SFAKA0011U Toxicology

Volume 2014/2015
Education
MSc in Pharmaceutical Sciences - elective, MSc in Medicinal Chemistry - elective, Cand.Scient.Pharm. - compulsory, Cand.Pharm. - compulsory
Content
The course gives a basic overview on fundamentals in both human-, and occupational toxicology. Basic toxicological topics encompass toxicodynamic, toxicokinetic description and metabolism of major groups of contaminants. Furthermore the course will give a basic understanding of acute toxic effects on the skin, the respiratory system, genotoxicity, mutagenicity, cell toxicity, organ toxicity, cancer development, reproduction, immunotoxicology and the effects of hormone disrupting compounds. Also teratogenicity, toxicophore description and modeling of dose-response relationships will be among the subjects. Classification of chemicals will shortly be described in the course and further more the use of toxicological data bases to access exposure and effect data will be discussed.
The course will also discuss in detail how to quantify a dose or an exposure of a chemical and be able to predict most important exposure routes or pathways. This will also include models for calculating effects of exposures to multiple compounds with same/similar mode of action. As an important element of the course the background for the fetal origins hypothesis will be addressed, which postulates that chemical exposure of non-acute toxicological effects during the prenatal environment “program” of the fetus is important for later development of diseases in adulthood. Occupational toxicology will focus on how to achieve a sound environment during production using chemicals. An overview of the most important diseases due to chemical exposure during occupation will be addressed. Furthermore an overview on the regulation of chemicals will be a subject. The overall aim of this course is to prepare the students to be able to at a later stage to perform simple risk assessments scenarios of human, environmental and occupational heath hazards and to evaluate potential hazards of a given xenobiotic. Lectures, theoretical exercises, and a written assignment will be the main form of teaching. Lectures are based on textbooks, lecture notes and some scientific papers. The topics of the theoretical exercises run in parallel with the topics treated in the lectures.
The written assignment (a case with 2 levels) will be performed in groups of 3 students that will work together to respond a case story that will give the students knowledge on how to conduct a risk assessment of pharmaceuticals or chemical compounds. The assignment focuses further more on selected chemicals and draws on the general insight in chemical, biological and physical processes to be learned and thus is fundamentally important for toxicology. Results are reported as a report.
Learning Outcome

Formål / Objective

The main objectives of the course is to introduce fundamentals and key methods in human-, and occupational toxicology, and to provide an overview of different approaches for acquiring data that may be applied in risk evaluation of pharmaceuticals and chemical pollutants to humans and the environment. The course consists of a number of lectures and a written assignment. The course is recommended for students who upon completion of their studies will be employed in sectors dealing with pharmaceuticals, health risks, environmental issues, such as public inspection, public health, environmental consulting, medical industry and the bioprocessing industries.

Målbeskrivelse / Course outcome

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Knowledge:
  • Describe toxicological mode of actions for most important groups of chemical substances to humans and environmental species.
  • Define the most vulnerable target organ(s) or organism(s) for most important group of xenobiotics.
  • Demonstrate knowledge on safety toxicology, and extrapolation from animal to human.
  • Understand the use of physico-chemical parameters of compounds to predict toxicity, bioaccumulation and biomagnification
  • Assess both acute and chronical toxicity data and evaluate different types of dose-response relationships including effects of mixtures of compounds with similar mode of action.
  • Quantify a dose or an exposure of a chemical and be able to predict the most important exposure routes to humans and environment and exposure due to occupation.
  • Suggest how to diminish an exposure of chemical in both human, environmental and occupational toxicology (practical management).
  • Classify chemicals and xenobiotics (Tx, T, Xn, C and Xi).
Skills:
  • Transfer math concepts to solve 1st-order linear differential-integral equations, manipulate log relationships, convert between dimensional systems of units.
  • Utilise relevant software for dose-responds relationships and problem solving(e.g. EPI-Win, Chem-Draw, Excel, R).
  • Have knowledge on simple in-vitro human toxicological tests and models.
  • Report scientific results as a risk assessment report.
Competencies:
  • Integrate principles from chemistry, physics, biology, biochemistry and physiology with mass and energy balances to develop and solve simple toxicological questions.
  • Apply simplified assumptions and estimate model and design parameters in the face ofbiological variability and uncertainty in measurement and prediction.
  • John Timbrell 'Principles of Biochemical Toxicology', 4rd edition, Taylor & september 2009
  • Different notes and scientific papers provided on the course homepage (English)
The course presumes basic knowledge at university bachelor level of 5 ECTS -credits in human or animal physiology, in biochemistry , in organic, chemistry and in inorganic chemistry. Thus a total of minimum 20 ECTS credits. In addition, knowledge of basic biology and microbiology will be an advantage
24 blocks of 4 hours each
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 42
  • Preparation
  • 160
  • Total
  • 202
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Written examination, 2 timer under invigilation
Prøveform / Examination type:
2 hours Multiple choice (MC) exam (50%) and written assignment, a case study in 2 sections (50%). Multiple choice and assignment are weighted 1:1 for a single final grade. In order to pass the course, both the MC and the case must be passed independently.
Aid
Written aids allowed
All written, approved pocket calculator and molecular model building set.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

Karakterbeskrivelse / Description of grades

Criteria for grades and guide lines for improving individual grades for MC or written assignment:
  • The final grade will be the average of the two individual grades.
  • To pass the course, both grades must be at least 02.
  • If the final grade is between two grades, the highest grade will be the final grade.
  • The course must be completed with a 5 year period. If not, individual grades are cancelled.
12 - Excellent performance
A well-structured response formulated clearly and precisely. The student demonstrates a commanding overview and combines extensive interdisciplinary knowledge by incorporating relevant scientific elements in response to the given questions.
The student demonstrates with f
  • Convincing command of the important concepts and methods used in connection with the toxicological method on a rational basi.
  • Convincing ability to explain the important chemical, physical-chemical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in relation to toxicological assessment of drugs and chemicals to important target organs.
  • Extensive knowledge describing of the toxicological mode of action of important drugs and chemicals examples.
7 - Good performance
A coherent response formulated reasonably clearly and precisely. The student demonstrates an overview and combines interdisciplinary knowledge by incorporating relevant scientific elements in response to the given questions. The student demonstrates with some weaknesses:
  • Command of the important concepts and methods used in connection with the toxicological method on a rational basis.
  • Reasonably convincing ability to explain the important chemical, physical-chemical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in relation to toxicological assessment of drugs and chemicals.
  • The ability to assess and more or less clearly and precisely describe the toxicological mode of action of important drugs and chemicals examples to important target organs.
02 - Acceptable performance
A somewhat coherent response that is rather unclear and imprecise in formulation. The student demonstrates less overview and is only to a limited extent able to incorporate a certain number of relevant scientific elements in response to the given questions. For the MC exam, 50% of the questions must be answered correctly. The student demonstrates with many weaknesses and to a limited extent:
  • Acceptable command of the important concepts and methods used in connection with the toxicological method on a rational basis.
  • Acceptable ability to explain the important chemical, physical-chemical, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties in relation to toxicological assessment of drugs and chemicals.
  • Acceptable ability to assess and describe the toxicological mode of action of important drugs and chemicals examples to important target organs.