Cellular Basis of Immunity

Description - summary of the module content

Module description

In this module you will explore the science of immunology, including the major components of the immune system within the context of infectious diseases and vaccinology. You’ll develop an understanding of how antibodies are engineered and used in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in contemporary medicine and environmental sciences. Lecture content is supported by animations and videos that illustrate key concepts of immunity including cellular interactions during the inflammatory response and the role of cytokines and chemokines as chemical messengers. Included in the module is a 3 hour practical class to enable you to gain hands-on experience of diagnostic immunoassays (ELISA and Lateral-Flow Device) that incorporate highly specific monoclonal antibodies and which have been commercialised by the course convenor though the establishment of a University of Exeter spin-out company.

Module aims - intentions of the module

This module aims to introduce you to the science of immunology. Key components of the immune system are explored in the context of infectious diseases (viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections) and current research topics used to illustrate how antibodies are engineered and used in the diagnosis of pathogens and treatment of diseases in contemporary medicine and environmental sciences.

Much of the content is research-led owing to the convenor’s research expertise in hybridoma technology, monoclonal antibody production and the generation and protection of intellectual property in the arena of medical diagnostics.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

ILO: Module-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 1. Critically evaluate our understanding of the innate and adaptive immune systems, antibody structure and function, and the immune response to infectious diseases
• 2. Describe in detail and analyse the defining characteristics of mouse hybridoma technology and other technologies e.g. phage display for monoclonal antibody generation and use in diagnostics and therapeutics
• 3. Explain the use of antibodies in various aspects of medicine and environmental sciences

ILO: Discipline-specific skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 4. Evaluate in detail approaches to our understanding of immunology with reference to primary literature, reviews and research articles
• 5. Analyse in detail essential facts and theory in a sub-discipline of the biosciences
• 6. Analyse and evaluate independently a range of research-informed literature and synthesise research-informed examples from the literature into written work
• 7. With limited guidance, deploy established techniques of analysis and enquiry within the biosciences

ILO: Personal and key skills

On successfully completing the module you will be able to...

• 8. Communicate effectively arguments, evidence and conclusions using written means in a manner appropriate to the intended audience
• 9. Devise and sustain, with little guidance, a logical and reasoned argument with sound, convincing conclusions
• 10. Analyse and evaluate appropriate data with very limited guidance

Syllabus plan

Syllabus plan

• Innate and adaptive immunity; the cellular and humoral components of the immune system;
• myeloid, lymphoid and erythroid lineages of the haematopoietic stem cell;
• Antigen presenting cells (APCs), dendritic cells, macrophages, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, Natural Killer cells, B-cells, CD4+ T-cells, CD8 T-cells;
• Cytokines and the Inflammatory response;
• MHC Class I and II molecules and T-cell receptors;
• Antibody molecules – structure and function; the Complement system and complement activation;
• The immune response to infection by viruses, fungi, bacteria and parasites;
• Vaccinology;
• Toll-like receptors and ITAMs;
• Hybridoma technology and the production of murine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs);
• Chimeric antibodies and Humanisation of mAbs for use as therapeutic agents in the treatment of human diseases;
• Alternative procedures for the development of mAbs including Phage Display Technology
• Immunoassay formats including Immunofluorescence, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Immuno-gold electron microscopy, Western blotting, Lateral-Flow Technology;
• Immunodiagnostics in Medicine including serological detection of opportunistic fungal pathogens of immuno-compromised patients;
• Immunodiagnostics in Environmental studies including detection of emerging pathogens and monitoring of human allergenic, toxigenic and pathogenic fungi;
• IP protection of antibodies and commercialisation through spin-out

Learning and teaching

Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)

Details of learning activities and teaching methods

Assessment

Formative assessment

Summative assessment (% of credit)

Details of summative assessment

Re-assessment

Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)

Re-assessment notes

Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.

Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to sit a further examination. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of referral will count for 100% of the final mark and will be capped at 40%.

Resources

Indicative learning resources - Basic reading

The module will be based around primary research publications and review articles. The following Indicative basic reading list will also be useful as a source of information:

• De Franco AL, Locksley RM, Robertson M (2007) Immunity: The Immune Response in Infectious and Inflammatory Disease. New Science Press Ltd. ISBN-13 978-0-9539181-0-2
•  Murphy K (2012) Janeway’s Immunobiology. 8^th Edition. Garland Science, Taylor and Francis Group, London and New York. ISBN 978-0-8153-4243-4

Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources

• ELE page: http://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=364 (Primary research publications and review articles associated with each lecture can be obtained from ELE. Also available on ELE are animations and videos used in the lectures.)

Module has an active ELE page

Key words search

Immunology, immunity, medicine, infectious diseases, cancer, therapeutics, antibody, diagnostics, theranostics