Spring 2021 - CHEM 759 G100

Special Topics in Organic Chemistry (3)

Modern Medicinal Chemistry

Class Number: 7706

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 11 – Apr 16, 2021: Mon, Wed, 4:30–6:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Apr 19, 2021
    Mon, 7:00–10:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An advanced treatment of specific topics related to the study of organic compounds. Topics which will be discussed will vary from one term to the next.

COURSE DETAILS:

Please note, this course outline was accurate at the time of publication but is subject to change.

Combined graduate course: CHEM 459 - Special Topics in Organic Chemistry (3)

Mode of Teaching:
3 lecture hours/week
Lecture: Synchronous

With lectures of 1.5 hours twice a week, the course will attempt to introduce students to the real world of drug discovery and the pivotal role that medicinal chemistry plays in the process. The course will be a mixture of theoretical background and real world illustrative examples. There will be a number of guest lectures from practicing medicinal chemists who will provide case histories of programs of drug discovery. All students will be expected to select an area of published research in medicinal chemistry and to prepare a written review synopsis of the field generally with particular emphasis on a key discovery paper or drug. Post-graduate students will be expected to also present their synopsis orally in one of two sessions during the course, either just after the midterm break an exam or in the last week at the end of the course. Reports should be comprehensive but concise with maximum of 5 pages (plus figures and references). Presentations should be 15 minutes and with 5 minutes for questions. Presentation times will be adjusted depending on enrollment.

Outline: Topics
1. Introduction:
1.1 What is a drug? A drug target; some history of drug discovery; natural products; selection of assignments
1.2 Elements of Drug Discovery: Models of disease; Reverse Pharmacology;
1.3 History of anti-inflammatories; Clinic to Models to genes.

2. Target Identification
2.1 Methods of identification and validation of Drug targets; genetic analysis; knockout mice, antisense and siRNA.
2.2 Affinity labeling; 2.3 Other drug targets: Ion channels; Transporters as Drug targets;

3 Lead Discovery:
3.1 Screening; assay design; high throughput screening;
3.2 Lead Modification: Pharmacophores; Bioisosteres; Libraries; SAR; QSAR; Combinatorial Chemistry.
3.3 Lead Modification: Binding Phenomena; Peptides to Peptoids; Conformational restriction

4. Receptors as targets for Drug discovery:
4.1 What are receptors and what do they do? Signal transduction; receptor kinetics; agonists and antagonists; receptor reserve; receptor substypes; opioids; prostaglandins;
4.2 Discovery of SingulairTM; an antagonist of the Leukotriene D4 receptor

5. Enzymes as Drug Targets:
5.1 Types of enzymes and types of inhibitors; mechanism based; irreversible; reversible; allosteric
5.2 Story of inhibitors of 5-lipoxygenase and 5-lipoxygenase activating factor.
5.3 Story of Inhibitors of Proteases such as Cathepsin K and Januvia

6 Pharmacokinetics, Distribution, Drug Metabolism and Toxicity:
6.1 Types of metabolism; primary and secondary; sites of metabolism
6.2 Issues of metabolism on drug viability, inter-individual variability, toxicity
6.3 Animal models and prediction of human kinetics; Oral absorption; Modeling pharmacokinetics
6.4 Prodrugs; enhanced absorption; tissue targeting
6.5 Transporters and biodistribution; The blood-brain-barrier.
6.6 Drug-drug interactions

7. The future of drug discovery
7.1 Personalized medicine
7.2 Targeted delivery
7.3 siRNA and micro RNA

Assignments: Students will pick a topic from a list provided or may suggest a topic on their own to be approved in advance by Prof. Young. Presentation dates may be chosen but if necessary will be assigned. Presentations must be posted to the course website before they are due or presented to the class and will be possible subject matter for the final exam.

Grading

  • Midterm Exam 20%
  • Final Exam 40%
  • Report Presentation 20%
  • Written Report 20%

NOTES:

Online Exam Invigilation: Students completing exams remotely must comply with the online invigilation procedures implemented by the course instructor.

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Technology Requirements: Students are required to have a desktop or laptop computer, high-speed internet access, and a webcam and microphone (built-in or external) to participate in online courses.

RECOMMENDED READING:

Richard B. Silverman. The Organic Chemistry of Drug Design and Drug Action. 3rd Edition. 2014. Publisher: Academic Press.

Relevant Journals: Students should also read relevant journals available online. Presentations may be selected from the supplied list or from the journals.

  • Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0960894X)
  • Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/09680896)
  • Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (http://pubs.acs/lournals/jmcmar/index.html)
  • European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02235234)
  • Nature Reviews in Drug Discovery (http://www.nature.com/nrd/index.html)

Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

TEACHING AT SFU IN SPRING 2021

Teaching at SFU in spring 2021 will be conducted primarily through remote methods. There will be in-person course components in a few exceptional cases where this is fundamental to the educational goals of the course. Such course components will be clearly identified at registration, as will course components that will be “live” (synchronous) vs. at your own pace (asynchronous). Enrollment acknowledges that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes. To ensure you can access all course materials, we recommend you have access to a computer with a microphone and camera, and the internet. In some cases your instructor may use Zoom or other means requiring a camera and microphone to invigilate exams. If proctoring software will be used, this will be confirmed in the first week of class.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who believe they may need class or exam accommodations, including in the current context of remote learning, are encouraged to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112).