Unit PHARMACOLOGY, PHARMACOTHERAPY AND BIODRESSES II
- Course
- Pharmacy
- Study-unit Code
- A003574
- Curriculum
- In all curricula
- Teacher
- Claudia Volpi
- Teachers
-
- Claudia Volpi
- Hours
- 48 ore - Claudia Volpi
- CFU
- 6
- Course Regulation
- Coorte 2023
- Offered
- 2026/27
- Learning activities
- Caratterizzante
- Area
- Discipline biologiche e farmacologiche
- Sector
- BIO/14
- Type of study-unit
- Obbligatorio (Required)
- Type of learning activities
- Attività formativa monodisciplinare
- Language of instruction
- Italian
- Contents
- Introduction to biotechnological drugs: general principles, classification, production processes, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects, immunogenicity, and therapeutic applications. Conventional and innovative vaccines, including recombinant and mRNA vaccines.
Antimicrobial chemotherapy: general principles of selective toxicity, mechanisms of action, spectrum of activity, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antimicrobial agents. Mechanisms of resistance to anti-infective drugs and strategies to limit antimicrobial resistance.
Antibacterial drugs: classification, mechanisms of action, clinical use, adverse effects, and major mechanisms of antibiotic resistance.
Antimycobacterial drugs: treatment of tuberculosis and non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections; issues related to drug resistance and combination therapies.
Antiviral drugs: principles of antiviral therapy, anti-herpesvirus agents, anti-influenza drugs, antiretroviral therapy, and direct-acting antivirals; viral resistance and combination therapeutic approaches.
Antifungal drugs: classification, mechanisms of action, toxicity, and clinical use in major systemic and superficial fungal infections.
Antiprotozoal and anthelmintic drugs: major pharmacological targets, therapeutic indications, and emerging resistance issues.
Antineoplastic chemotherapy: general principles of anticancer therapy, conventional cytotoxic drugs, hormonal therapy, targeted therapies, and biological/biotechnological agents used in oncology, including cancer immunotherapy. Mechanisms of resistance to antineoplastic drugs, toxicity, and combined therapeutic strategies.
Pharmacotherapy of migraine: pathophysiology of migraine and treatment of acute attacks and prophylaxis, including triptans, CGRP antagonists, and monoclonal antibodies.
Drugs used in gout and bone metabolism disorders: treatment of hyperuricemia and gout; pharmacology of bone tissue; treatment of osteoporosis and the role of bisphosphonates, monoclonal antibodies, and bone anabolic agents.
Antihistamines and drugs used in allergic reactions: histamine receptor antagonists, therapeutic indications, adverse effects, and clinical applications. - Reference texts
- Trattato di Farmacologia e Terapia- Annunziato, Di Renzo, Molinaro et al. Quinta edizione. Idelson Gnocchi
- Educational objectives
- The course aims to provide students with advanced knowledge of the principles of pharmacology and pharmacotherapy related to anti-infective and antineoplastic drugs, as well as the main drugs used in the treatment of clinically relevant diseases.
At the end of the course, students will be able to:
understand the mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties, adverse effects, and major therapeutic indications of the drugs covered in the course;
understand the principles of antimicrobial and antineoplastic chemotherapy, including the concepts of selective toxicity, therapeutic index, and combination therapy;
describe the main mechanisms of resistance to antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiparasitic, and antineoplastic drugs, as well as their clinical and therapeutic implications;
acquire knowledge of biotechnological drugs, conventional and innovative vaccines, and the major therapeutic applications of pharmacological biotechnology;
understand the pharmacological rationale for the use of biological drugs and immunotherapies in the treatment of oncological and immune-mediated diseases;
critically evaluate the benefit/risk profile of pharmacological treatments and potential drug interactions;
understand the pharmacotherapeutic principles underlying the treatment of migraine, gout, osteoporosis, and allergic diseases;
develop the ability to integrate pharmacological knowledge with the pathophysiology of diseases and clinical practice;
acquire familiarity with a rational, evidence-based approach to drug selection and use. - Prerequisites
- Basic knowledge of physiology, general pathology, molecular biology, and general pharmacology is required, particularly with regard to drug mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics.
- Teaching methods
- The course consists of lectures supported by multimedia teaching materials (slides, diagrams, scientific articles, and updated clinical guidelines). During the lectures, applied examples and clinical cases will be discussed in order to integrate pharmacological knowledge with the pathophysiological and therapeutic aspects of the diseases covered in the course.
