Certificate in Stem Cell Biology
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences-Newark
Certificate in Stem Cell Biology
To obtain a Certificate in Stem Cells, all students must successfully complete a total of 18 credits. As part of those 18 credits, all students must take take the following four courses, plus at least one of the Elective courses listed below:
GSND N500A Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences A. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 3 cr. Fall
This course is Part I of the evening fundamentals course that is given to Masters Students. This course covers basic biochemistry and molecular biology. The nature of the major macromolecules will be discussed and their role in the regulation of carbohydrate, lipid and amino acid metabolism will be illustrated. The synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids will be reviewed and the experimental techniques used in molecular biology will be considered. A review of the regulation of gene expression and intermediary metabolism will serve as an introduction to a more extensive consideration of the material to be discussed in the cell biology course in the following semester. Throughout the course an effort will be made to indicate the relevance of biochemistry to clinical medicine.
GSND N500B Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences B. Cellular Biology. 3 cr. Spring
This course is Part II of the evening fundamentals course that is given to Masters Students. In this course students are introduced to basic cellular structure and function. Topics include: an introduction to the techniques used for studying cell biology, biomembranes, cell compartments, exocytosis and endocytosis, the nucleus, cell cycle and apoptosis, cell signaling, cytoskeleton, extracellular matrix, angiogenesis, wound repair, cell surface specializations and junctions, and basic tissue biology of epithelia, connective tissue and nerve tissue. The lecture series provides an overview of important concepts in cell biology. Key experiments are described and some of the relevant topics of cell biology in the news are discussed.
MSBS 5130 Stem Cell Biology and Applications in Molecular Medicine. 3 cr. Fall
The goal is to develop the subject of stem cells from different tissues. The course will cover stem cell development from the blastocyst stage to the somatic stages. Bone marrow stem cells will be the prototype cells to discuss other stem cells. Different issues regarding regenerative medicine by stem cells will be discussed. The literature on bone marrow transplantation will be applied to repair medicine. Lectures will be didactic. Text books can be read but should be read with the knowledge that the literature on stem cell biology undergoes daily updates.
MSBS 520A Advanced Stem Cell Seminar. 2cr. Fall
This course is interactive. The goal is to provide students with insights on the translational implications for stem cell research. Recent publications will be discussed in class. Discussions will emphasize the implications for the research data in medicine.
Elective Courses
MSBS N5134 Hematopoietic Stem Cell Biology and Dysfunction. 2cr. Spring
The purpose of this course is to provide students with an understanding of how dysfunctions in the hematopoietic stem cells lead to clinical abnormalities (diseases). In addition, students will learn how attempts are being made to solve the clinical problems and how these solutions were derived from an understanding of basic biology: biochemistry, cellular and molecular biology.
Hematology has been at the forefront of advances in non-bone marrow stem cells. The subject of hematology involves studies of bone marrow-resident stem cells and the influences of the microenvironment and the immune system on homeostasis of the bone marrow. An understanding of the aberrant stem cell mechanisms, which underlie hematological diseases, will provide paradigms for further study of other stem cells and their application in clinical medicine. This course will illustrate how our increasing knowledge of the biology of hematopoietic and, other bone marrow-derived stem cells can provide new insights into the clinical features of hematologic disease.
The following is an example of the stepwise method intended to discuss the pathophysiology of a hematological disorder:
Lectures describing the basic science of the disease and the evolution of new drug targets.
The outcome of clinical trials with the advent of drug resistance.
Lectures on how the bedside outcome leads back to the bench.
MSBS N512 Topics in Cancer Stem Cell Biology, 2 cr. Spring (June)
This course combines didactic lectures and discussions of recent literature on cancer stem cells from solid and hematologic malignancies. The students are expected to have a background in stem cell biology.
The field of cancer stem cells could change the method of treating cancer. However, the field is changing daily; thus the discussion of current articles.
CBMM 5020 Developmental & Stem Cell Biology. 2 cr. Spring
The goal of this course is to provide students with an introduction to a wide range of concepts in the field of developmental biology and stem cells. Topics will be covered on a weekly basis and each session will be taught by an expert in that specific area. The course will begin with basic concepts of human development. The course will then move into animal models, key transcription factors and morphogens, which are required for proper development. Congenital disease and abnormal development induced by teratogens will be an important topic of the course. Finally, an introduction to embryonic, adult and cancer stem cells will be taught, with emphasis on the state-of-the-art induced pluripotent stem cells.
CBNP 5037Q Regenerative Medicine. 2 cr. Spring
The goal of the regenerative medicine is to stimulate repair and regeneration of tissues such as replacing bone marrow to treat leukemia, cartilage in osteoarthritis or cells of the heart after a heart attack. Tissues are normally formed during development through the successive differentiation of embryonic stem cells into tissue specific precursors, which then produce the highly differentiated cells that coordinately join together to create an organ. Regenerative medicine tries to recapitulate developmental processes in the adult. In this course we will discuss papers describing approaches to enhance the repair of organs that normally regenerate as well as approaches to promote the regeneration of organs that don’t normally repair well, such as pancreas, heart and brain. We will consider approaches to enhance cellular tissue remodeling ranging from molecules to cellular approaches.
Program Coordinator:
Pranela Rameshwar, Ph.D