5 ECTS credits
125 h study time
Offer 1 with catalog number 4009575ENR for all students in the 1st semester at a (E) Master - advanced level.
This course is focused on standard and experimental cellular therapies using hematopoietic cells that are collected from blood or bone marrow. The aim is to offer insights in the biological background as well as the laboratory and clinical aspects of stem cell transplantation strategies and immune effector cell therapies for patients with malignant and/or inborn (blood cell) disorders. After an introduction of the biological features of bone marrow and blood stem cells, the different transplantation types (including the conditioning regimens) are presented. Clinical indications, results as well as potential complications of this treatment are discussed. Also, the particular role of T lymphocytes in the development of graft versus host disease and prevention of disease relapse post transplantation (donor lymphocyte infusion) is explained. An overview is given about the different procedures that are currently available for clinical scale collection and in vitro processing of hematopoietic stem cell grafts (including in vitro cell selection and expansion, cryopreservation and quality control of stem cells). Another important part of the course highlights the use of blood and bone marrow derived (stem) cells as target cells for gene therapy or CAR-T cell therapy in patients with hematological disorders. A last part focuses on the use of peripheral blood-derived dendritic cells for immunotherapy in cancer patients. Different procedures are discussed that are used for in vitro selection and/or expansion as well as tumor antigen RNA transfection of dendritic cells in a clinical scale setting, with reference to the latest clinical trials.
Note pages with presented slides and recent publications from literature
The aim of this course is to offer the students knowledge about different types of experimental and clinical cell therapy, based on the use of hematopoietic cells. At the end of the course, the students should not only know the biological background but also the clinical and technical aspects of these treatments.
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 100% of the final mark.
Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
The students have to select one review article and one original paper from a list provided by the coordinator. During the oral examination, the students have to give a critical discussion about these manuscripts. The students are supposed to have also general knowledge about the different topics that were presented and discussed during the course. During the examination, at least two teachers of the course are present for the overall evaluation. All students have to perform the exam in English.
This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Biomedical Sciences: Management and Business (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Biomedical Sciences: Clinical Biomedical Sciences (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Biology: Education (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Biology: Molecular and Cellular Life sciences
Master of Biomedical Research: Standaard traject
Master of Teaching in Science and Technology: biologie (120 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Teaching in Health Sciences: standaard traject (120 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)