Cellular and Molecular Biology

MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY

MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY

Academic year 2018/2019

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

The course consists of:

• 40 teaching hours to provide core knowledge of the different topics covered
• 8 hours of seminar activities to create an open space of exchange, bringing together Pharmacology experts and students for discussing key topics

Learning assessment methods

The examination consists of a written test with 21 multiple choice questions (1/30 for each multiple choice question) and 3 open questions (3/30 for each open question) to evaluate the understanding of basic principles of Pharmacology and the student ability to correlate molecular mechanisms and drug response

Program

Part I - General Principles

• Drug discovery and development
• Pharmacokinetics
• Pharmacodynamics
• Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics

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

• Drugs affecting the cardiovascular function
• Drugs affecting the gastrointestinal function
• Drugs affecting the glucose homeostasis
• Anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant drugs
• Antibacterial drugs
• Antiviral drugs
• Anticancer drugs 

   

Teaching Materials:

• "Molecular Pharmacolgy" at UniTo 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.

Websites of Interest:

• http://www.nature.com/pharma
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• http://www.bps.ac.uk
• http://farmacologiasif.unito.it

Class schedule

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