The course will also encourage active student participation through guided discussions on therapeutic strategies, prescribing appropriateness, drug resistance, and the clinical use of innovative and biotechnological drugs. - Other information
- Teaching materials used during the course (slides, scientific articles, and supplementary material) will be made available to students through institutional online platforms.
- Learning verification modality
- Learning assessment will be carried out through an oral examination aimed at evaluating the understanding of the principles of pharmacology and pharmacotherapy covered during the course, the ability to integrate pharmacological knowledge with the pathophysiological and clinical aspects of the diseases discussed, and the appropriate use of scientific terminology.
Assessment will take into account the knowledge of drug mechanisms of action, therapeutic indications, adverse effects, therapeutic strategies, and the major mechanisms of drug resistance. - Extended program
- Introduction to biotechnological drugs.
Definition and classification of biotechnological drugs. Production through recombinant DNA technologies. Monoclonal antibodies, recombinant proteins, cytokines, and advanced therapies. Pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and immunogenic aspects of biological drugs. Biosimilars. Therapeutic applications of biotechnological drugs.
Vaccines.
Immunological principles of vaccination. Live attenuated, inactivated, protein subunit, recombinant, viral vector, and mRNA vaccines. Vaccine adjuvants. Vaccine efficacy and safety.
General principles of anti-infective chemotherapy.
Selective toxicity and therapeutic index. General mechanisms of action of anti-infective drugs. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of antimicrobial agents. Empirical and targeted therapies. Combination therapies. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of antimicrobial drug resistance and strategies to limit its spread.
Antibacterial chemotherapy.
Classification of antibiotics and major pharmacological targets. Inhibitors of bacterial cell wall synthesis, protein synthesis, nucleic acid synthesis, and bacterial metabolism. Beta-lactams, glycopeptides, aminoglycosides, macrolides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides, and other major antibiotic classes. Adverse effects, interactions, and clinical issues related to antibiotic resistance.
Antimycobacterial drugs.
Treatment of tuberculosis. First- and second-line drugs. Combination therapies and treatment duration. Mycobacterial resistance. Treatment of non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections.
Antiviral drugs.
Strategies of antiviral therapy and selective action. Anti-herpesvirus agents, anti-influenza drugs, antiretrovirals, and direct-acting antivirals. Principles of combination antiretroviral therapy. Viral resistance and therapeutic monitoring.
Antifungal drugs.
Classification and mechanisms of action of antifungal drugs. Polyenes, azoles, echinocandins, and other antifungals. Toxicity and drug interactions. Clinical use in superficial and systemic fungal infections.
Antiprotozoal and anthelmintic drugs.
Major drugs used in the treatment of protozoal and helminthic infections. Mechanisms of action, toxicity, and resistance. Pharmacotherapeutic aspects of parasitic diseases of major clinical relevance.
General principles of antineoplastic chemotherapy.
Biological basis of tumor growth and pharmacological targets. Principles of anticancer chemotherapy. Cytotoxic drugs and the cell cycle. Combination therapies and pharmacological rationale. Toxicity of antineoplastic drugs and strategies for prevention and management of adverse effects.
Conventional antineoplastic drugs and innovative therapies.
Alkylating agents, antimetabolites, antitumor antibiotics, mitotic spindle inhibitors, and topoisomerase inhibitors. Hormonal therapies for cancer. Molecular targeted therapies. Monoclonal antibodies and cancer immunotherapy. Mechanisms of resistance to antineoplastic drugs.
Pharmacotherapy of migraine.
Pathophysiology of migraine. Drugs for acute migraine treatment: NSAIDs, triptans, and other acute therapies. Migraine prophylaxis. CGRP antagonists and anti-CGRP monoclonal antibodies.
Drugs used in gout and bone metabolism disorders.
Antihyperuricemic drugs and treatment of acute and chronic gout. Bone tissue metabolism. Antiresorptive and bone anabolic drugs. Bisphosphonates, denosumab, teriparatide, and other drugs used in osteoporosis treatment.
Antihistamines and drugs used in allergic diseases.
Histamine and histamine receptors. H1 and H2 receptor antagonists. Therapeutic indications, adverse effects, and clinical use in allergic diseases. - Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile
- Goal 3: "Health and well-being"