Entry requirements

150 credits, including 120 credits in biomedicine, pharmaceutical sciences, drug development, natural sciences and/or engineering. Previous studies must include (1) physical chemistry and pharmaceutics 13 credits or (2) Molecular Biopharmaceutics 7.5 credits.

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

After course completion, the student should:

• Explain and discuss advantages and challenges with nanomaterials in medical and pharmaceutical applications
• Describe transport mechanisms as well as passive and active targeting that control uptake of nano-based drug delivery systems via different administration routes
• Describe and critically evaluate different types of nanovehicles and nanocarriers as well as their use in nanomedicine for disease diagnosis and therapy
• Account for toxic, pharmacokinetic and regulatory aspects for the development of nano-based drug delivery systems
• Utilize, reflect over, summarize in written and orally present relevant scientific literature within nanomedicine, in correct English.

Content

The course covers the principles in nanomedicine, especially with regard to the connection between physicochemical properties of nanomaterials, possible administration routes and their interactions with cells and tissues in the body. Further, it deals with the behavior of nanoparticles in biological fluids (e.g. plasma, intestinal fluid) and colloidal stability. We study the basic principles for active (with ligands) and passive (e.g. for cancer therapy) targeting and uptake of nanoparticles in cells and tissues in the body. Furthermore, the course will cover nanoparticle and nanocarrier properties including the most important synthesis routes and characterization methods. Special focus is also on diagnostic materials that can be used in imaging techniques or in theranostic formulations that combine disease diagnosis and therapy. Finally, we will consider toxic, pharmacokinetic and regulatory aspects of nanomaterials in biomedical applications. For toxicity this includes a comparison of different external barriers that are exposed to nanomaterials, e.g. in the intestine, lungs, nose and skin.

Instruction

Teaching is in the form of lectures, discussion seminars and a literature study. Certain parts of the instruction will be carried out digitally.

The course is given in English.

Discussion seminars and the literature study are compulsory.

Assessment

An oral examination is conducted at the end of the course. The following is required to pass the course: passed oral examination (6 hp) and passed on compulsory parts of the course (literature study: 1 hp, discussion seminars: 0.5 hp).

If special reasons apply, the examiner may make exceptions from the described examination and allow a student to be assessed differently. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the coordinator of the university.