Medicinal Chemistry 2

The program is focused on the study of drugs that act the following levels:
a) Parasympathetic neurotransmission: nicotinic and muscarinic agonists and antagonists, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
b) Sympathetic neurotransmission: adrenergic receptors agonists and antagonists, MAO and COMT inhibitors.
c) Cardio-circulatory system: cardiac glycosides, antianginal, antiarrhythmic, calcium channel blockers, potassium channel activators, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin antagonists, renin inhibitors, diuretics, lipid-lowering agents, antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants.
d) Respiratory, ocular and gastric systems: anti-allergy, anti-ulcer, anti-glaucoma, anti-asthma.
e) Inflammation: Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
f) Central nervous system: anesthetic, anxiolytic and hypnotic-sedative, anticonvulsant, antiparkinson, opioid analgesics, antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants and related substances of abuse.

Particular emphasis will be given to the study of:
a) Mechanisms of action of drugs: study of biomolecular processes involving neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, second messengers; study of structural characteristics (stereo-electronic requirements, topology, topography, conformational equilibria) of drugs (ligands) for the interaction with the main molecular targets (receptors, enzymes, ion channels).
b) Discovery and development of drugs: structural modifications of biologically active natural compounds; effect of the variation of molecular portions of lead compounds on affinity-activity-selectivity-bioavailability profiles.