TOXICOLOGY

To provide the basis for a correct evaluation of drug side effects. To provide the notions for understanding how to use chemotherapeutic drugs and biological drugs. Understanding of the mechanisms underlying addiction and abuse.

Learning skills: the student will be able to learn the bases of action of the various classes of drugs, their interactions within the organism and their adverse effects.

Making judgments: the student will develop critical skills useful for assessing the side effects and risks of drugs and substances of abuse.

Ability to solve a problem: the student will be stimulated to propose solutions to questions asked by the professor.

If teaching will be given in mixed or remote mode, changes could be introduced in order to respect the program envisaged and reported in the syllabus.

Classroom or web lessons

Principles of toxicology – Therapeutic index and margin of safety; unwanted side effects; acute, subacute and chronic toxicities, toxicological aspects of drug absorption, distribution and excretion.

Cellular and molecular toxicology – Mechanisms of cell death; molecular basis of programmed cell death; pharmacological regulation of cellular toxicity; molecular mechanisms of cancerogenesis and teratogenesis; drug metabolism-induced toxicity; genetic polymorphism and drug interactions; molecular mechanisms of immunotoxicity; molecular mechanisms of neurotoxicity.

Drugs with selective toxicity: 1) a detailed compendium of all antibacterial, antiviral, antimycotic, and anti-malaric drugs; 2) antineoplastic drugs; 3) immunosupressants and biological modifiers.

Drug abuse - The neurobiology of drug abuse; effects of psycostimulants, allucinogens, cannabis derivatives, opioids, anabolic steroids, ethanol, nicotine.

Goodman & Gilman's - The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics.

Casarett and Doulls Toxicology - The Basic Science of Poisons.