Pharmacology 2: Drug action

This unit will introduce you to theoretical concepts related to drug action. It includes descriptions of partial and inverse agonists, allosteric modulators and biased ligands. This unit extends beyond drug-receptor interactions to show how signal transduction processes regulate cellular activities. You will engage in problem solving related to pharmacological research questions and communicate the outcomes of such investigations to peers and teaching staff.

Topics to be covered include:

• Characteristics of ligand interaction with receptors;
• How G-protein-coupled and tyrosine kinase receptor interactions with signal transduction systems regulate cell activity;
• Ion channel activation and regulation;
• Transporter function.