Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Immunology
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Doubts will be solved before/after sessions. For doubts out of office hours, it will be necessary to make an appointment via email.
Lectures and case methods: Eva Quandt Herrera (equandt@uic.es)
Case Methods (MC8): Víctor M Díaz Cortés (vmdiaz@uic.es)
Laboratory lessons: Joan Marc Martínez Láinez (mlainez@uic.es)
Cytology/Histology sessions: Judit Pampalona (judit.pampalona@uab.cat)
Introduction
Immunology is a compulsory subject of the degree of Biomedical Science. It introduces the student to the study of the defense mechanisms body (physiological and pathological) against antigens derived from microorganisms, toxins or derived from the malfunction of cells. This subject allows the student to understand the interaction between pathogens and the host based on the knowledge of the components and functions of the immune system in health and disease conditions. At the beginning of the subject, there is a chapter about the composition and functions of the blood, necessary to understand the fundamental role that this tissue plays in the immune response of the body.
The Immunology course contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda, particularly SDGs 3, 4, 9, and 17, by promoting health and well-being, fostering quality education, encouraging scientific innovation, and strengthening strategic partnerships in the biomedical field.
Pre-course requirements
The student who takes the Immunology subject must have previous knowledge in microbiology, biochemistry, human genetics, molecular biology, cellular biology, and cellular and molecular pathology. These learning skills are included in the subjects programmed in the first course of the Biomedicine Degree.
Objectives
- Explain the basic knowledge on the composition and functions of blood.
- Identify and describe the components of the immune system, both from a structural and functional perspective, in health and disease conditions.
- Analyze and convey the homeostatic role of blood and the immune system in the functioning of the human body.
- Provide students with an integrated vision of the impact that knowledge of blood and the immune system has on improving human health, mainly in the prevention and diagnosis of diseases, as well as in the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN06 - Describe the anatomical, physiological and histological aspects of the organs and systems in the human body at different stages in life, in both sexes.
- CN07 - Identify the structure, function and action mechanisms of the components of the immune system, both when healthy or when experiencing a pathology.
- CP02 - Apply scientific methodology to interpret practical or theoretical data by evaluating situations and results from a critical and constructive point of view.
- CP05 - Apply biological foundations in the search for practical solutions to health problems, following ethical standards and scientific rigour and respecting fundamental equal rights between men and women, and the promotion of human rights and the values inherent in a peaceful society of democratic values that includes inclusive, non-discriminatory language without stereotypes.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Upon completing the course, students should be able to:
- Define the components of blood and their functions.
- Analyze the characteristics and differences between innate and adaptive immune responses.
- Establish the relationship between pathogen and immune response: entry route, response mechanisms, memory, and evasion.
- Recognize the main immune system disorders: hypersensitivity, autoimmune diseases, and immunodeficiencies.
- Identify the role of the immune system in clinical situations such as organ transplantation or tumor immunology.
- Understand the mechanisms of activation and regulation of cellular and humoral immune responses and their link to immune-related diseases.
- Identify laboratory techniques used to study blood and the immune system.
- Understand the theoretical foundations of immunological tools used in diagnostic and research laboratories.
Syllabus
I. INTRODUCTION
1. Blood Physiology
2. Brief History of Immunology
3. Key Concepts
4. Recognition and Response
II. INNATE IMMUNITY
5. Components of Innate Immunity
6. Receptors of Innate Immunity
7. Effector Mechanisms of the Induced Innate Response
III. ADAPTIVE IMMUNITY
8. Lymphocyte Receptors
9. The Major Histocompatibility Complex and Antigen Presentation
10. Development of B and T Lymphocytes
11. Activation and Differentiation of T Lymphocytes: Effector Functions
12. Activation and Differentiation of B Lymphocytes: Effector Functions
13. Mucosal Immunity
IV. THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IN HEALTH AND DISEASE
14. Vaccines
15. Tumor immunology
16. Autoimmunity
17. Transplantation Immunology
18. Immunodeficiencies
19. Recap: Global Understanding of an Immune Response
CASE METHODS
MC1: Clinical Cases in Blood Physiology
MC2: Cells and Organs of the Immune System
MC3: Key Concepts
MC4: Innate Immunity Recap
MC5: Immunological Tolerance
MC6: Response Mechanisms to Viruses, Bacteria, Fungi, and Parasites
MC7: Hypersensitivity
MC8: Cancer immunotherapy
LABORATORY LESSONS
1. Immunoagglutination
2. Immunochromatography
3. ELISA
4. Flow Cytometry
5. Microscopy (cytology/histology)
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The course content will be delivered using three different teaching methodologies or activities:
Lectures - 30 hours: the teaching staff delivers knowledge to the entire group of students in a classroom setting.
Case method (CM) - 16 hours: students work in groups to solve clinical cases provided by the teaching staff on the same day. In the classroom, students present their conclusions with active participation from the teaching staff, who may introduce new concepts as needed.
