Molecular Basis of Hormone and Drug Action

The course intends to provide knowledge on mechanisms of action of hormones and drugs, and it is diveded in two parts.
The first part will discuss the general concepts of endocrinology, with a particular view on endocrine axes and mechanisms of action of peptide and steroid hormones. In addition, the biosynthesis, secretion and transport of hormonal molecules under physio-pathological conditions will be discussed.
The second part is intended to gain knowledge of the principles on receptors, their classification, regulation, and function. Furthermore, the course will deal with the evolution of dose-receptor interaction theories from the beginning to nowadays, starting from the basic principles of, potency and efficacy and from the definition of agonist, antagonist or inverse agonist to the theories of induction and selection.

At the end of the course the student must demonstrate a solid knowledge on molecular endocrinology and in particular on the mechanisms of action of the hormones under physio-pathological conditions.
In addition, the student will have to demonstrate not only to have acquired knowledge of the signal transduction ways generated by the drug/hormone-target interactions, but also to recognize and master the different classes of drugs officially recognized on the basis of their pharmacodynamic characteristics.