BTB 307 Immunology 2+1

BTB 207 Immunology (2+1)

Theory

Unit I: Immune system and Immunity

Introduction and history of Immunology.Organs of immune system - primary and secondary lymphoid organs - bone marrow, thymus, spleen, lymph node, mucosa / cutaneous / gut associated lymphoid tissues. Cells of the immune system - hematopoietic stem cells, hematopoiesis, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, macrophages, dendritic cells and their roles. Blood - plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets. Immunity - Innate immunity – anatomical barriers, cells and receptors of innate immune system - acquired immunity - humoral and cell mediated immunity.

Unit II: Antigen-antibody (Ag-Ab) interactions: Principles and applications

Antigens - types, properties and immunogenicity. Antibodies - immunoglobulins (Ig) - structure, classification, biological properties and functions - isotype, allotype and idiotype. Organization and expression of Ig genes, antibody class switching and diversity.Ag-Ab interactions - affinity, avidity, specificity and cross reactivity.Precipitation and agglutination reactions. Radioimmuno assay (RIA), Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blotting, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry assays, Immunoelectron microscopy.

Unit III: Immune responses and effector mechanisms

Maturation, activation and differentiation of B cells and T cells.B cell and T cell receptors.Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) in human - structure and function of MHC I and II – antigen processing and presentation - MHC restriction. Complement system - complement proteins - classical, alternative and lectin pathways - lytic attack complex - role in defense mechanism. Cytokines –interleukins, interferons and their role. Leukocyte activation and migration – mediators and process of inflammation. Hypersensitivity - allergens and types of hypersensitivity reactions.

Unit IV: Immune system in health

Immunological tolerance, immunoregulation, immunodeficiency - inherited and acquired immunodeficiency diseases.Auto immunity and auto immune diseases. Transplantation immunology - types of grafts, human leukocyte antigen (HLA) typing, mixed lymphocyte reaction, organ transplants, graft rejection, xenotransplantation. Tumor immunology - types of tumors, metastasis, tumor antigens, immune responses, mechanisms of tumor evasion from immune system, immunotherapy. Immune responses to infectious diseases - bacterial (leprosy and pneumonia), viral (influenza and HIV) and parasitic (malaria and filariasis) diseases.

Unit V: Monoclonal antibodies and vaccines

Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies.Production of monoclonal antibodies - hybridoma technology - phage display technology – applications of monoclonal antibodies. Vaccines - principle of vaccination, active and passive vaccination, immunoprophylaxis, vaccination schedule. Types of vaccines - live, killed, polysaccharide, conjugate, subunit, split, multivalent, DNA vaccines, recombinant vaccines and edible vaccines.

Practicals

Blood grouping by hemagglutination technique. RBC and WBC counting through haemocytometer. Isolation, purification and estimation of antigenic proteins. Selection of animals and rearing – immunization – raising antibodies - blood collection methods – purification of antibodies. Immunodiffusion techniques – Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion and radial immunodiffusion; SDS-PAGE analysis of antigenic proteins; Antigen-antibody interactions by ELISA and Lateral flow immunoassay strips. Genomic DNA isolation from blood sample.

