Toxicology
Academic Year 2024/2025 - Teacher: FILIPPO CARACIExpected Learning Outcomes
The aims of the course are the following:
- to learn the basic principles of toxicology both in toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics
- to learn how evaluate drug’s toxicity and in particular methods and assays useful to perform this evaluation in drug discovery processes
- To learn the role of drug interactions in determining an increasing risk of adverse effects
-To learn the toxicological profile of the principal drug classes currently adopted in clinics
- To understand the neurobiological basis and pharmacological treatment of drug abuse
Course Structure
The course will consist of lectures
A specific section of the course will be dedicated to discuss the potential applications of preclinical toxicology’s assays in the context of drug discovery processes
Required Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of pharmacology and biochemistry
Attendance of Lessons
Mandatory attendance according to the rules of the teaching regulations of the CdS in CTF as reported in the link: http://www.dsf.unict.it/corsi/lm-13_ctf/regolazione-didattico
Detailed Course Content
General principles of toxicology and classification of toxic effects . Adverse Drug Reactions in Clinical Practice. Factors That Contribute to ADRs. Over Prescribing and Drug Interactions: the role of pharmacogenetics. Allergic Reactions. Idiosyncratic Reactions. Immediate vs. Delayed Hypersensitivity Reactions. Medication warnings and Pharmacovigilance. Clinical trials design and ADRs. Teratogenesis.
Predictive toxicology: risk evaluation, LOEL, LOAEL, NOEL, NOAEL, NEL, Safety and ADI. Dose-Response. Types of Dose-Response Relationships. Concentration-Effect and Presence at the Receptor Site. Criteria for Measurement. LD50 (Lethal Dose 50%). Definition. ED50 (Effective Dose 50%), and TI (Therapeutic Index).
Role of preclinical toxicology in drug discovery processes: methods and assays. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of toxicity. General mechanisms of cellular damage. Free radicals. Molecular mechanisms of genotoxicity. Mutagenicity. Carcinogenicity.
Toxicological profile of therapeutic agents currently used for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders (antidepressants, esketamine, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, antiparkinsonian agents, antidementia drugs analgesic drugs). Toxicological profile of antibiotics, antiviral agents (with a focus on anti-HIV ed anti-HBV ed anti-HCV drugs), antifungal agents and antineoplastic drugs.
Neurobiological basis and pharmacological treatment of drug abuse. Tolerance and dependence. general principles. Classification and toxicology of drugs of abuse.
Textbook Information
1- Goodman & Gilman's - The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics.
2- Rossi, Cuomo, Riccardi – Farmacologia (Principi di base ed applicazioni terapeutiche)
3- Cantelli Forti et al., - Tossicologia cellulare e molecolare. Ed UTET
| Author | Title | Publisher | Year | ISBN |
|---|
Course Planning
| Subjects | Text References | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Principi generali di tossicologia. Meccanismi molecolari e cellulari di tossicità. Tossicologia dei chemioterapici. | 3 |
| 2 | Aree della tossicologia. Classificazione degli effetti tossici. Reazioni allergiche,idiosincrasia, tossicità immediata e ritardata, reversibile, irreversibile, locale, sistemica. | 3 |
| 3 | Interazioni tra farmaci. Variabilità della risposta tossicologica: aspetti farmacocinetici e farmacodinamici | 1-3 |
| 4 | Tossicologia predittiva. Valutazione del rischio. Soglia di tossicità, effetti privi di soglia. LOEL, LOAEL, NOEL, NAEL, NEL. | 1-3 |
| 5 | Relazione dose-effetto. Curve dose-risposta. Margine di sicurezza, ADI. Principi e definizioni della farmacovigilanza. | 1-3 |
| 6 | Meccanismi generali di danno cellulare. Radicali liberi. Meccanismi di genotossicitá, mutagenesi, cancerogenesi e teratogenesi | 1-3 |
| 7 | Profilo tossicologico dei farmaci utilizzati per il trattamento delle patologie del SNC e delle patologie cardiovascolari, profilo tossicologico dei farmaci antibatterici, antivirali, antimicotici ed antineoplastici | 1-3 |
| 8 | Tossicologia delle sostanze d’abuso. Meccanismi delle tossicodipendenze.. Classificazione delle sostanze d'abuso. Potenziale tossicomanigeno. | 1-2 |
Learning Assessment
Learning Assessment Procedures
Oral Exam
CInAP support will be required in presence of specific teaching activities related to specific needs
Examples of frequently asked questions and / or exercises
Allergic reactions Idiosyncrasy Immediate and delayed reversible, irreversible, local, systemic toxicity Interactions between drugs and aspects of pharmacogenetics. Teratogenesis Adverse reactions and principles and definitions of pharmacovigilance. LOEL LOAEL NOEL, NOAEL Preclinical Toxicology in Drug Development. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of toxicity. General mechanisms of cell damage. Free radicals. Mechanisms of genotoxicity, mutagenesis Therapeutic uses and toxicity from antineoplastic drugs Therapeutic uses and antimicrobial drug toxicity Pharmacokinetic interactions Pharmacodynamic interactions Neurobiological basis of the neurotoxic action of drugs of abuse Cellular and molecular mechanisms of toxicity Adverse reactions related to CYP450 inhibition Toxicity profile of tricyclic antidepressants Adverse reactions of antivirals Adverse reactions of anti-HCV drugs