The aim of this course is to provide suitable information concerning the role and structural properties of biological drugs, important for their pharmacological activity and their potential therapeutic applications as well as for the development of nanobiotechnology for pharmaceutical applications.
Teaching Methods
Frontal classes performed by informatic support (slides). For students with specific needs, who cannot attend teaching activities in person and who have applied for Inclusive Teaching Methods, teaching material suitable for profitable independent study will be available. If requested, self-learning can be supported by supplementary teaching tutoring activities, and by dedicated meetings, also online, with flexible hours depending on needs.
Assessment Methods
Intermediate tests: there are two computer-based written tests on Parts A, B and C followed by an oral examination. Conditions to pass the exam: passing grade in written tests (Parts A and B/C in the official examination dates) by means of a computer-based test for admission to the subsequent oral examination. Appropriate examination methods are provided for students who fall into the categories of Specific Learning Disorders and Special Educational Needs.
Texts
All material used by the teacher during the lectures will be provided in the Kiro website. Scientific literature cited in the teaching material provided.
Contents
Part A – Chemical and physicochemical properties of amino acids, peptides, proteins, sugars, and polysaccharides. Chemical modifications of proteins and peptides. Fundamentals of drug–target interactions and principles of drug design. Part B – Immunotherapy. Monoclonal antibodies and their engineered derivatives (glycoengineering and antibody–drug conjugates), vaccines. Chemical properties of nucleotides and oligonucleotides and their pharmaceutical applications, formulations and nanoformulations, with a research example related to the development of nucleotides and oligonucleotides. Part C – Biotechnological drugs. Peptides and peptidomimetics, recombinant peptides and therapeutic proteins, growth factors. Application of biopharmaceuticals in nanomedicine (tissue regeneration and nanovaccines).
