From hit identification to lead optimization (4 credits)
Prof. Simona Collina
Aims and contents. This two-days course focus on the drug discovery process, from the identification of novel drug targets to the identification of a drug candidate.
The drug discovery process starts with the identification of compounds (one or more, named hit compounds), with either natural or synthetic origin, endowed with promising biological properties. Such compounds will successively undergo further studies aimed at turning hit into lead (hit-to-lead process). In this phase hit(s) are structurally modified in order to improve their pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic and toxicological profiles. The final output of hit-to-lead process is the drug candidate.
Theoretical lessons are combined with practical case studies.