Subject Code/Name: BIOM30002: Molecule to Malady Workload: 3 lectures and one tute per week. Tute basically functioned as an extra lecture or was used for reviews and MSTs.
Assessment: Two 45 minute MCQ MSTs worth 20% each and written exam (60%). Each MST will test two modules. The MCQs for the last two will be on the exam.
Lectopia Enabled: Yes.
Past exams available: No past exams but you are given a few sample questions in review lectures and on the LMS. Weekly feedback quizzes are also up on the LMS if you want to do them.
Textbook Recommendation: Don't even bother lol. However, there are review articles posted on the LMS and the lectures are clearly based off them. They're very good reading if you have the time.
Lecturer(s): Lots. Lots of top-class researchers talk about their field and it's extremely up to date and relevant.
M. Ryan [Muscular Dystrophy]
E. Yiu [Muscular Dystrophy]
B. Crabb [Malaria]
S. Lewin [HIV]
J. Denholm [Ebola and TB tute - not assessed]
N. Walsh [Rheumatoid Arthritis]
J. Moi [Rheumatoid Arthritis]
S. Metcalfe [Cystic Fibrosis]
J. Massie [Cystic Fibrosis]
D. Tarlinton [B-cell Diseases]
M. Horne [Neurodegeneration]
R. Cappai [Parkinson's]
A. White [Alzheimer's]
P. Crouch [Motor Neuron Diseases]
Year & Semester of completion: 2015, Semester 1
Rating: 5 out of 5
Your Mark/Grade: H1 (91)
Comments: This is an excellent subject, but it's hard. There is so much to know and so much detail presented to you.
M2M is a special sort of core subject that sets Biomedicine apart from Science etc. You're not going to get an opportunity to learn about diseases from researchers who are literally at the cutting edge of their field if you're not in Biomed. Since it's a subject full of disease, it acts as a "taste" of what it's like to study medicine. There are six modules in the subject: Muscular Dystrophies, Pandemics, RA, CF, B-cell diseases and Neurodegeneration. In each module, you will learn about the molecular pathogenesis of the disease, as well as diagnosis, treatment, future therapeutics currently in development, and other clinical aspects. It's a well thought out approach as each module presents as a sort of narrative in a funny way.
What's really good (but not really needed for assessment all that much) is that in each module, they invite a patient to speak about their experiences living with their disease. It's a nice change to move from the theoretical side of things to speaking about it clinically, and it brought a personal touch to the subject. These are not asssessed (although sometimes the lecturer who interviews them does explain some relevant information) but it's refreshing to hear from the perspective of a patient.
Can't complain about the lecturers. They're really good and you'll be taught about all the new, trendy advances in research and clinical trials. Many of them have actually made signficant leaps in their field so you're really being taught by the cream of the crop here. They also post up answers to FAQs on the LMS which were very helpful in clarifying detail. At times they were a bit too in-depth so focus only on what was elaborated on in lectures.
Make sure you know your shit though. Details are everything! Don't just focus on molecules, focus on clinical details as well. Yes, sometimes epidemiology has been asked. In M2M it's easy to think that you know everything but you'll find that the MSTs will test for pretty specific things. There are lots of distractors in the multiple choice so be very careful when you're doing the tests. The MSTs are pretty difficult (even though we normally averaged 28-29/39) so yes your grades are going to be taking a hit no matter how hard you study. A question or two inevitably gets taken out because everybody has answered it wrong or it hasn't been elaborated on.
The final exam is 3 hours long. It has the 40 MCQs on the last two modules and then you have to do 4 out of the 6 modules for the short answer section. It's best to study 5 out of the 6 modules in the exam so you have a backup in case you don't like some of the questions in one particular module. In the short answer section, each module has two questions, and each question has its own parts. You have to use a new booklet for each question and use a new page for each part. Most of the parts range from being 2-8 marks. While there's a whole lot you could talk about when answering, make sure you stick to answering the question and don't fluff around much, especially if it's only worth 2 marks. If it says to briefly list or describe, do that. You will end up running out of time if you just fling down every single relevant detail you remember so decide on what's most important and what's needed.
Here's a checklist of the general points you should memorise in this subject.
Muscular DystrophiesKnow the features of skeletal, smooth and cardiac muscle. Know about your Type I, IIA, IIB fibres.
Know the differences between a myopathy and dystrophy.
Know the structure of skeletal muscle.
Know about the different methods of metabolism in muscles
Know the features of the Dystrophin gene - where it's located, how big it is, etc.
Know the role and structure of the Dystrophin protein and any of its homologues.
Know about how DMD and BMD are diagnosed - what are the limitations with each method? Know your stats too.
Know the clinical symptoms of DMD and how to differentiate it from BMD. You should also know how the disease progresses as people age.
Know the pathogenesis and signs of the other muscular dystrophies (Myotonic, Limb-Girdle, FSHD.
