papers provided by the lecturer.
A midterm and final take home exam, given one week to complete, and emailed to Dr. Vander Griend.
A 2 page grant-style proposal describing a novel bio-assay for screening compounds targeting a specific
signaling pathway.

Grade:
20% Attendance and class participation
20% Midterm
20% Journal paper presentations
20% Grant proposal
20% Final

PRESENTATIONS:
Journal Papers Presentation:
Learning to teach and present at the chalkboard is an important skill for any scientist. This hones your skills for
clear scientific communication, precision in language, and thinking on your feet. The presentation style is
modeled after the CCB prelim format. You will be assigned to present two times during the course; and a paper
will be given to you on Monday to be presented on Friday of the same week. The presentation should be in
three parts: 1) what led up to this paper; 2) what is there experimental rationale, approach, and results; and 3)
where should they go from here. Be prepared to discuss and answer questions. Presentations should take about
15-20 minutes. That means you cant spend too much time on detail as youll have to move pretty fast.

Grant Proposal:
There is a strong interest in identifying chemical inhibitors or activators of specific proteins within a signaling
pathway for use in research and medicine. However, the major limiting step in this process is the development
of appropriate bioassays to screen thousands of compounds for chemical hits. Your assignment is to design a
bioassay for a signaling protein of your choice. Please attempt to choose a protein or pathway with a minimal
public record of targeting. A good starting resource is Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, but the goal is to
challenge your creativity. The schedule and format is as follows:
1. You will submit your first draft on Jan 25th, and the TA and I will review and provide comments back
to you.
2. Your final version will be due on March 8th.
3. Your proposal will be 2 pages in length, with an additional page for references. Single spaced, Arial 11
font, 0.5-inch margins.
4. Your proposal will be structured with the following sections:
a. Background, Rationale, and Significance: Why would modulating this pathway be
worthwhile? Who would benefit from such a novel drug?
b. Approach: How would you set the assay set up? What would your readout be? What would be
your controls? How would you discern specificity?
c. Outcome: What would be your general strategy for further testing hit compounds?
5. Considerations:
a. How will you exclude off-target hits?
b. Consider the concept of high-throughput on a scale of 10,000 compounds. What will your
readout be for a hit and how can it be automated? You cant manually count each reaction.
c. What are some of the ways your hit signal can be interpreted?

Midterm and Final:

Each lecturer will put together one question based upon their material and papers covered, and answers will be
limited to one page typed. You will have one week to complete the midterm and email to Dr. Vander Griend.
 Winter Quarter 2017 Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer - Can Bio II Class Schedule
10:30am-11:50am
BSLC 240

Date Topic Lecturer Comment

1 Jan 4 Introduction to Cell Signaling Vander Griend
2 Jan 6 Development, Stem Cells, and Cancer Vander Griend
4 Jan 9 Epithelial Cell Biology Matlin
5 Jan 11 Epithelial Cell Biology Matlin
6 Jan 13 JOURNAL CHALK TALK Matlin Students 1-2
7 Jan 16 NO CLASS MLK Day
8 Jan 18 Cancer Epidemiology Pierce
9 Jan 20 JOURNAL CHALK TALK Pierce Students 3-4
10 Jan 23 Drug Discovery Vander Griend
11 Jan 25 Clinical Trials Vander Griend GRANT DUE 1st DRAFT
12 Jan 27 JOURNAL CHALK TALK Vander Griend Students 5-6
13 Jan 30 Imprinting and Methylation Godley
14 Feb 1 Epigenetics & Cancer Godley MIDTERM OUT
15 Feb 3 JOURNAL CHALK TALK Godley Students 7-8
16 Feb 6 Autophagy & Cancer Macleod
17 Feb 8 Autophagy & Cancer Macleod MIDTERM DUE
18 Feb 10 JOURNAL CHALK TALK Macleod Students 9-10
19 Feb 13 Angiogenesis Lingen
20 Feb 15 EMT & Tumor Cell Invasion Lingen
18 Feb 17 JOURNAL CHALK TALK Lingen Students 11-12
19 Feb 20 Tumor Immunology Savage
20 Feb 22 Tumor Immunology Savage
21 Feb 24 JOURNAL CHALK TALK Savage Students 13-14
22 Feb 27 Hypoxia, ROS & Cancer Macleod
23 Mar 1 Hypoxia, ROS & Cancer Macleod
24 Mar 3 JOURNAL CHALK TALK Macleod Students 15-16
25 Mar 6 Steroid Hormone Receptors Greene
26 Mar 8 Steroid Hormone Receptors Greene FINAL OUT, GRANT DUE
27 Mar 10 JOURNAL CHALK TALK Greene Students 17-18
28 March 15 FINAL DUE FINAL DUE
Student Name Chalk Talk Number
Eric Bueter 9
Ruofan Chen 6
Dayana Delgado 8
Shivraj Grewal 5
Lakshmi Kirkire 7
Manisha Krishnan 11
Jimmy Lee 10
Yue Liu 13
Xiao Liu 3
Julian Lutze 18
Katrina Maxcy 12
Jill Rosenberg 1
Matthew Trendowski 17
Sravya Tumuluru 4
Peter Yang 16
Shengfeng Wang 14
Oluwatoyin Babalola 15
Allen Zhu 2