SPECIAL PHARMACOLOGY AND DRUG BIOTECHNOLOGY

Course objectives

General objectives The basic objective of the course is to enable the graduate in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology to achieve a high qualification in the field of pharmacology, which is essential for his or her entry into the world of work, in the fields of design and development of innovative biopharmaceuticals and the study of their cellular and molecular mechanisms. Specific objectives The lectures will aim to provide basic pharmacological knowledge on the main classes of drugs used in clinical therapy, including biotechnological drugs and innovative therapies already available. Particular attention will be given to the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which they produce therapeutic effects and the rationale behind the development of new drugs, where current therapies are not yet optimal, particularly in terms of efficacy or safety. Particular attention will be given to recent scientific literature concerning the identification of new therapeutic targets and the design of innovative biotechnological drugs. The course will also provide basic knowledge on in vitro and in vivo experimental models most commonly used for the development of new drugs, as well as on approaches that allow the analysis and evaluation of experimental results. The course aims, in fact, to train future pharmaceutical biotechnologists able to face, with critical skills and judgment, the problems related to the screening of new drugs, especially biotechnological and/ or biological drugs, in relation to existing drugs. Among the skills that will be acquired by the student at the end of the course there is also the ability to communicate what has been learned, which will be continuously stimulated through a timely and constant interaction with the teacher in the classroom, during the course. In particular, the student will be called to participate actively in the lesson through various modes of interaction with the teacher or colleagues, with the aim of recalling or linking what was discussed in the lesson to topics already covered, in this course or in the other courses of the cycle. Finally, through reference to scientific databases (e.g. Pubmed) or websites of public or private organizations in the field (e.g. AIFA, ISS, Società Italiana di Farmacologia), the course will train the student to use these useful sources in order to continue the continuous updating independently during his professional career. Expected learning outcomes At the end of the course, the student will have acquired in-depth knowledge about the biotechnological drugs already in use and will be able to apply them for the identification of new targets and the consequent design and study of innovative drugs. The student will also have acquired the skills to evaluate not only the design of a preclinical study but also that of a clinical trial for the development of innovative drugs and/ or biotechnology, with particular attention to the analysis of primary and secondary endpoints.

Channel 1
SILVANA GAETANI Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
The course is designed to provide fundamental pharmacological knowledge on the main classes of drugs used in clinical therapy. Particular emphasis will be placed on the cellular and molecular mechanisms and on the rationale underlying the development of new drugs. During the course, students will also be introduced to the basic concepts of in vitro and in vivo experimental models currently used in drug development, as well as to the approaches used for analyzing and evaluating experimental results. In addition, the main resources (databases, online bibliographic research, etc.) used for studying and staying updated with the scientific literature will be presented. DETAILED PROGRAM Drugs acting at synapses and neuroeffector junctions: Neurotransmission – The autonomic and somatic motor nervous systems – Muscarinic receptor agonists and antagonists – Anticholinesterase agents – Drugs acting at the neuromuscular junction and autonomic ganglia – Catecholamines, sympathomimetics, and adrenergic receptor antagonists. Drugs acting on the central nervous system: Neurotransmission and the central nervous system (classical, atypical, retrograde, and gaseous transmitters) – Neuromodulation – General and local anesthetics – Hypnotics and sedatives – Drugs for the treatment of psychiatric disorders (psychosis, anxiety, and depression) – Drugs for epilepsy – Drugs for migraine treatment – Pharmacological treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease) – Opioid analgesics and their antagonists – Drug addiction and substance abuse. Pharmacological treatment of inflammation: Analgesic, antipyretic, and anti-inflammatory agents – Drugs used in the treatment of bronchial asthma. Drugs affecting renal and cardiovascular function: Diuretics, vasopressin, and other agents affecting renal water balance – Renin and angiotensin – Drugs for myocardial ischemia – Antihypertensives and pharmacological treatment of hypertension – Pharmacological treatment of heart failure – Antiarrhythmic drugs. Drugs acting on gastrointestinal function: Drugs for gastric acid control and treatment of peptic ulcers – Prokinetic agents – Emetic and antiemetic drugs – Agents used in diarrhea and constipation – Drugs used in pancreatic and biliary diseases. Antiinfective and antitumor chemotherapy: Antibiotics – Antiprotozoal drugs – Drugs for the chemotherapy of helminthic infections – Antifungal agents – Antiviral and antiretroviral drugs – Antineoplastic agents – Immunomodulatory drugs – Drugs acting on blood and hematopoietic organs. Anticoagulants, thrombolytics, and antiplatelet agents. Hormones and their antagonists: Adenohypophyseal hormones and hypothalamic releasing factors – Thyroid drugs – Estrogens and progestins – Androgens – Adrenocorticotropic hormone – Adrenal corticosteroids and synthetic analogs – Inhibitors of corticosteroid synthesis and action – Insulin, oral hypoglycemic agents, and endocrine pancreas pharmacology – Agents influencing bone calcification and turnover (calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone, vitamin D, calcitonin, and related compounds). Drugs used in the treatment of hyperlipoproteinemias. Water- and fat-soluble vitamins. Biotechnological and Advanced Therapies: Biotechnological drugs for metabolic diseases: Cell therapy for type 1 diabetes – SGLT2 inhibitors: mechanisms, clinical and pharmacokinetic applications – Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor (GLP-1R) agonists. Biotechnological drugs for dyslipidemias: PCSK9 inhibitors – First-, second-, and third-generation inhibitors – Gene therapy – Drugs targeting apolipoprotein B-100 – Lipoprotein(a)-lowering agents – Drugs acting on ANGPTL3 and APOC-III. Biotechnological drugs for central nervous system (CNS) disorders: Anti-Aβ antibodies and Alzheimer’s disease – Multiple sclerosis – Migraine – Botulinum toxin – Biotechnological drugs modulating the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Cancer and targeted therapy strategies: The concept of “agnostic” drugs – Cancer therapy: evolution and approaches – Hormonal therapy – Immunotherapy – Antibodies in cancer treatment. Cell therapy, regenerative medicine, and advanced therapies: Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic features – Molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of RNA-based therapies – RNA metabolism modulation: antisense oligonucleotides (GAPmers) – Exogenous administration of mRNA transcripts – CAR-T cell therapies.
Prerequisites
To understand the contents of the didactic activities foreseen by this course and to achieve the learning objectives, the student is recommended to possess at the beginning of the activities the basic knowledge of general pharmacology, general physiology and biochemistry. These prerequisites are not a mandatory requirement, but they are strongly recommended for an optimal exam performance at the end of the course.
  • Lesson code10620632
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CoursePharmaceutical Biotechnology
  • CurriculumSingle curriculum
  • Year1st year
  • Semester2nd semester
  • SSDBIO/14
  • CFU6
  • Subject areaDiscipline farmaceutiche