Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| LIFE2069 | Life Sciences | 2 | 20 | Full Year UK |
- Code
- LIFE2069
- School
- Life Sciences
- Level
- 2
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Full Year UK
Summary
There is a limited number of places on this module. Students are reminded that enrolments which are not agreed by the Offering School in advance may be cancelled without notice. This module will examine in depth the analysis of drug action, and its application to the design and use of current therapeutics. We will define what drugs are, the different ways they act at the cellular and molecular level, and pharmacokinetic principles underlying drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination. This framework will provide the basis to explore the rationale and goals of treatment for clinical therapeutic case studies. These will highlight major current challenges to human health – in cardiovascular and respiratory disease, diabetes and obesity, CNS disorders, and cancer. Overall the student will develop a deep understanding of what the discipline of pharmacology represents, and its application to both basic biological research and current and future medical advances.
Target Students
Please note, this module is capped at 180 places.Optional for all life science degrees.Compulsory for biochemistry and molecular medicine, medicinal and biological chemistry. Not available as an optional module to students outside the School of Life Sciences.
Classes
This module may be delivered through lectures, seminars, workshops and labs etc
Assessment
- 100% Exam 1 (2-hour): ExamSys MCQ and text box questions exam.
Assessed by end of designated period
Educational Aims
This module will examine in depth the analysis of drug action, and its application to the design and use of current therapeutics. We will define what drugs are, the different ways they act at the cellular and molecular level, and pharmacokinetic principles underlying drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination. This framework will provide the basis to explore the rationale and goals of treatment for clinical therapeutic case studies. These will highlight major current challenges to human health in cardiovascular and respiratory disease, diabetes and obesity, CNS disorders and cancer. Overall the student will develop a deep understanding of what the discipline of pharmacology represents, and its application to both basic biological research and current and future medical advances.Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students will be able to
(i) Describe the basic properties of drugs and their main cellular protein targets.
(ii) Define the different mechanisms of drug action, using appropriate terminology.
(iii) Analyse experimental data to obtain quantitative information about drug mechanisms.
(iv) Explain the molecular basis for ligand-receptor interaction, and the signalling pathways associated with ion channels and different receptor super families.
(v) Analyse the pharmacokinetic principles underlying drug handling by the body, and describe how these principles inform clinical guidelines for example in designing dosing regimens, or when considering drug-drug interactions and inter-individual variation.
(vi) Identify how fundamental mechanisms of drug action inform drug discovery, the rationale and goals of pharmacological therapy, through a series of case studies.
(vii) Appraise pharmacological evidence to determine the validity, risks and benefits of different drug classes.
(viii) Interpret experimental data in teams to take evidence based decisions, within a drug discovery scenario.