BIO 401: Immunology (4)
Learning Objectives:
This course introduces about fundamental of Host (mainly human and mouse) defence system and also discusses how our immune system develops immunity against foreign living and non-living entities.
Course Contents:
Introduction to Immune System: organs, cells and molecules; Mechanisms of barrier to entry of microbes into human body. Natural and adaptive immune responses; Differentiation of stem cells to different cellular elements in blood, role of cytokines; Introduction to inflammatory reaction, Chemokines, migration of neutrophils to the site of infection, phagocytosis and microbicidal mechanisms. Interferons and viral infections, Parasitic infections and role of Eosinophils Asthma. Basophils, IgE receptor, immediate hypersensitivity; Innate receptors (TLR, RLRs and NLRs) and sensing of PAMPs. Signal transduction. Opsonization, Fc Receptors, classification. Prostaglandins and leukotrienes. Complements structure and function. Classical and alternative pathways; Antibody structure and function. Classification of immunoglobulins, immunoglobulin domains, concept of variability, crosses reactivity. Isotypes, allotypes and Idiotypic markers; Idiotypic network Immunoglobulin genes, VJ/VDJ rearrangements and genetic mechanisms responsible for antibody diversity, affinity maturation, allelic exclusion; Class switching, receptor and soluble forms of immunoglobulin; Concept of Histocompatibility. Genetic organization of H2 and HLA complexes. Class I and class II MHC molecules, structure and function; T cell receptors, APC-T cell interaction T cell activation, Th1 Th2 cells and cytokines. Intercellular antigen presentation pathways, antigen presentation and MHC restriction; T cell differentiation in thymus, aβ and gd T cells. Thymic selection and tolerance to self. Cytotoxic T cells. Super antigens; Natural Killer Cells, ADCC, Hybrid resistance, NK cell receptors and NK gene complex, inverse correlation with target MHC expression, missing self hypothesis; Immunological techniques, Hybridoma and monoclonal antibodies.
Suggested Books:
- Essential Immunology: Peter J. Delves, Seamus J. Martin, Dennis R. Burton, Ivan M. Roitt; Wiley-Blackwell; 12th edition; 2011.
- Immunobiology: The immune system in health and disease by Charles Janeway, Paul Travers, Mark Walport, Mark Shlomchik; Garland Science; 5th edition; 2001.
- Kuby Immunology; W. H. Freeman & Company; 6th edition; 2006.
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