Program Structure

Module 1: Cancer as a Molecular Disease

• Hallmarks of cancer: how molecular changes create survival advantage.
• Oncogenes vs tumor suppressors: gain-of-function vs loss-of-function logic.
• Driver vs passenger alterations: what “actionable” means.
• Tumor microenvironment overview: immune escape and stromal support.

Module 2: Core Oncogenic Pathways and Targets

• Receptor signaling: EGFR/HER2 and downstream cascades.
• RAS/MAPK pathway: mutation logic and targeting challenges.
• PI3K/AKT/mTOR: growth and survival signaling and target points.
• WNT, NOTCH, and Hedgehog overview: developmental pathways in cancer.

Module 3: Cell Cycle, DNA Damage, and Genome Stability

• Cell cycle checkpoints: CDKs, cyclins, RB pathway and therapy links.
• p53 pathway: stress response, apoptosis, and tumor suppression.
• DNA repair pathways: HR, NHEJ, mismatch repair (conceptual).
• Synthetic lethality concept: why some targets work only in specific genotypes.

Module 4: Targeted Therapies (Small Molecules and Beyond)

• Kinase inhibitors: how they work and why selectivity matters.
• Targeting angiogenesis and tumor metabolism (overview).
• Proteasome and apoptosis-targeting concepts (overview).
• How “drugging” differs for enzymes vs scaffolding proteins.

Module 5: Antibody-Based Therapeutics and ADCs

• Monoclonal antibodies: blocking, immune recruitment, and signaling interference.
• ADCs (antibody-drug conjugates): targeted payload delivery concept.
• Bispecific antibodies overview: engaging T-cells against tumor targets.
• Target selection for antibodies: accessibility, expression, and safety.

Module 6: Immunotherapy and Immune Targets

• Checkpoint inhibitors: PD-1/PD-L1, CTLA-4 mechanism and response logic.
• CAR-T and cellular therapies overview: strengths and constraints.
• Immune microenvironment: hot vs cold tumors and combination strategies.
• Immune-related adverse events (high-level) and monitoring logic.

Module 7: Biomarkers, Diagnostics & Precision Oncology

• Biomarker types: predictive vs prognostic vs diagnostic.
• Common biomarker concepts: mutations, expression markers, MSI/TMB (overview).
• Companion diagnostics: why testing is part of treatment.
• Monitoring response and recurrence: ctDNA/liquid biopsy concepts.

Module 8: Resistance Mechanisms and Combination Strategies

• Primary vs acquired resistance: what changes over time.
• Mechanisms: target mutation, pathway bypass, phenotypic switching, efflux.
• Combination therapy logic: blocking parallel pathways and preventing escape.
• Adaptive therapy and dosing strategies (overview).

Module 9: From Target Discovery to Therapy Development

• Target validation: genetics, CRISPR screens, and functional assays (overview).
• Drug discovery pipeline: hit → lead → optimization → preclinical → clinical (overview).
• Trial endpoints: response rate, PFS, OS, and how to read results.
• Translational evidence: how lab findings become clinical strategies.

Final Project

• Create a Target-to-Therapy Strategy Summary for one cancer type or molecular subtype.
• Include: key drivers, actionable targets, therapy options, biomarker plan, resistance risks, and next-step ideas.
• Example projects: EGFR-driven lung cancer pathway map, HER2+ breast cancer target strategy, BRCA-deficient tumor synthetic lethality plan, immunotherapy biomarker strategy for melanoma.