Advanced Immunology MasterClass

Immunology is the study of the immune system in humans, animals, plants, and sapient species. It is an important branch of the medical and biological sciences. Immunoinformatics also known as computational immunology is a field of Bioinformatics. It is the interface between computer science and experimental immunology. Immunology and immunoinformatics combined help in the identification of key role-playing factors in a particular disease and immune response condition, and then design therapeutics for such diseases and conditions. 

You don’t need any prior Bioinformatics, immunology, and immunoinformatics knowledge or skills for this course. Learning the underlying concepts of immunology provides you with the knowledge of how components of the immune system work together to keep the organism safe and healthy and what types of components of the immune system fight against pathogens and microbes. With the knowledge of immunology, you will be able to design antibodies, peptides, vaccines, and therapeutics for immunological disorders, viral attacks, and much more. 

In this Advanced Immunology MasterClass, you will gain insights into complex and advanced level information and topics such as complete knowledge of immunology, innate immunity, components of innate immunity, innate immune reactions, antigen capture and presentation to immune cells (lymphocytes), antibodies, antigen-recognition, T-cell mediated immunity, B-cell mediated immunity, humoral immunity, autoimmunity, vaccines, tolerance, hypersensitivity, immunological disorders, clinical cases and more.  

This course will include the following sections:

Section 1: Introduction to Immunology

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students learn about the basic concepts of immunology and the immune system.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1. Understand the Historical Perspective of Immunology.
2. Explain Immune System and Dysfunctional Immune system.
3. Differentiate Between Innate vs. Adaptive Immunology.
4. Discuss the types of Adaptive Immunology.
5. Explain the Cells and Tissues present in the Immune System.
6. Describe the Immune Response to Microbes.

Section 2: Innate Immunity: Early Defense

Description: This section will focus on learning about innate immunity and how innate immune responses are generated.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1. Describe Features of Innate Immune Responses.
2. Explain Cellular Receptors for Microbes.

Section 3: Components of Innate Immunity

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students grasp the concept of different components of innate immunity.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1. Understand Components of Innate Immunity.
2. Describe Types of Immune Cells.
3. Explain the Complement system.
4. Discuss Proteins in the Immune System.

Section 4: Innate Immune Reactions

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students learn about innate immune reactions and how they are generated.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1. Explain Inflammation.
2. Understand the Antiviral Defense System.
3. Discuss Regulation and Evasion of Microbes.
4. Describe Adaptive Immune Responses.

Section 5: Antigen Capture and Presentation to Lymphocytes

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students learn about what is an antigen, how an antigen is captured, and the effects it has on the immune system.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1. Explain Antigens.
2. Discuss Pathogens and Damage Associated Molecular Patterns.
3. Understand Antigen Recognition.
4. Understand Antigen Presentation.
5. Explain Antigen Receptors.
6. Describe Major Histocompatibility Complex Molecules.

Section 6: Antibodies: Antigen Recognition in the Adaptive Immune System

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students learn what are antibodies and the reactions they provoke after entering an immune system.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1.  Explain the Structure and Properties of Antibodies.
2. Explain Binding of Antigens to Antibodies.
3. Discuss T-Cell Antigen Receptor.
4. Understand Lymphocyte Development.
5. Understand the Production of Diverse Antigen Receptors.
6. Explain the Maturation and Selection of B and T Lymphocytes.
7. Understand the Antibody Responses to T-Independent Antigens & Regulation of Humoral Immune Responses. 
8. Describe the Properties of Antibodies that Determine Effector Function.
9. Discuss the Neutralization of Microbes and Microbial Toxins.
10. Explain Opsonization and Phagocytosis & Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity.
11. Describe Immunoglobulin E- & Eosinophil/MAST Cell-Mediated Reactions.
12. Explain The Complement System (Properties, Functions & Regulations).
13. Discuss the Functions of Antibodies at Special Anatomic Sites (Mucosal & Nenoatal).