Theory schedule

1. Introduction and history of Immunology

2. Organs of immune system

3. Cells of immune system

4. Blood – components and functions

5. Innate and acquired immunity

6. Cell mediated and humoral immunity

7. Antigens-types and properties and immunogenicity

8. Immunoglobulins – structure, classification, biological properties and functions

9. Organization of expression of Ig genes, antibody class switching and diversity

10. Ag-Ab interactions - affinity, avidity, specificity and cross reactivity

11. Agglutination and Precipitation tests

12. RIA, ELISA, Western blotting, immuno fluorescence, flow cytometry immuno electron microscopy assays

13. Maturation, activation and differentiation of B cells and T cells

14. B cell receptors and T cell receptors

15. Structure and function of MHC I and II

16. Antigen processing and presentation and MHC restriction

17. Mid Semester Examination

18. Complement system - classical, alternative pathway

19. Complement system – lectin pathway and lytic attack complex

20. Hypersensitivity reactions – Type I and Type II

21. Hypersensitivity reactions – Type III and Type IV

22. Cytokines - interleukins and interferons and their role.

23. Leukocyte activation and migration

24. Immunological tolerance and regulation

25. Immunodeficiency – inherited and acquired immunodeficiency diseases

26. Autoimmunity and autoimmune diseases

27. Transplantation immunology

28. Tumor immunology

29. Immunology of bacterial and viral diseases

30. Immunology of parasitic diseases

31. Monoclonal Vs polyclonal antibodies and hybridoma technology

32. Phage display technology

33. Vaccination – principle, types, immunoprophylaxis, vaccination schedule, types of vaccines – Live, killed, polysaccharide, conjugate, subunit, split, multivalent vaccines

34. Types of vaccines – DNA vaccines, recombinant vaccines, edible vaccines

Practical schedule

1. Blood grouping of human beings - agglutination test

2. RBC and WBC counting through haemocytometer

3. Plasma and serum separation from blood

4. Isolation of antigenic protein by ammonium sulphate precipitation method

5. Purification of antigenic protein by dialysis method

6. Estimation of antigenic protein concentration by Lowry’s method

7. Genomic DNA isolation from blood sample

8. Selection of animals and rearing

9. Blood collection from rabbit and preimmune serum separation

10. Immunization of animal

11. Separation of antibodies from antiserum and purification of Ab

12. Ouchterlony diffusion technique

13. ELISA

14. Analysis of Antigen/Antibody through SDS PAGE electrophoresis

15. Lateral flow immunoassay strips – Pregnancy detection kit

16. Visit to Immunology Institute

17. Final Practical Examination

References

1. Judy Owen, Jenni Punt, Sharon Stranford. 2012. Kuby Immunology. Seventh edition, W.H. Freeman Publishers, ISBN-13: 978-1-4292-1919-8, 574 p.

2. Sudha Gangal and ShubhangiSontakke. 2013. Text book of basic and clinical immunology. University press, Hyderabad. 532 p.

3. David Male, Jonathan Brostoff, David Roth and Ivan Roitt. 2013. Immunology,8th Edition, ISBN: 978-0-323-08058-3, Saunders Publications, USA, 464p.

4. Abbas, A.K., Lichtman, A.H., Shiv Pillai. 2012. Basic immunology - Functions and disorders of the immune system, 4^th Edition, ISBN 9781455707072, USA, 336p.

5. Lydyard P, Whelan A, Fanger, M. 2012. BIOS Instant Notes in Immunology, 3^rd Edition, ISBN-10: 0415607531, Garland science Publishers, New York, 327p.

6. Delves, P.J., Martin, S.J., Burton, D.R., Roitt, I.M. 2011. Roitt’s Essential Immunology, 12^th Edition, ISBN : 978-1-4051-9683-3, Wiley Blackwell Publications, New York, 560p.

7. Murphy K. 2011. Janeway’sImmunobiology, 6th Edition, ISBN-13: 978-0815342434, Garland Science Publishers, USA, 888p.

8. SulabhaPathak. 2010. Immunology: Essential and Fundamental, (III Edn) Blackwell Publishers, p400.

9. Rao, C.V. 2005. Immunology- A textbook. Narosa Publishing house, New Delhi.

10. Nandhini Shetty. 2005. Immunology-Introductory text book. New Age International (P) Limited Publishers, New Delhi.

e- resources

1. www.whfreeman.com/kuby/

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immunology

3. http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Immunology

4. http://www.annualreviews.org/journal/immunol

5. http://www.mednotes.net/notes/immunology/

6. http://www.mi.interhealth.info/

7. http://artandersonmd.com/

8. http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/health-sciences-and-technology/hst-176-cellular-and-molecular-immunology-fall-2005/lecture-notes/

9. http://www.roitt.com/glossary.asp