45601 - Molecular and Cellular Toxicology

Course contents

Overview of the pharmaceutical market. – Discovery and development of a new drug: meaning and scope of the preclinical and clinical phases; post-marketing surveillance; adverse drug reactions, interactive mechanisms. - Discovery and development of a new biotechnological drug: toxicological studies of the biotechnological drugs.

General toxicology

Principles of toxicology: definitions and scopes of the toxicology; bases for the general classification of a toxicological effect; dose-response relation, threshold effects – Types of adverse effects, factors conditioning the toxicological effects, adsorbtion, distribution, metabolism and elimination of a toxic compound. – Biotransformation of the xenobiotics: activation versus detoxification; toxicogenetics, genetic polymorphisms affecting the metabolism, the transporters, the therapeutic targets.

 Mechanisms of toxicity

Mechanisms of cellular death: necrosis, apoptosis, autophagy. – Oxidative stress. – Genetic toxicity: general considerations, mechanisms of toxicity, mutations and human health, factors conditioning the mutagenic effects. – Cancerogenesis: characteristics of the cancerogenetic process, mechanisms of action and classification of the chemical cancerogens (initials, promoters, co-cancerogens). – Toxicology of the drugs on the reproductive system: reproductive cycle, nature and toxic effects and mechanisms of action.

Systemic toxicology

Renal toxicity: nature and site of the toxic effects, mechanisms of toxicity, toxic drugs at the renal level. – Hepatic toxicity: nature and site of the toxic effects, types of epatic lesions, epatotoxic drugs. – Toxicity of drugs on the respiratory system: nature and site of the toxic effects, pharmacological adverse effects. – Toxicity of drugs on the immune system: Principal constituents of the immune system, immunotoxic drugs. - Toxicity of drugs on the central nervous system: organization of the central nervous system, mechanisms of neurotoxicity, neurotoxic drugs. – Toxicity of the skin: structure and function of the cute, irritation, corrosion, sensibilization, drug induced phototoxicity.

Office hours

See the website of Roberto Tonelli