MSc Drug Design & Biomedical Science

In this module, you will explore how immunological knowledge is applied in real-world healthcare and biomedical research. You will begin by engaging with core concepts of innate and adaptive immunity through a flipped-learning format, using digital content and interactive quizzes to develop a critical understanding of immune mechanisms and immunopathology.You will then investigate cutting-edge applications of immunology through case-based learning. Topics may include population-level interventions such as vaccination programmes, personalised cell-based therapies for cancer and infection, and experimental approaches for autoimmune disease treatment. You will also take part in laboratory-based practical work where you will generate and interpret data in collaboration with peers.Throughout the module, you will be supported to develop skills in critical evaluation, data analysis, and professional scientific communication. By the end, you will be able to apply immunological principles to current therapeutic and diagnostic strategies and communicate your understanding in written scientific formats.

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You will develop a demonstrable understanding of the principles of drug development at the molecular level and the practices currently adopted in industry. You will learn to appraise and analyse physical parameters and data on drug candidate molecules. Origins and new sources of drugs; natural products and new pharmaceuticals; the drug discovery and development process. You will learn about structure-based drug design; pharmacophore-based drug design; QSAR; physicochemical properties and drug design: electronic factors, lipophilicity, partition coefficient, steric parameters, prediction of drug-receptor interactions, ligand binding studies, molecular modelling and stereochemistry. Computational techniques: analysis of conformational space, molecular graphics and the visualisation of molecules. Molecular diversity. Combinatorial libraries and modern methods of synthesis. You will also learn to critically appraise published literature.

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This module is designed to deal with the different strategies and approaches of drug design of new chemotherapeutic candidates targeting different biological targets. You will learn how to evaluate existing and new biological targets and contemporary drug design methods (chemical and biological) to combat these disease states. This module provides you with the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of basic and essential drug design approaches of major chemotherapeutic classes targeting life-threatening diseases: notably, cancer; viral and resistant bacterial infection. You will expand your knowledge to understand the mechanism of action of protein kinases in the biological signalling pathways and how you can target these proteins in different disease. You will develop the required knowledge to identify the key possible interactions between the drugs and their biological targets through different workshops using computer software. You will reinforce the relevance and importance of the principles of chemotherapy in targeting cancer disease through targeting key intracellular biological components. You will learn the basic aspects of targeted therapies, targeted protein degradation (TPD), and design of prodrugs. This module is designed to provide you with the essential aspects of mechanisms of multidrug resistance (MDR) and contemporary drug design of antibacterial drug candidates. In addition, you will expand your knowledge to learn the novel concepts in drug design treatment strategy in the context of chemotherapy such as monoclonal antibodies and antibody conjugated therapy. On completion of this module, you should be aware of the significance of the isosteric drug design approaches and its application in designing new drug candidates targeting different biological targets and understanding the structure activity relationship (SAR) of these candidates. You will be integrated into a number of tutorials and practical sessions to develop the practical skills required to conduct synthetic chemical reactions to build up potential drug-like candidates and purify them using column chromatography technique.

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The module will provide you with an introduction to the major aspects of the scientific study of drugs in man, not just with respect to the design of optimum drug therapy, but also looking at the differences between pharmacology and toxicology. You will learn about how drugs work, their limitations, and the variability of response. You will study how cells transduce messages from the plasma membrane into the cell and nucleus. You will learn about how the body?s endogenous signalling system works and how this informs drug development. This includes the basic principles of receptor theory, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and their relevance to establishing the theoretical and practical basis for the rational clinical application of drugs. You will also examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms of toxicology.This includes the basic principles of toxicokinetics (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion), and the factors affecting each. You will examine the cellular and molecular mechanisms of xenobiotic toxicity, together with toxicity testing in the pharmaceutical industry. You will gain an insight into how intracellular signalling mechanisms can be manipulated, resulting in new research methodology. You will also engage with the literature surrounding molecular pharmacology and toxicology in order to understand recent developments in research in this area.You will cover the concept of ion channels and G protein-coupled receptors, intracellular kinase cascades, calcium signalling and linked control of transcription factors. Manipulation of signalling cascades in therapeutics and research. Basic principles of receptor theory, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and rational drug design. Introduction to toxicology. Toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics. Detailed descriptions of specific toxicant and pharmacological examples. In vitro and in vivo models of toxicity. Mechanisms of xenobiotic toxicity and toxicity testing.

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The module will include an overview of the research process including hypothesis and research question design and the role of the research literature as evidence to assist in the development of research ideas relevant to practice. You will also learn about analysis and interpretation of data and how to ensure data generated is robust and scientifically valid and will explore aspects related to the importance of research governance and ethics in research design. You will gain practice in scientific writing and have the opportunity to develop a research proposal designed to tackle a specific scientific problem in your field of study. You will learn about some of the tools used in research in the fields of biology and chemistry, and how the research process links across multiple disciplines to solve specific scientific challenges, by gaining an appreciation of how this works in the real world using examples from current research. You will also have an opportunity to develop your skills in the laboratory through hands on practical experience.

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