Toxicology and Pharmacovigilance

Toxicology, defined as the science of poisons, studies the adverse effects of exogenous agents (e.g. pesticides, food additives, drugs, environmental pollutants, etc.) on living beings, their mechanism action and the evaluation of their hazard and the identification of safe uses through risk assessment. Toxicology is a multidisciplinary science that uses the knowledge and techniques of most branches of biology, biochemistry, physiology and medicine, chemistry, math and physics.
The purpose of the course is to provide:
1. The bases for a correct characterization of the adverse effects of xenobiotics, defining methods and approaches used in the toxicological evaluation. Particular attention will be paid to drugs.
2. The characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying the adverse effects.
3. Organ toxicity, trying to define the type of damage induced at the level of the individual organs and the substances involved.
4. The characterization of the toxic effects of different classes of chemicals, such as pesticides, metals, solvents, natural toxins.
5. The bases of pharmacovigilance.

Assessment of learning: oral exam, in which the learning of the topics covered, the ability of synthesis and connection will be evaluated. The student's ability to frame the problems of toxicological evaluation in the perspective of assessing human and environmental safety will be evaluated. The student will have to demonstrate that he/she has understood the key concepts and the main operational tools that characterize the safety assessment of xenobiotics. The exam will last up to 30 minutes and up to five questions will be asked about the program. The answer to each question will be assigned a score from 0-30 and the weighted average of the scores obtained in the single questions will represent the final mark.