PMCOL 550 - Introduction to the Pharmacology of Diabetes

★ 3 (fi 6)(EITHER, 3-0-0)

Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry

This course is intended for graduate students and will provide an overview of the current understanding of blood glucose homeostasis, insulin secretion and action, the actions of other important blood sugar-regulating hormones and the pathology of diabetes. Current pharmacological approaches for lowering blood glucose will be discussed, as will the latest experimental approaches in identifying potential drug targets and new treatments for diabetes. At the end of the course, students should have an appreciation for the mechanisms that control glucose homeostasis in health and diabetes, the diversity of drug targets and mechanisms by which diabetes drugs promote glucose control, and current rationale and lines of research leading to potential new treatments. Prerequisites: PMCOL 343 and 344 or consent of Department.