(Department)  Biomedical Engineering         (Division)      Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
 
 (Level and Major)   Graduate
 

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Course Title                Gene Therapy
 
Number of Credits       3             Prerequisite

Course Description:
In this course, the concept of gene, gene structure and genetic based therapeutic agents are introduced. Then, different methods of carriers design as well as effective parameters in order to gene transfer towards targeted cells are reviewed. Finally, application of gene therapy in tissue engineering are discussed.
 
Course Goals and Objectives: an introduction to gene therapy application in tissue engineering. By the end of the course students should be able to design a suitable gene carrier in order to deliver a gene, in vitro and in vivo.
 
Course Topics        

•             Introduction to genetic engineering
• Historical overview
• Review : from gene to protein
• Different gene based drug
• Gene therapy: principle and vectors
• Physical methods to gene delivery
• Viral vectors
• non-viral vectors
• Vector design criteria
• Nucleic acid working techniques
• Cancer gene therapy
• Gene therapy in tissue engineering
• Gene sustained release approach

 
 
Reading Resources:
Main ref:

1. Gene therapy,  Mauro Giacca, 2010.
2. K. Taira, Non-viral Gene Therapy: Gene Design and Delivery, Springer, 2005

Other ref:

3. Francisco Martin Molina, Gene Therapy - Tools and Potential Applications, InTech, 2013.
4. Mansoor M. Amiji, Polymeric Gene Delivery: Principles and Applications, CRC Press , 2005

 
 
Exams and projects:
Midterm: 40%, Final exam: 40%, course project: 20%.