The lecture Immunology in the 5th semester offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in immunological research and also includes important veterinary questions.
Content and Objectives of the Lecture Immunology
In the 28-hour lecture Immunology important aspects of innate and acquired immunity are explained. It includes the following aspects:
- Innate Immunity
- Adaptive humoral immunity
- Adaptive cellular immunity
- Immune response against bacteria and viruses
- Immunotolerance using BVD MD as an example
- Immunity against fungi and tumors
- immunodeficiencies
- Leishmaniasis Th1 vs Th2
- Regulatory T cells and autoimmunity
- Immunity in the nervous system
- Type I and IV Hypersensitivity
- Type II and III Hypersensitivity
- Immunological Therapies
- Virus evasion and defence against mycobacteria (tuberculosis)
After attending the lecture you will be able to:
- Reproduce humoral and cellular components of the immune system and allocate them to the innate/adaptive or humoral/cellular immune response.
- Describe the significance of acute phase proteins as diagnostic markers; name the consequences of opsonisation and complement activation (phagocytosis, lysis).
- Describe the activation of immune cells by pattern recognition receptors; describe defence mechanisms of the cellular innate immune response (NK cell activation, neutrophil extracellular traps).
- Define blood group; explain test systems for blood group compatibility; describe the development of neonatal isoerythrolysis in the horse.
- Describe the selection processes of T-/B-cells in the primary lymphoid organs.
- Explain the activation of T-/B-cells in the secondary lymphoid organs. Describe the circulation of immune cells in the body
- Explain the modes of action of innate immunity (complement, phagocytosis, left shift, antigen presentation, chemotaxis)
- Describe the activation of T-cells by APC after pathogen contact
- Describe antibody structure and antibody-mediated mechanisms (opsonisation, complement activation, neutralisation, ADCC).
- Name the antibody isotypes
- Explain the origin of antibody diversity and mechanisms of clonal selection, affinity maturation and class switching.
- Explain the importance of immunological memory for vaccination success
- Describe the basics of the immune system Cells and organs, innate and acquired immunity, humoral and cellular immunity, systemic and mucosal immunity, primary and secondary immune responses
- Explain the mechanisms of host-pathogen interaction/infectious immunology: Pathogen recognition and defence, pathogen-dependent defence (viruses, bacteria, protozoa, metazoa), extra- and intracellular infectious agents, evasion mechanisms of infectious agents, differentiation infection vs. disease.
- Answer questions relevant to diagnosis and therapy in clinical immunology/immune pathogenesis and base differential diagnoses and therapy procedures on these (e.g. anti-inflammatory or immunosuppressive therapy procedures: systemic and local immunopathological manifestations in the digestive tract, musculoskeletal system, respiratory tract, nervous system, skin (chronic inflammatory disease processes, autoimmunity, allergy, immunodeficiencies, immunotolerance, hypersensitivity reactions)
- Identify the basics of immunodiagnostics (serological methods, cellular tests) and interpret the findings for the animal owner, as well as the resulting treatment procedures for individual animals or animal populations.
- Name and justify common vaccination procedures, vaccine components, vaccination calendars, vaccination guidelines.
- In addition, the students should use this knowledge to competently advise the pet owner in the vaccination conversation.
Passing the examination in Immunology is a prerequisite for admission to the examinations in Bacteriology/Mycology, Parasitology and Virology.