Cellular and Molecular Biology

MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY

MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY

Academic year 2019/2020

Sommario del corso

• Course objectives
• Results of learning outcomes
• Course delivery
• Learning assessment methods
• Program
• Suggested textbooks and readings
• Teaching tools

Course objectives

This teaching contributes to the learning objectives included in the Fundamental Area of the Master in Cellular and Molecular Biology - Biologia Cellulare e Molecolare, providing:

• core and advanced knowledge of the fundamental principles of drug action at the molecular level, through which students will be able to connect the action of selected groups of clinically important drugs with body's responses
• drug knowledge not only as a therapeutic tool but also as a research tool, so students will be able to understand preclinical and clinical research strategies for drug development
• scientific thinking through the development of students' critical analysis skills, so students will be able to understand experimental approaches and data of scientific literature improving their knowledge as well as their research skills 

Results of learning outcomes

• Understanding of drug principles and molecular targets of selected groups of clinically important drugs
• Practical experience of pharmacokinetic/ pharmacodynamic studies
• Research skills to characterize drug action
• Pre-clinical and clinical strategies for drug discovery and development

Course delivery

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the course consists of 24 lessons delivered through the Moodle platform as audio and slide files. Supporting material consisting of scientific articles and videos is also delivered for helping the Student comprehension of each topic. Each lesson is followed by homework consisting of multiple-choice questions to train the Student learning. Moreover, a Molecular Pharmacology Forum is open to post questions and/or doubts about the topics covered during the Molecular Pharmacology Course to increase the interaction between Students and Teachers and among Students.

Learning assessment methods

Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the exam consists of a written test with 30 multiple choice questions (1/30 for each multiple-choice question), on a Moodle session of 15 minutes, followed by an integrative oral examination both through the Webex platform.

Program

Part I - General Principles

• Introduction to Molecular Pharmacology
• Drug Discovery and Development
• Drug Disposition
• Pharmacokinetics
• Individualization of Drug Therapy
• Pharmacodynamics
• Biotechnological drugs

Part II - Selected groups of clinically important drugs will be discussed with respect to the mechanism of action at the molecular level

• Drugs Acting on G-Protein-Coupled Receptors
• Drugs Acting on Ion Channels
• Drugs Acting on Membrane Transporters
• Drugs Acting on Protein Pumps
• Drugs Acting on Enzymes
• Drugs Acting on Kinase-Linked Receptors
• Drugs Acting on Nuclear Receptors
• Drugs Acting on Structure or Synthesis of Nucleic Acids
• Drugs Acting on Immune System

Teaching Materials:

• "Molecular Pharmacolgy" at the course website

Reference Books:

• Goodman & Gilman's "The pharmacological basis of therapeutics" Mc Graw Hill Ed.
• Katzung "Basic & Clinical Pharmacology" Mc Graw Hill Ed.
• Rang & Dale "Pharmacology" Elsevier Ed.
• Clementi & Fumagalli "General and Molecular Pharmacology" Wiley Ed.

Websites of Interest:

• http://www.nature.com/pharma
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• http://www.bps.ac.uk
• http://www.drugbank.ca

Class schedule

• Teaching materials
• Exams and finals
• Go to Moodle
• Visit the forums