HAP-31306 Development and Healthy Aging

Course

Credits 6.00

Language of instruction:

English

Assumed knowledge on:

EZO-10306 Human and Animal Biology I and HAP-10306 Principles of Human Physiology or HAP-10306 and HAP-21303 Integrated Human Physiology; (Introduction in) Cell Biology or equivalent.

Continuation courses:

EZO-30306 Developmental Biology of Animals; EZO-30806 Functional Zoology; HAP-30306 Nutritional Physiology; HAP-30806 Integrated Neuroendocrinology; CBI-30306 Human and Veterinary Immunology; CBI-30806 Immunotechnology; HAP-31806 Molecular Regulation of Health and Disease.

Contents:

The course highlights three related areas of science relevant to development and healthy aging (or maybe better: aging healthy), corresponding to the expertise of the chair groups involved. We start with an introduction and some background. Then one case, the Dutch Famine will be discussed from different angle, which nicely illustrates the interrelationship between development and healthy aging. Then we focus on embryonic development and early life programming. In the second week we focus on aging healthy by gaining cellular and molecular knowledge about (muscle) mitochondrial functions, metabolic health and energy metabolism in relation to aging, with lectures and practicals. Finally, the third week is focussed on another important aspect of aging healthy, which is immunology and immunomodulation in relation to aging, again with lectures and practicals.

Learning outcomes:

After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to:
- understand how maternal effects and genetic maternal-fetal conflicts change during the evolution of the placenta in live-bearing animals;
- predict how mitochondria and mitochondrial functions impact aging at a mechanistic level;
- mechanistically understand IGF1/Insulin, AMPK and Sirtuins signalling and function in relation to development and age-related changes in (metabolic) health;
- assess how immunological mechanisms underlying aberrant and beneficial immune responses in contribute to health in various stages of life;
- integrate current methodology and biological knowledge to design interventions for a functional improvement of animal and human development, muscle, the immune system, and metabolism.

Activities:

- lectures;
- working groups;
- practicals;
- computer learning;
- self study.

Examination:

- case presentations (30%);
- written examination (70%).

Literature:

Reader and handouts of the lectures.
Information on Blackboard.