Description: Cell death is a fundamental biological process that shapes diverse aspects of organismal health and disease. Programmed cell death (PCD) in the form of “apoptosis” is a widely known mechanism by which damaged, infected, or otherwise compromised cells are removed from tissues. However, recent work has described an ever-growing number of PCD modalities, including necroptosis, pyroptosis, and others, that represent distinct mechanisms of cellular demise. Importantly, we now understand that the manner in which a cell dies is a critical determinant of how the cell death event regulates the local tissue microenvironment, particularly as it relates to inflammation. In this course, we will explore the similarities and differences among different PCD types and discuss the role each plays in shaping the immune response in a variety of physiological settings.
Structure: We will alternate two primary session types each week. “Group Tutorial” sessions will include a brief lecture to provide background and context for each type of programmed cell death we cover in the course, supplemented by short presentations from students highlighting interesting or important aspects of that cell death program, taken from primary literature. In contrast, “Paper Discussion” sessions will be more traditional journal club style discussions of important recent papers in this area, with targeted discussion and critical analysis of experimental design, data analysis, etc.
Outcome: With the ongoing description of novel types of programmed cell death (PCD), there is an explosion of research interest in how PCD shapes human health and disease. Students will benefit from expanding their knowledge of cell death beyond textbook descriptions of apoptosis and gain exposure to the growing interdisciplinary field of PCD studies.
Grading: Students will primarily be graded on active participation and scholarly presentation of their assigned figures and/or topics within each class session. Rubrics will be provided to clarify grading criteria for all assignments. No exam will be given