The goal is for students to learn the basics of both innate
and adaptive immune responses. The learning objectives for immunology are
listed below.
- To understand the structural and genetic basis of diversity and specificity
of immunoglobulins and T cell receptors.
- To understand the utility of antibodies in many clinical tests for proteins,
hormones, etc.
- To understand the events that hallmark the antigen-independent and antigen-dependent
phases of B cell differentiation.
- To understand the diversity of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)
molecules, and how that diversity differs from immunoglobulin and T
cell receptor diversity.
- To understand how MHC molecules present antigens, and how antigens are
processed before presentation.
- To understand positive and negative T cell selection in the thymus,
and how those events influence the final T cell repertoire.
- To understand the requirements for T cell activation by antigen, and
how the nature of the antigen presenting cell influences the outcome
of antigen recognition.
- To understand that transplantation reactions are mainly the result of
T cell recognition of allogeneic MHC molecules.
- To understand how the effecter functions of antibodies, T cells, macrophages,
neutrophils, and NK cells can eliminate pathogens or lead to pathology.
- To understand the function of CD4+ Th1, CD4+ Th2 cells, CD4+ Th17 cells
and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells in the immune response.
- To appreciate the multiple roles of cytokines and chemokines in mediating
interactions between leukocytes and other leukocytes and between leukocytes
and other types of cells.
- To understand how cells in both innate and acquired immunity can encounter
a pathogen first at one site, and then fight an infection at some distal
site.
Although this is not a clinical immunology course, some clinical concepts
are introduced through the use of clinical cases and diseases to illustrate
the basic principles of immunology. These include multiple myeloma, genetic
immunodeficiency, AIDS, several autoimmune diseases, allergy, and shock
following systemic infection. The theoretical basis and interpretation
of select immunologically-based clinical tests is also addressed. Students
gain an appreciation and some understanding of several immunotherapies,
including gamma globulin treatment, vaccination, desensitization to allergens,
transplantation, anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressive drugs, and
monoclonal antibody treatment. |