Genetic Instability and Cancer

The aim of this course is to describe the current knowledges in the fields of DNA replication, repair and recombination and its consequences in genetic instability and cancer.

Key to the proper inheritance of the genetic information, cells should duplicate their genome before mitosis and avoid mutagenesis.

The course will describe the mechanisms and the regulation that ensures the maintenance of genetic information across cell generations. An emphasis will be put on:

initiation and completion of replication along the bulk chromosomes and at specific regions such as the telomeres and fragile sites; the pathways of DNA repair and recombination; the relationships linking replication stress to the formation of DNA damage; the signalling events surrounding intrinsic and environmentally induced DNA damage; the interference with transcriptional activity; the variety of cellular responses to damage including the generation of chromosome rearrangements and oncogenesis.

A large set of experimental methods involving genetic, molecular, cellular, and biochemical approaches will be taught.