Curricular Unit:Code:
Immunology1019IMUN
Year:Level:Course:Credits:
2UndergraduateClinical Analyses and Public Health4 ects
Learning Period:Language of Instruction:Total Hours:
Spring SemesterPortuguese/English52
Learning Outcomes of the Curricular Unit:
At the end of the unit the student should be able to:
1. Know the cells and organs of the immunological system (IS) and understand its mode of action.
2. Know the major IS humoral components, their function and understand their functional association to the molecular nature of their cellular receptors.
3. Know and understand the IS action in the control of infections, tumours and in the homeostasis regulation of the organism.
4. Understand the mode of action of the several vaccine types
5. Understand the physiopathological mechanisms of diseases caused by IS deficiency of hyperactivity and the respective available therapies.
6. Understand at the molecular level the immunogenetic mechanisms involved in the antigen recognition and their use in diagnostics and transplantation.
7. Acquire the practical competences to design, execute, interpret and validate Clinical and research lab Immunological results.
Syllabus:
Theorical program: basic notions of the innate immune system and adaptative Immune system: T and B lymphocytes; B cells populations; genetic diversity and immunoglobulins; ; MHC- Histocompatibility Major Complex; Cytokines; viral, bacterial and parasitic infections- the immune response; Immunization- active and passive; immunodeficiencies; hypersensitivities; Tumours and autoimmunity; The student, at the end, should be able to discuss the technological bases and the uses of immunological techniques in the clinical pathology laboratory
Practical programme: basic notions of cell culture and cell separation techniques; the importance of the antibodies as tools of diagnostic in the laboratory; cytologic and serologic techniques; blood cell separation and counting; immunocytochemistry; ELISA; Immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and Flow cytometry; Cell purification and cryopreservation; studies of cellular activation
Demonstration of the Syllabus Coherence with the Curricular Unit's Objectives:
The students should recognize the immune system and all cellular processes involved in the generation of the immune response: cells and organs. They should, progressively, be able to describe all the structural properties of the antigenic response receptors and how to manipulate them for therapeutical purposes. In the immune reaction we will explain how the infection works and the numerous imbalances of this reaction: immunodeficiency’s, hypersensitivities, tumours, autoimmunity and transplants. In parallel with the global presentation of the concepts, and, from a practical point of view they should learn the laboratory immunologic techniques to evaluate the immune response and diagnose simple pathologies. We will also focus the current investigation in Clinical analysis in the context of the discipline.
Teaching Methodologies (Including Evaluation):
Part I: Oral and slide based Lectures aiming at providing the student with the technical and scientific knowledge documented in the syllabus. Final approval will be evaluated with 2 written examinations (70% of the Curriculum unit final grade).
Part II: On Laboratory classes students will perform lab experiments (described in detail in the laboratory bibliography) with research or clinical purposes. On practical Classes students will use Bioinformatics tools to the analysis of provided anonymous clinical data. On technological classes new or emerging technologies will be presented and discussed using slides and illustrative animation videos. Approval will be dependent on 2 written examinations (10%), student performance in the Lab (10%) and an oral presentation (10%) of a bibliographic research work done by the student. This work aims at improving the student autonomy regarding the search, selection, reading, understanding, organization and communication of scientific information.
Demonstration of the Coherence between the Teaching Methodologies and the Learning Outcomes:
Part I: Theoretical classes will be based on oral lectures using slides and video animations whenever possible. This classes will be also supported on individual tutorial sessions (outside of the classes timetables) aiming at the personal orientation of the student study. In this way, acquisition of knowledge by the student will be a three-moment process: first contact will be based on oral transmission (with visual guides) and the teacher’s personal experience; in a second moment, the student is asked to get involved in the bibliography and develop knowledge autonomously; on the third moment, the student will individually have the teacher’s support to fill in gaps or change study strategy. Part II: Practical skills will be mainly developed in the laboratory. Thus, practical classes will include genetic research and clinical genetic protocols for the analysis of clinical samples. Nevertheless, the fact that nowadays the research and clinical genetic laboratory are not only concerned with producing data, but increasing amounts of efforts are used to the complex analysis of an increasingly complex flow of genetic data, Bioinformatics classes will also be a major practice. In these, real clinical data will be analysed by the students using freeware software and online freely available databases and software tools. Emphasis will also be given to the use of the same tools to the development of new research and clinical genetic laboratory assays.
Reading:
1) Fundamentos de Imunologia (2012) Fernando A. Arosa, Elsa M. Cardoso e Francisco C. Pacheco Arosa (eds) Lidel, (2ª Edição)
2) Basic Immunology (2019) Abul Abbas, Andrew Lichtman, Shiv Pillai. Elsevier (6th edition)
3) Medical Immunology (2001) Autores Tristram G. Parslow, Daniel P. Stites, Abba I. Terr, John B. Imboden, McGraw-Hill (10º edição)
4) Manual of Clinical Laboratory Immunology (2002)Autor(es) Rose et al. 6th ed. ASM Press