Teaching plan for the course unit

 

 
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General information

 

Course unit name: Molecular Principles and Research in Inflammatory and Infectious Diseases and Immunology

Course unit code: 569892

Academic year: 2021-2022

Coordinator: Ester Lozano Garcia

Department: Faculty of Medicine

Credits: 3

Single program: No definit

 

 

Estimated learning time

Total number of hours 75

 

Face-to-face and/or online activities

23
 

-  Lecture

Face-to-face and online

  

14
 

-  Seminar

Face-to-face and online

  

9

Supervised project

3

Independent learning

49

 

 

Competences to be gained during study

 

This course is aimed at students with a knowledge of immunology. The goal is to apply this knowledge to the field of inflammatory, infectious and immunological diseases. This allows students to update their understanding of the basic mechanisms used by the immune system to protect the individual and, in case of malfunction, the development of diseases. It gives an understanding of the tools used in research that develop the concepts of pathophysiology of the immune system.

 

 

 

 

Learning objectives

 

Referring to knowledge

The general objectives and skills that students should acquire by the end of the course are the following: 

— Understand the normal function of the immune system in its two aspects: natural and acquired immunity, both humoural and cellular.

— Understand the main mechanisms by which the immune system can contribute to various diseases, such as immunodeficiency, hypersensitivity and autoimmunity.

— Be able to analyse diseases caused by failures of the immune system in particular cases.

— Learn about various therapies based on the stimulation and suppression of the immune response and the limits of transplantation.

— Understand the participation of the immune system in chronic inflammation associated with diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, etc.

— Learn to use the diagnostic test to assess the functioning of the immune system and the immunological tests applied to the study of other organs and systems.

 

 

Teaching blocks

 

1. Basic concepts of the immune system and inflammation

*  Basic concepts of the innate and acquired immune system. Inflammation: cellular and humoral mechanisms involved in inflammation.

2. Immune response to intracellular and extracellular bacteria

*  Mechanisms of defense against bacteria: neutrophils and macrophages; Phagocytosis, opsonization, recognition of non-self (TLR and other receptors); Antimicrobial mechanisms of phagocytes; Mechanisms of bacterial evasion; Superantigens

3. Mechanisms of defense against viruses

*  Role of type-I interferon; Cytolytic T cells (CD8); Role of CD4; Mechanisms of virus evasion

4. Cancer immunotherapies

*  Tumor antigens; Role of cytolytic T lymphocytes in cancer; Mechanisms of tumor evasion; Cancer immunotherapies

5. Autoimmunity

*  Mechanisms that produce autoimmunity: tolerance and genetic determination; Organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases

6. Immune response to transplants

*  Major histocompatibility complex (MHC); Graft rejection: hyperacute, acute and chronic; Prevention of rejection; Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

7. Allergy and allergic diseases

*  IgE and non-IgE-mediated allergic diseases

8. Congenital and Acquired Immunodeficiencies

*  Defects in lymphocyte function, defective innate immunity, secondary immunodeficiencies, AIDS

9. Seminars

*  Seminars involving research projects of the speakers.

Transplantation and histocompatibility

Immunopathology of the brain

Dendritic cells and tolerance

Plasticity and adaptability of immune cells

Immunopathology of malaria

Cancer immunotherapies

 

 

Teaching methods and general organization

 

Classroom activities

Lectures (number of independent face-to-face activities)

Lectures are scheduled to cover 19 hours of class. These classes are used to meet the first objective for the subject. Students are encouraged to work actively and continuously. This entails that students must prepare the activities before the actual lesson takes place in order to be able to participate. This preliminary work on the preparation of questions for the seminars is covered in class and is included in the debate that takes place in the classroom. For every hour of class, students are expected to work independently for two hours. This continued work allows students to pass the written examination scheduled at the end of the lecture period. The exam lasts three hours.


Practical sessions

No practical activity is programmed. 

 

 

Official assessment of learning outcomes

 

Assessment criteria
 

The evaluation of the course is based on the continuous monitoring of students to obtain the overall competences of the module. Students are assessed on their responses to seminar questions. The maximum grade for the course is 10 points and the criteria is that of joint modules to obtain the master’s degree.

The examination consists of a written test. Questions asked during seminars are worth up to 3 (out of 10) points at the discretion of the lecturer.

 

Assessment procedure

The final grade is calculated on the following basis: 

— Written examination at the end of the lecture period and seminars: 10 points.

 

Examination-based assessment

Single assessment consists of a written test.

 

 

Reading and study resources

Consulteu la disponibilitat a CERCABIB

Book

  • Immunobiology, Janeway and K. Murphy, 9th edition, 2017, Garlane Science

  • CELLULAR ANSD MOLECULAR IMMUNOLOGY, 9th edition. Abbas, A. K., Lichtman, A. H., Pillai S., Editorial: Elsevier Saunders 2017

  • PRIMER TO THE IMMUNE RESPONSE, 2nd Edition, Tak Mak et al., 2014, Academic Cell

Inmunología. Biología y patología del sistema inmunitario, Editores J.R. Regueiro, C. Lopez. S. Gonzalez y E. Martinez, Editorial Panamericana, 2010

Web page

http://www.acmcb.es/filisoc/show.asp?codi=22 Societat catalana d’Immunologia

http://www.soc.nii.ac.jp/jsi2/index-e.htm Japanese Society for Immunology