Definition and measurement of aging: definition of aging and senescence processes.
Identification of features associated with the aging process.
Measurement of inter and intra-individual age-related changes.
Theories of aging.
Genetic approaches to the study of aging and longevity: gerontogens and longevity promoter genes.
Human studies: genealogical, population, twins, sex, healthy centenarians and longitudinal studies.
Animal experimental models: mouse and other rodents, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster.
Cellular aging: cellular senescence and apoptosis.
Telomeres and telomerase.
DNA Damage: endogenous and exogenous sources.
DNA repair systems and their decline during aging.
The pleiotropic effect of the p53 protein in aging process and carcinogenesis.
DNA helicase.
Progeroid syndromes: Cockayne syndrome, Trichothioodystrophy, Bloom syndrome, Werner syndrome, Alzheimer's syndrome.
Molecular dysfunctions and therapeutic targets.
Genetics of cancer cells: the clonal origin of tumour.
Genetic defects that interfere with genome stability, DNA repair and cell cycle regulation.
Introduction to pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics.
Human genome sequencing and inter-individual variability.
Individual variability in response to drug therapy (efficacy and tolerability).
Genes that influence drug response: protein coding genes involved in drug bioavailability (pharmacokinetics) and drug therapeutic target (pharmacodynamics).
Allelic variants in humans.
Polymorphisms in enzymes responsible for drug metabolism.
Polymorphisms/mutations in drug therapeutic target encoding genes.
Polygenic complexity and modulators of drugs action.
Predictive medicine and personalized therapy.
Tumor genomes sequencing and selection of tumor inhibitors.
Identification of biological targets with diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic value.

It is not available a single reference book. The topics are part of scientific articles and the following books:
- Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Patrick) Edises
- The pharmacological basis of therapy (Goodman & Gilman)
- Principles of Pharmacogenetics and Pharmacogenomics, Edited by Russ B. Altman, Stanford University, California, David Flockhart, Indiana University, David B. Goldstein, Duke University, North Carolina, Cambridge University Press.
In addition, the teacher can provide specific scientific articles and reviews.