Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Immunology
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
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: Evangelos Manousakis (emanousakis@uic.es)
Cytology/Histology sessions: Gemma Manich Raventós (Gemma.Manich@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.
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
- Acquire basic knowledge about the composition and functions of the blood.
- Identify elements of the immune system from a structural and functional approach, both in health and disease conditions.
- Understand the homeostatic role of blood and the immune system in the functioning of the human body.
- Understand the impact of knowledge of blood and the immune system on improving human health, mainly in terms of disease prevention and diagnosis, and the development of new therapeutic strategies.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CB01 - Students must demonstrate that they have and understand knowledge in an area of study that is based on general secondary education, and it tends to be found at a level that, although it is based on advanced textbooks, also includes some aspects that involve knowledge from the cutting-edge of their field of study.
- CB03 - Students must have the ability to bring together and interpret significant data (normally within their area of study) to issue judgements that include a reflection on significant issues of a social, scientific and ethical nature.
- CB04 - That students can transmit information, ideas, problems and solutions to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
- CE10 - To identify and be aware of the structure, function and action mechanisms of the components of the immune system when healthy or experiencing a pathology.
- CG01 - To be aware of basic biological concepts and language specific to biomedical sciences and health status.
- CG11 - To be aware of basic concepts from different fields connected to biomedical sciences.
- CT01 - To develop the organisational and planning skills that are suitable in each moment.
- CT02 - To develop the ability to resolve problems.
- CT03 - To develop analytical and summarising skills.
- CT04 - To interpret experimental results and identify consistent and inconsistent elements.
- CT05 - To use the internet as a means of communication and a source of information.
- CT06 - To know how to communicate, give presentations and write up scientific reports.
- CT07 - To be capable of working in a team.
- CT08 - To reason and evaluate situations and results from a critical and constructive point of view.
- CT09 - To have the ability to develop interpersonal skills.
- CT10 - To be capable of autonomous learning.
- CT11 - To apply theoretical knowledge to practice.
- CT12 - To apply scientific method.
- CT13 - To be aware of the general and specific aspects related to the field of nutrition and ageing.
- CT14 - To respect the fundamental rights of equality between men and women, and the promotion of human rights and the values that are specific to a culture of peace and democratic values.
Learning outcomes of the subject
- Know and define the components of the blood and its functions.
- Analyze the characteristics and differences of the adaptive and innate immune responses.
- Establish the relationship between the pathogen and the type of immune response developed by the host: route of infection, response mechanisms, memory, and evasion.
- Know the main disorders of the immune system: hypersensitivity, autoimmune diseases and immunodeficiencies.
- Learn the role of the immune system in clinical settings such as organ transplantation or tumor immunology.
- Understand the mechanisms of activation and regulation of cellular and humoral immune responses and its relationship to immune system diseases.
- Learn laboratory techniques for the study of blood and immune system.
- Understand the theoretical basis of the immunological tools used in the diagnostic and research laboratory.
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. Autoimmunity
16. Transplantation Immunology
17. Immunodeficiencies
18. 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: Tumor Immunology
Teaching and learning activities
In person
Lectures: oral exposition of 50 + 50 minutes. Depending on the topic, different activities will be proposed to encourage student participation. Student participation can affect the final grades.
Case Methods (CM): approach to a real or imaginary situation. Students work in small groups or in active interaction with the teacher to answer the questions posed. Various learning strategies can be used to enhance student participation and interaction. These classes can provide new content or delve into topics already covered in master classes. Case methods have the same importance and the same weight of questions in the final exam.
Laboratory lessons (LL): practical sessions where experimental techniques related to the syllabus of the theoretical classes are worked on. Changes between groups are allowed if one student swaps group with another student. Attendance is compulsory and the content of the practical sessions will be evaluated on the last day of practice and/or in the final exam. The teaching language of the LL will be English.
Virtual learning (VL): online material located on the Moodle platform that the student can review from any computer, at any time and that will contribute to the self-learning of concepts related to the subject. The virtual material is part of the content of the subject and will be evaluated in the final exam.
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 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).
These conditions also apply to students in the fourth and sixth 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 -0.25 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 additional 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
Evaluation period
- E1 16/01/2025 A16 16:00h
- R1 29/01/2025 11:00h
- E2 16/06/2025 A16 14:00h