Programme/Approved Electives for 2022/23
None
Available as a Free Standing Elective
No
Many drugs that are available today were discovered by chance through the 'trial-and-error' method. Current drug discovery, however, utilises the vast amount of information that is available through genomics, proteomics and structural studies. One of the most common strategies in drug discovery is the use of structure-based drug design. The rational development of a new drug therefore follows the following steps: i) identification of a biological target, such as a receptor or an enzyme that is related to a particular disease ii) design of a molecule that binds to the target and has the desired biological effect on the target. This process can take several years to bring a pharmaceutical from the bench to the patient. Even with very good information of the structure of the target, it is very difficult to design a drug that will specifically only bind to the selected target and have the desired pharmacological effects. Additionally, pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism are also very important and need to be evaluated.This module will provide you with an overview of the drug design pipeline starting from in-silico studies up to clinical trials. You will also cover the principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Specific examples of biological targets will be discussed and you will investigate with the use of informatics tools how chemical structures and biological targets interact. The module assessment will help you to develop and evidence your teamwork and written communication skills to non-specialist audiences in the production of a group patient information leaflet for an allocated pharmaceutical, whilst an individual report will assess your skills in the acquisition and manipulation of structural information for ligand-target interactions, with supporting workshops
Aims
To expand core level 4 biological chemistry material and its application to drug design and development. Students will be introduced to the drug development pipeline through to clinical trials and emerging technologies in drug design, as well as principles of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics, and the physiochemical properties of drugs/ligands and their molecular interactions with biological targets.
Talis Aspire Reading ListAny reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/lsc-20087/lists
Intended Learning Outcomes
explain the principles of the drug discovery pipeline from candidate selection through to clinical trials: 3explain basic concepts of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics and their importance to drug delivery, potency and selectivity: 2,3describe the molecular interactions between drugs/ligands and their targets in biological systems: 1,2,3evaluate the structures of molecules related to their suitability as therapeutic agents and discuss approaches to ligand-based drug design through structure-activity relationships: 1discuss approaches to rational drug design based on knowledge of the three-dimensional structure of biological targets: 1manipulate and present structural information for protein-ligand interactions using the protein data bank: 1communicate effectively in written and visual form through the production of a written report and group communication exercise: 1,2,3
8 hours in-situ workshops/tutorials supporting lecture content12 hours IT workshops02 hours class test9x 4 hours engagement with asynchronous activities including preparations for workshops,46 hours directed reading/engagement with additional resources and private study for class test preparation46 hours private study: preparation of in-course assessments
Description of Module Assessment
1: Report weighted 30%1,000 word reportStudents will produce a 1,000 word report assessing the presentation and interpretation of structural data for protein-ligand interactions using the protein data bank/other software for visualisation/manipulation.
2: Group Project weighted 20%Group communication exerciseWorking in groups (2-3) students will produce a patient information leaflet on an allocated pharmaceutical detailing key information on the function and biological activity of the molecule in context to disease treatment.
3: Online Tasks weighted 50%Class test (1 hour active working in a 2 hour assessment window)Online class test (1 hour active working in a 2-hour assessment window in the semester 2 exam period), including a mix of MCQ and SAQ-style questions assessing core knowledge of the learning material and the application to drug discovery.