Section 7: T-Cell Mediated Immunity

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students learn about T cells and how they react against antigens.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1. Understand the Activation of T-Cell Mediated Immunity.
2. Explain the Phases of T-Cell Responses.
3. Explain the Recognition of MHC Associated Peptides.
4. Discuss the Role of Adhesion Molecules in T-Cell Responses.
5. Describe the Role of Costimulation in T-Cell Activation and Activation of CD8+.
6. Explain the Biochemical Pathways of T-Cell Activation.
7. Understand Cytokines Secretion and Expression of Cytokine Receptors.
8. Differentiate Naive T-Cells into Effector Cells
9. Understand the Development of Memory T Lymphocytes.
10. Explain the Migration of T Lymphocytes in Cell-Mediated Immune Reactions.
11. Discuss the Decline of the Immune Response.
12. Describe the Types of T-Cell Mediated Immune Reactions.
13. Explain the Development and Properties of Th1, Th2, Th17 Cells.
14. Explain the Resistance of Pathogenic Microbes to Cell-Mediated Immunity.

Section 8: B Lymphocyte Mediated Immunity Humoral Immune Responses

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students learn how B lymphocytes provide humoral immunity.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1. Understand the Activation of B Lymphocytes and the Production of Antibodies.
2. Describe the Phases and Types of Humoral Immune Responses.
3. Explain the Stimulation of B Lymphocytes By Antigen and Antigen-Induced Signaling in B Cells.
4. Explain the Role of Innate Immune Signals in B-Cell Activation.
5. Understand the Functional Consequences of B Cell Activation by Antigen.
6. Discuss the Functions of Helper T Lymphocytes in Humoral Immune responses.
7. Describe Heavy-Chain Isotype Switching
8. Discuss the Evasion of Humoral Immunity by Microbes & Pathogens.

Section 9: Autoimmunity, Vaccines, Tolerance, and Cancer Immunotherapy

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students learn about autoimmunity and how it works, vaccines and their benefits, immunological tolerance, and cancer immunotherapy.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1. Explain Autoimmunity.
2. Explain Vaccine and the Importance of Vaccination.
3. Understand the Concept of Immunological Tolerance.
4. Discuss Central and Peripheral T Lymphocytes Tolerance and Regulation of T Cell Responses By Inhibitory Receptors.
5. Describe Immune Suppression by Regulatory T Cells & Apoptosis of Mature Lymphocytes.
6. Discuss B Lymphocytes Tolerance.
7. Discuss Tolerance to Commensal Microbes and Fetal Antigens.
8. Explain Cancer and Cancer Immunotherapy.
9. Understand the Immune Responses against Tumors and Transplants.

Section 10: Hypersensitivity: Disorders Caused by Immune Responses

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students learn about how hypersensitivity is provoked and the kind of undesirable reactions that are produced by the immune system when it counters hypersensitivity/intolerance.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to:

1. Explain Hypersensitivity.
2. Discuss Immediate Hypersensitivity, Clinical Syndromes & Therapy.
3. Describe the Types of Hypersensitivity Reactions.
4. Explain the Diseases Caused by Antibodies, Antigen-Antibody Complexes & T Lymphocytes.
5. Describe Congenital(Primary) Immunodeficiencies which include defects in Lymphocytes Maturation, Activation & Function, and Innate Immunity.
6. Describe Acquired (Secondary) Immunodeficiencies which includes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome, HIV/AIDS, Therapy and Vaccination.

Section 11: Clinical Cases

Description: This section will focus on making sure that the students learn about the concepts of immunology practically by learning through different clinical cases to gain insights about the role of immunology in different diseases.

Learning Outcomes:  Upon completion of this section, students will be able to learn about the following clinical cases:

1. Lymphoma.
2. Heart Transplantation Complicated by Allograft Rejection.
3. Allergic Asthma.
4. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.
5. Human Immunodeficiency Virus Injection (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).