Laboratory sessions - 14 hours: experimental demonstrations in the laboratory on concepts studied in theoretical classes, under the supervision of the teaching staff.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
First call students:
- Case methods: 15%. Evaluation of the activity during the session.
- Laboratory lessons: 10%. Exam after each cytology/histology session and during the last session of the laboratory lessons (attendance to all sessions is mandatory).
- Mid-term exam: 20%. It includes content covered in the first lectures and MCs (you will be notified in advance). Content will also be evaluated during the final-term exam.
- Final-term exam: 55%. This exam consists of a section corresponding to the lectures (approximately 70% of the questions) and a section corresponding to the multiple-choice questions (approximately 30% of the questions). It is necessary to achieve a score of 4 or higher on the multiple-choice section for it to be averaged with the rest of the exam.
Students in second, fourth and sixth call:
- Exam and/or paper about laboratory lessons: 10% (in the event of a non-pass grade due to lack of attendance)
- Final exam: 75%. This exam consists of a section corresponding to the lectures (approximately 70% of the questions) and a section corresponding to the multiple-choice questions (approximately 30% of the questions). It is necessary to achieve a score of 4 or higher on the multiple-choice section for it to be averaged with the rest of the exam.
- Case methods: 15% (the MC mark corresponding to the activity in the classroom is saved for later calls).
Students in third and fifth calls:
• Mid-term exam: 20%. Completion of the partial is optional.
• Final-term exam: 55% (if the student takes the mid-term exam) o 75% (if the student takes only the final-term exam). This exam consists of a section corresponding to the lectures (approximately 70% of the questions) and a section corresponding to the multiple-choice questions (approximately 30% of the questions). It is necessary to achieve a score of 4 or higher on the multiple-choice section for it to be averaged with the rest of the exam.
• A weighted average between the grade of the final-term exam and the grades of the other activities obtained during the first call (CM and LL) will determine the final grade. The students are allowed to participate again in the CM and LL to obtain a new grade.
General aspects to consider about the evaluation system:
1. Final-term exam: a minimum grade of 5 (out of 10) must be obtained to make a weighted average with the other activities (mid-term exam, CM and LL). A minimum weighted average grade of 5 must be obtained to pass the course.
2. In the final-term exam, a minimum grade of 4 must be obtained in the part corresponding to the MCs questions in order for it to be averaged with the rest of the exam and, therefore, to pass the course.
2. The exams will consist in multiple-choice tests with 4 response options, counting +1 hits and -0.33 errors.
3. The exams may include contents addressed during any of the activities (lectures, CM, LL and VL).
4. The final exam may include one or more essay questions. These questions will be graded only in the following cases: A) For students whose score on the multiple-choice section is between 4.7 and 5, with the goal of rounding the grade up (to 5), provided the question is correctly answered. B) In the case that two students have the same grade in the rest of the course and are competing for honors, with the responses being used to decide who receives the distinction.
5. The teachers reserve 10% of the total grade to consider contributions and participation (which include: interesting ideas, attendance to non-mandatory methodologies and punctuality on attendance and tasks delivery).
6. Attendance:
- Attendance to lectures is non mandatory, but attendees must follow the rules set by the teachers.
- To qualify for 100% of the grade corresponding to the activity in the classroom of the MCs, it will be necessary to attend and participate in 7 of the 8 sessions. You may, therefore, miss a session without prejudice to the grade; from the second absence, a corrective factor will be applied to the average grade of the rest of the MCs (2 absences = grade x 0.8; 3 absences = grade x 0.7; 4 absences = grade x 0.6; etc.). Absences will not be justified.
- Attendance to laboratory lessons is mandatory to pass the course. The expulsion of a student from the laboratory entails the automatic suspension of the course. It will be necessary to attend to ALL the laboratory lessons to be able to take the first call.
7. Improper use of electronic devices such as cell phones, tablets or laptops may result in class expulsion. Misuse means the recording and dissemination of images/sound of students or teachers during the different sessions, as well as the use of these devices for recreational and non-educational purposes.
Bibliography and resources
Books:
- Kuby Immunology. Owen, J., Punt, J., Stranford, S., & Jones, P. Macmillan Learning, 2018
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology. Abbas, A. K., Lichtman, H., & Pillai, S. Elsevier, 2021
- Janeway’s Immunobiology. Murphy, K. M., & Weaver, C. Garland Science/Taylor & Francis Group, LLC., 2017
Popular books:
- Navarro RT (2024) La batalla del sistema inmunitario: Una forma accesible de entender la inmunología. Ediciones Pirámide (ISBN: 9788436849356)
- Dettmer P (2021) Immune. Hodder & Stoughton, London, England (ISBN: 9781529360684)
Scientific journals:
- Frontiers in Immunology: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology
- Nature Immunology: https://www.nature.com/ni/
- Nature Reviews in Immunology: https://www.nature.com/nri/
- Journal of Immunology: https://www.jimmunol.org/
- Annual Review of Immunology: https://www.annualreviews.org/journal/immunol