General provisions

The course is part of the Master's Programme in Drug Discovery and Development and is elective in the Master of Science Programme in Pharmacy.

Entry requirements

150 credits of which 120 credits are in biomedicine, pharmaceutical science, and/or natural science. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course the student should be able to:

* report the physical processes behind the radionuclide technologies PET and SPECT

* account for the most common methods for radioactive labeling of trace molecules

* planning and evaluating experiments with the most common in vitro methods in molecular imaging (binding experiments on cells or tissue homogenates and autoradiography)

* plan and evaluate in vivo studies for visualization of biological processes with radiolabelled tracers

* show understanding of the basics of quantification of biological processes with the help of MI

* discuss how MI can be applied in drug development

* describe how PET and SPECT are used clinically

* search, evaluate and at a scientific level in English compile in writing information on radiolabelling, pre-clinical validation of in vitro and in vivo methods, and clinical use of trace molecules

Content

Molecular imaging (MI) is a multidisciplinary area. For in-depth understanding of the method, the course must illuminate all parts of the chain from the physics behind the instruments, via the labeling of molecules, their validation in vitro and in vivo, to exemplify the issues best answered by MI. The course deals with radiochemistry for the development of trace molecules, preclinical methods for in vitro validation of trace molecules, preclinical in vivo imaging with PET and SPECT trace molecules, image analysis and image management tools, trace molecules pharmacokinetics, quantification and modeling, PET as a tool for drug development and clinical use of PET, e.g. in neurology, oncology, cardiology, metabolic diseases and psychiatry.

During the course, the student will independently seek information and apply subject knowledge about the development and use of radiolabeled substances in an individual literature work based on scientific original articles. In connection with this, skills are trained in scientific writing and critical evaluation of information from scientific articles.

Instruction

The teaching is conducted in the form of lectures, laboratory work, seminars and individual literature work.

All parts will be given in English.

Compulsory parts: lectures, laboratory work, seminars, and project presentation.

Assessment

Individual written examination takes place at the end of the course. For an approved course, in addition to the approved examination (1 credit), the required results are required on compulsory seminars (1 credit), laboratory work (1 credit) and literature work (4.5 credits). Possibility of supplementing non-approved compulsory parts can be prepared at the earliest on the next course occasion and only subject to space.

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the University's disability coordinator.

Other directives

Replaces and corresponds to 3FK185