Be able to describe how patients with DMD are managed. You should know the limitations for each intervention and any improvements it can make.
Know the reasoning of future therapies, along with their limitations
PandemicsKnow the difference between P. falciparum and P. vivax. Explain how their molecular differences result in their geographical distribution.
Know the life cycle of Plasmodium.
Know the role of PfEMP1 and what consequences this has for the parasite.
Understand how Plasmodium evades the immune system by regulating expression of its surface molecules.
Know how proteins are trafficked out of the parasite into the host cell and why it can be a potential target.
Understand how Plasmodium invades the red blood cell.
Know the three different sorts of vaccines that have been trialed against Malaria.
Know the virological features of the HIV virus - its size, genome, which animal it comes from, the structural proteins, etc.
Understand how HIV invades the cell and how some individuals can "resist" invasion
Know how viral proteins from HIV counteract host proteins.
Understand the normal immune response to HIV - how the infection is initially controlled etc.
Know the impact of HIV on the immune system.
Understand the reasoning and impact of HAART, PrEP, etc.
Know possible approaches to developing vaccines against HIV, as well as activites that reduce risk.
Know the barriers to curing HIV as well as possible approaches.
Rheumatoid ArthritisKnow the genetic, hormonal and environmental risk factors of developing RA.
Know about how we monitor disease activity in RA as well as how to diagnose it. You should know the patterns of joints affected and how to differentiate it from osteoarthritis.
Know articular and some extra-articular manifestations of RA.
Know the difference between sensitivity and specificity.
Know the features and roles of all the different cell types and molecules that are involved in RA.
Know the pros and cons of the two mouse models we use in RA research.
Understand the physical structure of bone.
Undersand how bone is formed and resorbed, and how imbalances can lead to osteoporosis etc.
Understand the balance between RANKL and OPG in particular. Know some therapeutics that target this pathway.
Know the pattern of bone loss in RA.
Understand how both inflammation and osteoclast activity contribute to disease activity.
Know the features of a good clinical trial.
Know the targets, side-effects and efficacy of all DMARDs, bDMARDS and some other small molecule inhibitors
Know the pattern of treatment in RA - how often are patients treated, how much drugs do we have to put them on, etc.
Cystic FibrosisKnow the clinical features of CF and how it affects multiple systems of the body.
Understand the structural and molecular mechanism of the CFTR protein.
Know the features of the CFTR gene as well as the roles of other gene variants. Know how it is transmitted down generations
Know the different models of CFTR in the lungs and in the sweat ducts.
Know the different classes of mutatons in CF, as well as the frequency of some of the CFTR mutations. Be prepared to describe some specific examples.
Understand the process of diagnosis in CF - this should encompass Guthrie cards, genetic testing, and sweat tests
Know the reproductive limitations of CF patients
Know how the lungs develop.
Know how inflammation contributes to the complications in patients.
Know the role of bacteria such as Pseudomonas in perpetuating inflammation in the lungs.
Know how patients with CF are treated as well as possible future therapies (and their limitations!)
Know the population groups that are over-represented in CF and why
B-cell diseasesUnderstand how B-cells develop and how they respond.
Know the features of an antibody, as well as how genetic recombination occurs both before and during an immune response.
Know mutations that can block B-cell development and its impacts.
Know the signifiance of the germinal centre.
Understand how B-cells elicit help from T-cells and how disruptions to signalling pathways results in immune deficiency
Understand how B-cells can transform into cancers. Know the different types of cancers (Leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma etc) and how they're diagnosed.
Know current therapies that target the B-cell as well as some future drugs.
Learn how monoclonal antibodies are made, how they work, what they're used for, and some limitations.
Understand how the immune system can be "revved up" to kill tumours through checkpoiint blockade, and how broadly neutralising monoclonal antibodies can target HIV.
Understand how B-cells develop tolerance during development, and how lapses in this process can cause autoimmune diseases such as SLE.
NeurodegenerationKnow the clinical features in Parkinson's, Motor Neuron Disease and Alzheimers, and how they overlap/differ.
Describe what may cause each of these diseases.
Describe the relevant proteins (a-synuclein, amyloid beta, etc) that are found in each neurodegeneration. Know how mutations in these proteins can cause neurotoxicity - that is, aggregation, disruption to normal cellular function, propagation, and hence disease.
Know the signficiance of hormonal factors such as Dopamine.
Know the pathological signs seen in Neurodegeneration.
Know the genetic risk factors in familial Parkinson's disease
Understand the significance of some metals in Alzheimers disease.
Know the pros and cons of some assays and animal models for neurotoxicity
Know the different cell types involved in degeneration and how they can contribute to neuroinflammation etc
Describe some potential inhibitors that have been trialed for use in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and how they might work.
Know the significance of detecting early AD patients and how to do it.
Understand the significance of SOD1 in familial motor neuron disease and its mechanism. [/list]