Portale di Ateneo - En.Unibs.it

1) The immune response. Cells and tissues of the immune system. Lymphocytes, mononuclear phagocytes, granulocytes. The lymphoid tissue: bone marrow, thymus, spleen, lymph nodes.
2) Antigen recognition by innate immunity. Structures responsible for pathogen recognition. B cell receptor (BCR) for antigen recognition, B cell maturation and selection, interaction of BCR with the antigen, structure and function of antibodies. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Antigen recognition by T lymphocytes. The T cell receptor structure, function and generation of the repertoire. Positive and negative selection of T cells.
3) The innate immune response. Leukocyte recruitment, adhesion molecules, chemotactic signals. Antimicrobial response, mediators produced by macrophages (e.g. cytokines and lipids). Natural killer cells - activating and inhibitory receptors; innate lymphoid cells. Complement, pathways of activation, immune functions of complement proteins.
4) Adaptive immune response, humoral response, antibodies production in primary and secondary responses. Antibody response to T-dependent and T-independent antigens. Role of complement in humoral immune response. Cellular response, role of T cells, antigen presenting cells, antigen presentation by MHC class I and class II complexes. The TCR complex, role of CD3 in TCR signaling, role of co-stimulatory molecules. Th1, Th2 and Th17 responses. Activation of CD8+ CTLs. Immune memory.
5) Cytokines: structure, receptors and functions. Inflammatory cytokines, biology of IL-1, TNF, IL-6, chemokines. Biology of cytokines of the adaptive immunity: IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, ILI-12, IL-23, IL-17. Anti-inflammatory cytokines, IL-10 and TGFbeta. The interferons.
6) Anti-tumor immunity, role of innate and adaptive immunity. Tumor antigens, elusion of anti-tumor response, anti-tumor immunotherapy.
7) Response against the "self". Tolerance, central and peripheral tolerance, role of T regulatory cells. Immunity against transplanted organs, allogeneic transplantation, effector mechanisms of rejection, Graft versus host disease.
8)Primary immunodeficiencies, SCID, deficit of antibody production, deficit of complement factors, chronic granulomatosis disease, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, Chediak-Higashi syndrome. Acquired immunodeficiency.
9) Hypersensitivity reactions: mechanisms and therapy. Immediate hypersensitivity reaction, pathologies mediated by antibodies, immune complexes-mediated reactions, delayed hypersensitivity reactions.