Pharmaceutical Screening and Protein Targeting in Early Phases of the Drug Discovery

To bring students closer to the current philosophy in the generation of early drug discovery programs. To provide students with the theoretical and practical training for the design and execution of drug screening cascades.

The course is divided into two content modules:

Introductory Module (M1): (3 ECTS credits) is a general view of Pharmacology oriented to researchers with little or no previous training in Pharmacology. This module will comprehensively review the principles of Pharmacology, including the molecular basis of drug action mechanisms, and modern approaches to the design of drug discovery programs.
The programme of this module includes the following main thematic blocks:
1. Preclinical R&D in the process of drug discovery.
2. Basic concepts of Pharmacodynamics. General mechanisms of action of drugs.

Specialized Module (M2): (3 ECTS credits) is of an applied nature to the knowledge of drug screening processes in therapeutic targets and anti-targets.
The program of this module includes the following fundamental thematic blocks:
1. Identification and validation of targets in preliminary drug discovery. Applied proteomics.
2. Design and execution of low (LTS) and high (HTS) throughtput screening drug discovery campaigns.
3. Low and high performance screening methodologies: binding, biochemical, cell-based, siRNA, etc.
4. Proposal for early drug discovery programmes

The two modules of the course will be offered, also, independently as own research courses of the USC open to researchers who do not perform the Master course. The students of the course will be automatically enrolled in both of them.

Brea J, Loza MI. New approaches applied to drug screening. En: Botana LM, Loza M, editores. Therapeutic targets: modulation, inhibition and activation. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New Jersey 2012, p. 455-476. ISBN: 978-0-470-58719-5
Dugger SA, Platt A, Goldstein DB. Drug development in the era of precision medicine. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2018; 17:183-196
Park H, Ha J, Park SB. Label-free target identification in drug discovery via phenotypic screening. Curr Opinion Chem Biol 2019; 50:66-72

Learning outcomes:
• Learn the basic vocabulary in Pharmacology applied to drug discovery
Competences: CB, CG3, CG11

• Know and apply the general principles of early drug discovery to real situations
Competencies: CB1, CB4 CG1, CG4, CG10, CE2, CE3, CE7, CE8, CE9, CE13, CE14

• Design practical work on drug screening
Competencies: CB5, CG4, CG5, CG7, CG8, CG9, CG10, CE3, CE4, CE5, CE6, CE10, CE11, CE12, CE15

• Develop a multidisciplinary vision of pharmacology
Competences: CB2, CB3, CB5, CG2, CG6, CG7, CG1, CE1, CE14, CE15

The methodology used in the Introductory Module (M1) consists of theoretical classes and seminars.
The methodology used in the Specialized Module (M2) involving seminars and discussion sessions in which students will prepare and present the works of the selected topics, with new methodologies used in professional environments with the standard formats provided by the teachers in which they will incorporate their own vision after the bibliographic searches.
Students participate in webinars and, as far as possible, visit and learn about the activities in early drug discovery of the ERIC EU-OPENSCREEN Innopharma Platform of the USC

-Continuous assessment according to the criteria discussed with students (Canvas: contributions, tutoring, spokesperson) *: 40% of the final grade
Evaluated competences: CB1, CB2, CB3, CG1, CG2, CG3, CG7, CG10, CG11, CE2, CE5, CE9, CE12, CE15

• Development of an initial drug discovery program *: 60% of the final grade
Assessed competencies: CB4, CB5, CG2, CG4, CG5, CG6, CG7, CG8, G9, CG10, CE3, CE4, CE5, CE6, CE7, CE8, CE9, CE10, CE11, CE13, CE14

The course consists of 6 ECTS credits, distributed in 3 ECTS credits per module.
It includes 88 hours of classroom activities and 62 hours of student study and personal work.

It is recommended that students actively participate in the proposed activities and attend conferences by external experts.
Likewise, it is important for the student to employ the recommended bibliography for the subject, of English and bibliographic research.

Contingency plan
SCENARIO 2: DISTANCING
Expository and interactive teaching
Teaching can also be carried out either in person or virtually with synchronous and/or asynchronous procedures.
Tutorials
Priority will be given to the programming of tutorials by telematic means
Evaluation
On-site or telematic depending on conditions and number of students

SCENARIO 3: CLOSURE OF THE FACILITIES
Expository and interactive teaching
Teaching would be approached virtually with synchronous and/or asynchronous procedures.
Tutorials
Telematic
Evaluation
Telematic

In cases of fraudulent completion of exercises or tests, the provisions of the USC regultation “Normativa de avaliación do rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revisión de cualificacións” will be applicable.