This module is not currently running in 2024 to 2025.
A synopsis of the curriculum:
1. Cancer Chemotherapeutic Agents
• DNA
• Carcinogenesis
• DNA interactive agents
• Drugs acting on enzymes: Antimetabolites
• Antitumour antibiotics and DNA topoisomerase inhibitors
2. Novel antibacterial agents
• Antibacterial drug development
• Overview to the antibacterial drug classes
• Beta-lactam antibiotics
3. The scientific basis for the discovery and clinical utility of drugs to treat asthma
• Pathogenesis and drugs
• Adrenaline and beta adrenoceptors agonists
• Discovery and clinical use of inhaled beta 2 agonists
• Beta 2 agonists treatments including combination therapy.
• Anti-inflammatory actions of corticosteroids
4. Carbohydrates as drugs
• The structure and biological role of carbohydrates
• Carbohydrates as therapeutic agents
• Future development and limitations
Lectures/Seminars (30 hours), Workshops (12 hours), MSCL (105 hours), Private Study (50 hours expected)
60% examination, 40% continuous assessment and satisfactory attendance and performance at workshops
Chabner B. (2005) Chemotherapy and the war on cancer. Nature Reviews Cancer, 5, 65-72.
Tomasz M. (1995) Mitomycin C: Small, fast and deadly (but very selective). Chemistry & Biology, 2, 575-579.
Bailly C. (2000) Topoisomerase I poisons and suppressors as anticancer drugs. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 7, 39-58.
Avendano C. and Menendez J. C., Medicinal Chemistry of Anticancer drugs.
Lemke T.L, Williams D.A, Roche VF, Zito SW. (Eds) (2002) Foye’s Principles of Medicinal Chemistry.
DA Williams and TL Lemke (2002) Foye Principles of Medicinal Chemistry, fifth edition, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins pp. 831-850
J. H. Powers (2004) Antimicrobial drug development – the past, the present, and the future, Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 10:4, 23–31.
Eric Sauvage, Ailsa J. Powell, Jason Heilemann, Helen R. Josephine, Paulette Charlier, Christopher Davies and R. F. Pratt, (2008) Crystal Structures of Complexes of Bacterial DD-Peptidases with Peptidoglycan-Mimetic Ligands: The Substrate Specificity Puzzle, J. Mol. Biol. 381, 383–393.
Mo´ nica Oliva, Otto Dideberg, and Martin J. Field, (2003) Understanding the Acylation Mechanisms of Active-Site Serine Penicillin-Recognizing Proteins: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study, PROTEINS: Structure, Function, and Bioinformatics, 53, 88–100
Anderson GP et al (1994) Why are long-acting beta-adrenoceptor agonists long-acting?, Eur Respir J, 7, 569–578
Barnes PJ (2008) Drugs for airway disease, MEDICINE, 36, 181-190
Barnes PJ and Adcock IM. (2009) Glucocorticoid resistance in inflammatory diseases. Lancet, 373, 1905–1917
Ortega V E and Peters SP (2010) Beta-2 adrenergic agonists: focus on safety and benefits versus risks. Current Opinion in Pharmacology, 10, 246–253
A comprehensive understanding of the concepts that underpin advanced therapeutic agents.
A critical awareness and understanding of current problems and/or new insights associated with pharmaceutical agents and their design.
The properties of medicinal substances, and their relationship to molecular structure (PO4)
The design of medicinal agents and approaches to their discovery (PO5)
The principles of medicine formulation and systems for medicine delivery in the body (PO8)
The actions of medicines within living systems: molecular; cellular; biological and physical aspects (PO17)
Absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) of medicines, including routes of administration, concepts and mathematical modelling (PO18)
The clinical evaluation of new medicines (PO22)
Medicine delivery devices, wound management products and other medical devices (including diagnostic agents and devices) (PO24)
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