03766 - Immunology (AK-B)

Course contents

Effector mechanisms of humoral immunity: the complement and the antibodies. B lymphocytes activation, antibodies production and isotipical switch.

Immunity against pathogens: extra and intra-cellular bacteria; virus and parasites.

Mechanisms of pathogens to escape immune response.

Vaccines and mandatory vaccination: different strategies and risk evaluation.

Regional immunity: specialised immune response in epithelial tissues and peripheral lymphoid tissues

Immunopathology: alterations of the immune response; classification of immunopathologies; type I hypersensitivity: allergies; Type II, III and IV hypersensitivities; tolerance breakage and autoimmunity; congenital and acquired immunodeficiencies, HIV and AIDS.

Immunology of transplants: transplants classifications: auto-, allo- and xeno-transplants; biological bases of transplant rejection; different types of rejection; GVHD; strategies aimed at preventing rejection: HLA typization, immunosuppressive therapies.

Readings/Bibliography

Books:

Abbas, Lichtman, Pillai, Immunologia Cellulare e Molecolare, 2012 (settima edizione), Ed. Elsevier-Masson.

Janeway, Immunobiologia, 2012 (ottava edizione), Ed. Piccin, Padova.

Abbas, Lichman, Le basi dell'immunologia, 2011 (terza edizione aggiornata), Ed. Elsevier-Masson.

Teaching methods

Frontal classes with presentation in ppt

Assessment methods

The examination is in written form and consists of two parts: a first part of quiz of the type "true-or-false" and a second part consisting in a question with open answer over a theme of the program.

If not satisfied of the score obtained, the student can ask for an oral examination. If still not satisfied, the student can refuse the score, but in this case he/she will have to repeat the exam starting from the written part.

Teaching tools

Teaching tools are slides projected in order to help students to recognise most important concepts and take home messages

Links to further information

http://www.unibo.it/SitoWebDocente/default.aspx?UPN=miriam.capri%40unibo.it

Office hours

See the website of Miriam Capri