IRON- THE METAL OF LIFE AND DEATH 2022-23
BIOCHEMISTRY and PHYSIOLOGY OF IRON IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 92848
“Human iron economy in health and disease”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvffBCFl8sY
Faculty: Prof (Em) Yoav Cabantchik ioav.caban@mail.huji.ac.il; Dr. Oded Achileah: oachilea@gmail.com , Prof. Rachel Nechushtai rachel@huji.ac.il
The course deals with iron, the most abundant transition metal in Biology that is essential for key functions such as respiration and energy production, DNA-replication, DNA transcriptional modulation, synthesis of neurotransmitters and O2 transportation. The metal has also a major role in human diseases associated with iron deficiency (nutritional, acquired or inherited) or iron overload of lethal character (genetic hemochromatosis, transfusional siderosis, neurodegenerative disorders).
How was iron generated and distributed in our planet and what does that tell us about the history of life in our planet,
Why is iron so poorly accessible to living entities despite its abundance,
Why does iron have to be mobilized and transferred across compartments occluded within special carriers like siderophores or protein structures?
How is iron regulated in cells and whole organisms –from microbes to humans-both at cell and systemic levels?
Why is it so toxic when not properly handled and how does that explain major human diseases such as thalassemias, hemochromatosis, Parkinson's disease.
How is iron involved in cell death-ferroptosis- a novel path of regulated cell death that involves key anti-oxidant enzymes
Why is iron-deficiency anemia so prevalent world wide- not just because of nutritional reasons but because of chronic disorders (genetic or acquired) or changes in nutritional trends?
What are the roles of iron in immunity -innate and induced (vaccination) as reflected in previous epidemics and present corona pandemic?
Iron is a double-edged sword (absolutely required for life but extremely toxic when nor properly handled by organisms). Biological handling of iron depends on intricate mechanisms of recognition and homeostasis at the cellular and organismic level.
This fascinating chapter of cell and organism Physiology and Biochemistry and Pathology, unraveled in the last 20 years, will be covered essentially from the metal in solution where life started to its toxic (lethal) accumulation that demands clinical intervention. Our aim is to provide the chemical and biological basis that will assist us in understanding and managing the most common (and often overlooked) human disorders that affect the human population worldwide, more than any other element in our planet.
BIOCHEMISTRY and PHYSIOLOGY OF IRON IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 92848
“Human iron economy in health and disease”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvffBCFl8sY
Faculty: Prof (Em) Yoav Cabantchik ioav.caban@mail.huji.ac.il; Dr. Oded Achileah: oachilea@gmail.com , Prof. Rachel Nechushtai rachel@huji.ac.il
The course deals with iron, the most abundant transition metal in Biology that is essential for key functions such as respiration and energy production, DNA-replication, DNA transcriptional modulation, synthesis of neurotransmitters and O2 transportation. The metal has also a major role in human diseases associated with iron deficiency (nutritional, acquired or inherited) or iron overload of lethal character (genetic hemochromatosis, transfusional siderosis, neurodegenerative disorders).
How was iron generated and distributed in our planet and what does that tell us about the history of life in our planet,
Why is iron so poorly accessible to living entities despite its abundance,
Why does iron have to be mobilized and transferred across compartments occluded within special carriers like siderophores or protein structures?
How is iron regulated in cells and whole organisms –from microbes to humans-both at cell and systemic levels?
Why is it so toxic when not properly handled and how does that explain major human diseases such as thalassemias, hemochromatosis, Parkinson's disease.
How is iron involved in cell death-ferroptosis- a novel path of regulated cell death that involves key anti-oxidant enzymes
Why is iron-deficiency anemia so prevalent world wide- not just because of nutritional reasons but because of chronic disorders (genetic or acquired) or changes in nutritional trends?
What are the roles of iron in immunity -innate and induced (vaccination) as reflected in previous epidemics and present corona pandemic?
Iron is a double-edged sword (absolutely required for life but extremely toxic when nor properly handled by organisms). Biological handling of iron depends on intricate mechanisms of recognition and homeostasis at the cellular and organismic level.
This fascinating chapter of cell and organism Physiology and Biochemistry and Pathology, unraveled in the last 20 years, will be covered essentially from the metal in solution where life started to its toxic (lethal) accumulation that demands clinical intervention. Our aim is to provide the chemical and biological basis that will assist us in understanding and managing the most common (and often overlooked) human disorders that affect the human population worldwide, more than any other element in our planet.
- Teacher: Yoav Cabantchik
- Teacher: Rachel Nechushtai
In this course we will explore mechanisms of drug action including receptor structure, drug-receptor interaction and receptor desensitization. We will discuss various considerations for drug administration including absorption, distribution, elimination and toxicity. We will learn about how transmitters and modulators work in the autonomic nervous system and how drugs affect them.
We will end with a series of student led seminars where we will aim to choose topics that will help students to explore their personal research interests from a deeper pharmacological perspective.
Grades will be awarded according to the following considerations:
Seminar presentation 40%
Participation in Lectures 30% - 20% for attendance and 10% awarded to students who actively participate with questions and contributions.
Assignments 10% - an in class assignment producing a DRC and measuring antagonist potency on excel
Reports 10% - a short report (up to one page, to be shared on Moodle
Quizzes 10% - online Moodle quizzes following 5 of the lectures (2% each)
We will end with a series of student led seminars where we will aim to choose topics that will help students to explore their personal research interests from a deeper pharmacological perspective.
Grades will be awarded according to the following considerations:
Seminar presentation 40%
Participation in Lectures 30% - 20% for attendance and 10% awarded to students who actively participate with questions and contributions.
Assignments 10% - an in class assignment producing a DRC and measuring antagonist potency on excel
Reports 10% - a short report (up to one page, to be shared on Moodle
Quizzes 10% - online Moodle quizzes following 5 of the lectures (2% each)
- Teacher: Neta Amior