Pathobiochemistry

The single semester course of this elective subject consists of weekly lectures.

The practical mark is based on the result of an online written test at the end of the semester. The questions regard the material of the lectures.

Introduction of the subject

Thorough understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie the diseases is indispensable for a high level and effective medical profession. While the subjects of biochemistry and molecular cell biology include the metabolism, the fundamental molecular biology and regulation of healthy cells, tissues and organisms, pathobiochemistry deals with malfunctions and derangement of these processes and systems in certain human diseases. Besides typical disorders of various subcellular organelles and of the extracellular matrix, the students will get acquainted with the genetic backgrounds and molecular mechanisms of pathological conditions such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, malignant tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, hemostatic abnormalities or alcoholic liver damage. Pathobiochemistry – in contrast to the clinical subjects – does not serve by teaching the symptoms, (differential) diagnosis or therapeutic possibilities of selected illnesses but it helps learn the up-to-date scientific explanations of them. Therefore, the course describes the biochemical and cell biological basis of some particularly important diseases in more detail compared to the compulsory subjects, yet it also aims to form and reinforce a molecular approach of medicine in the students.

The Hungarian course of the subject was reformed in 2014, and it has been receiving a positive feed-back since then. Anonymous evaluations revealed clearly that the attendants find the course highly useful – even to acquire learning the compulsory subjects.

Students will demonstrate their knowledge through an online written test in the last week of the semester (see the lectures’ schedule). The material of the test will be covered by the lectures throughout the course. The grade of the written test is also the practical mark to be recorded in Neptun.