ΜΟΡΙΑΚΗ ΔΙΑΓΝΩΣΤΙΚΗ

Detailed description of the course

Part One - Methods

·         Hybridization detection methods

·         Types of probes

·         In situ hybridization , FISH

·         PCR , RT-PCR , QUANTITATIVE PCR , LCR , NASBA , bDNA

·         RFLP, Chromosome walking , Sequencing

·         Electrophoretic separation methods

·         SSCP ,FIGE , PFGE , DGGE

·         Chromosome  analysis

Part Two - Human genetic diseases

·         Types of genetic diseases and patterns of inheritance

·         Markers used in linkage analysis

·         DNA for prenatal diagnosis

·         Detecting known mutations

·         Polygenic disorders

·         Automated analysis for common mutations

·         Associations of particular alleles and disease states in the population

Part Three - Infectious diseases I – viruses

·         Sample collection and preparation

·         Detection of virus

·         Quantitative viral estimation

·         Measurement of antiviral resistance

Part Four – Infectious diseases II- bacteria , fungi and protozoa

·         Specimen collection and preparation

·         Identification

·         Typing of isolates

·         Antimicrobial resistance

·         Novel and noncultivatable bacteria

·         Fungi

·         Protozoa

 Part Five – Applications of nucleic acid diagnosis in pathology

• Tumor diagnosis

• Investigating lymphoma

• Southern blotting technique to detect gene rearrangements

• Detection of translocations

Part  Six

• The limits of DNA detection

• Reasons for false positive or negative results

ASSESSMENT

Student  performance  is evaluated from the final written examination and from the successful completion of a personal  assignement.

Aim of the course

The aim of the course is to  show  how nucleic acids can be used diagnostically. DNA is most commonly used for diagnostic purposes, as it is a very stable molecule. The major methodologies will be discuss and their use in such different areas as microbiology , genetics and , tumor diagnosis will be presented. Molecular diagnosis using nucleic acids ( DNA or RNA ) is not only  limited to medicine, but can be applied in so  many diverse fields ,  a complete list of which disciplines can not be exhausted. Although the areas of use are different, the methodology is often similar. For that reason, the many methods that are commonly used in such analysis will first be described  in details followed by lectures on how they can be applied in different scientific disciplines.