BIOL G200-Pharmacology lecture [Ch. 1 : Intro to Pharmacology]

What is pharmacology?

the study of medicine; field that investigates properties & effects of drugs

What is a pharmacologist vs a pharmacist (drugist, apothecary, pharmaceutical chemist)?

Pharmacologist= a scientist who studies properties & effects of medicinal drugs

Pharmacist = a person who is trained & licensed to prepare & dispense medicinal drugs.

What did medicine originate from?

plants/ natural material

What is the main basis of salicylic acid in aspirin?

Salicin (in willow tree bark)

What was salicin in willow tree bark used for?

headaches/ pain in head

What other sources can the basis of salicylic acid in aspirin be found in?

herbs, spices (tumin, cumin, paprika), fruits & vegetables

What was the basis of all medications in early pharmacology and how were they created?

concentrate active ingredient from plant sources via chemically purified/ isolated/ extracted active ingredients from natural sources.

What does modern pharmacology consists of?

replicate natural active ingredients for mass production of medicines via lab synthesis

How does new technology play in modern pharmacology?

create completely new drugs via drug design, computer-aided drug design, structure-based drug design, & AI-based drug design

What are the three different types of medicinal treatments?

analgesic, therapeutic, prophylactic

What are analgesic medical treatments?

medicinal treatment that acts as pain relief by treating symptoms

What do analgesic medical treatments NOT do?

Analgesic medical treatments do NOT address or treat underlying cause of illness

What are some examples of examples of analgesic medical treatments? (note: list 5)

NSAIDs (e.g., ibuprofen,apsirin), throat lozenges, cough medicines, decongestant, anti-itch lotion

What are therapeutic medical treatments?

medicinal treatment that addresses underlying biological problem via curing/removing an illness/condition or acts as a long-term management of disease

What are some examples of therapeutic medical treatments?

(note: list 6)

Antibiotics, anti-viral, chemotherapy, anti-hypertensive, anti-cholesterol, blood transfusions

What are prophylactic medicinal treatments?

medicinal treatments that are preventative

What are the 4 therapeutic agents?

medication (chemical/drugs), biologic, biosimiar, CAM (complementary & alternative medicine)

Which statement is true:

1) All medications are chemicals/drugs; not all chemicals/ drugs are medications

2)All chemicals/drugs are medications; not all medications are chemicals/ drugs

1) All meds are chemicals/drugs, BUT all chemicals/drugs are NOT meds.

What are the two ways drugs/chemicals are used for?

1. designed & certified for use as a therapeutic medications= pharmaceutrical= medicinal drug (NOT for recreational use)

2. Neither designed nor certified as a therapeutic (NOT meds)

What are biologic therapeutic agents?

a large complex molecule or mixture of molecules that are naturally produced by animal cells, human cells, fungi, or bacteria; not a small chemical

What are some examples of biologic therapeutic agents (note: 8)

1. antibodies

2. hormones (e.g., insulin)

3. vaccines

4. immune system signalling proteins (cytokines interferons)

5. Gene therapy

6. natural blood products & components

7. stem cell therapies

8. whole organ donation (transplant tissue; organ or tissue donation)

What are the 3 different mechanisms that gene therapy performs to fulfill its role as a biologic therapeutic agent?

1. Gene additions —> provide a functional gene to a patient

2. Gene editing —> CRISPR/Cas9 to modify a gene in a patient

3. Gene silencing —> turning off a gene to prevent diseases

What are some 4 examples of diseases with approved gene therapy treatment?

1. Retinol eye diseases

2. Duchenne muscular dystrophy

3. spinal muscular atrophy

4. blood disorders (e.g., sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, & thalassemia)

How are stem cell therapies used as a biologic therapeutic agent?

stem cell therapies include hematopoietic (blood) stem cell transplantation, which are used to treat cancers & disorders that affect the immune system.

What is the term “biosimilar” equivalent to?

equivalent to “generic” drug but can’t be described as the term “generic” bc that term is coined specifically for medication and biologic and biosimilars involve cells .

What is a biosimilar therapeutic agent?

A molecule that is functionally the same as a biologic treatment ( uses it as a reference product) designed to mimic the original biologic product.

What makes a biosimilar therapeutic agent the same & different from a biologic therapeutic agent?

biosimilar therapeutic agent has the same functions as its referenced biological therapeutic agent BUT are less costly and it undergoes different regulatory testing (since biologic already went through the testing)

What are the 4 characteristics do biosimilar therapeutic agents need to have?

1. routes of administration

2. dosage formula

3. mechanisms of action

4. clinical indications

What are CAM therapeutic agents?

treatments outside of Western healthcare practices

What are the two types of CAM therapeutic agents?

natural sources and body-based practices

What are some examples of natural sources in CAM therapeutic agents? (note: 5)

herbs, vitamins, dietary supplements, minerals, plant extract

What are some examples of body-based practices in CAM therapeutic agents? (note: 6)

acupuncture, chiropractic, massage, cupping, hypnosis, biofeedback, yoga

What are the classifications of drugs?

1. Therapeutic = broader classification

2. Pharmacologic = narrower description

3. Prototype drug= a reference standard

4. Drug nomenclature = naming of drug

What is the pharmacologic classification of drugs?

HOW it works biologically; classification of treatment based on its mechanism of action at the molecular/ cellular/ tissue/ system lvl

What is a prototype drug classification?

A reference standard; a well-studied, representative

What is the drug nomenclature classification?

naming of a drug; > 10,000 individual drugs on market

What are the types of drug nomenclature and who are they assigned by?

1. chemical name → assigned by IUPAC (International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry)

2. generic name → assigned by U.S. Adopted Name Council

3. trade name (aka brand name) → assigned by manufacturer

What’s the difference between generic & trade/brand name drugs ?

Generic =

• must contain same active ingredients as trade drug

• may contain different inert/inactive ingredients (e.g., color, flavor, other “fillers”)

• must behave in the SAME WAY as trade drug

• bioavailibility; physiolocial ability of a drug to reach its target cells & produce its effects; may determine if generic drug is equally effective as brand name drug

What is a drug’s bioavailability depend on?

drug’s bioavailability depends on dosage form & how much actually reaches the target location

What is bioavailability?

How much of the drug is absorbed, metabolized, and actually reaching the target location?

What are some types of dietary supplements?

1. vitamins

2. minerals

3. herbs

4. specialty supplements (e.g., protein powder, fish oils, probiotics, amino acids etc.)

What are dietary supplements?

substances that enhance nutritional value of diet