The Syllabus of Immunology
School of International Education
Nanjing Medical University
December 2005
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The Syllabus for Immunology
SECTION A Overview of the immune system
Objectives and Requirements
1. Define the components of the immune system, including physical barriers, secretions and
microbial products.
2. Describe there are two types of immunity, referred to as innate and adaptive immunity.
3. Explain the interaction between innate and adaptive immunity.
4. Interpret which kinds of substances can be antigens.
5. Describe the structural characteristics contributing to the specificity of antigen.
6. Define those terms antigen, immunogen and hapten.
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. The need
2. External defenses
3. Immune defenses
4. Antigens
(1) The ranges of antigens
(2) The structure of antigens
SECTION B Cells of the innate immune system
Objectives and Requirements
1. Discern the humoral and cellular components of the non-specific immunity.
2. Describe the types of phagocytes
3. Interpret how NK cells kill virus infected cells and ignore self cells
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Phagocytes
2. Natural killer cells
3. Mast cells and basophils
4. Dendritic cells
5. Other cells of the innate immune system
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SECTION C Innate molecular defense against microbes
Objectives and Requirements
1. List components of the complement system
2. Distinguish and restate three activation pathways and describe their terminal effects
3. Express the functions of the complement
4. Identify mechanism of major regulatory proteins
5. Identify two types of interferons
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Innate molecular defense against microbes
2. Complement
(1) The complement system
(2) Activation
(3) Functions
(4) Regulation
3. Acute phase proteins
4. Interferons
5. Other molecules
SECTION D Adaptive immune system
Objectives and Requirements
1. Demonstrate and compare the characteristics of T and B lymphocytes
2. State the populations, subpopulations and function of T lymphocytes
3. Describe the populations and function of B lymphocytes
4. Show the figure to introduce the surface molecules of T and B lymphocytes
5. Define the concept of primary and secondary lymphoid organs; distinguish the function of them
6. Give the concept of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues (MALT)
7. Describe the mechanisms of lymphocyte trafficking
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Lymphocyte
(1) Specificity and memory
(2) T lymphocytes
(3) B lymphocytes and plasma cells
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2. Lymphoid organs and tissues
3. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues
4. Lymphocyte traffic and recirculation
SECTION E Development the immune system
Objectives and Requirements
1. Enumerate what the majority of the cell types involved in the immune system are produced from a
common hemopoietic stem cell (HSC).
2. Show how T cell precursors differentiate within the thymus into mature T cells expressing
molecules important to T cell function, such as the t cell receptor, CD4 and CD8
3. State the process of positive and negative selection
4. Enumerate what the main function of the bone marrow is to produce B cells with diverse antigen
receptors and to eliminate B cells with antigen receptors that react with self
5. Describe the generation of antigen receptor diversity
6. State the development of immunoglobulin class diversity; demonstrate the development of other
functional B cell molecules
7. Show how germinal centers is as sites of B cell maturation
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Hemopoiesis-development of blood cells
2. T cells are produced in the thymus
3. B cells are produced in the bone marrow
4. Immunity in the newborn
SECTION F Antibodies
Objectives and Requirements
1. Describe the basic unit of immunoglobulins: two light chains and two heavy chains ; the disulfide
bridges ; variable regions and constant regions
2. State the basic structure of IgG with pictures ; distinguish the four different subclasses and
biological activities of IgG
3. Describe the antibody gene components of three unlinked gene groups
4. Describe the antibody gene rearrangement process; enumerate the rearrangement of H-chain
genes and the rearrangement of L-chain genes
5. State the role of antibody in neutralization of viruses and toxins, complement activation and
opsonization.
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6. Define the concept of monoclonal antibody.
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Basic structure of antibodies
2. Antibody classes
3. Generation of antibody diversity
4. Allotypes and idiotypes of antibodies
5. Functions of antibodies
6. Monoclonal antibodies
SECTION G Cytokine
Objectives and Requirements
1. Present an overview of cytokines, including the concept, categories, general properties
and biological activities of cytokines, also, introducing the classification and structure of
cytokine receptors.
2. State the concept and categories of cytokines.
3. Appreciate the properties shared by various kinds of cytokines.
4. Describe the general biological activities of cytokines.
5. Discern the classification and structure of cytokine receptors.
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. General properties of cytokines
(1) cytokines can be defined as small proteins
(2) act in an autocrine or paracrine or endocrine manner
(3) The production of these potent regulatory molecules is usually transient and tightly
regulated
(4) cytokines initiate their action by binding to specific membrane receptors on target
cells
(5) cytokines can have multiple functions
2. Cytokine receptors fall into four families
(1) immunoglobulin superfamily receptors
(2) class I and class II cytokine receptor family
(3) TNF receptor family
(4) chemokine receptor family
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3. For Example:
(1) cytokines participate innate immunity:
TNFα, IL1, IL12, IFN -α.β, IL10, IL 6, IL15, IL18 and so on
(2) cytokines participate adaptive immunity:
IL2, IL4, IFN-γ, TNF-βand so on
5. Cytokines and cytokine receptors in the clinic
Section H Antigen Recognition
Objectives and Requirements
1. Discern how the innate immune system uses pattern-recognition receptors( PRR) to detect
conserved microbial molecules in order to detect microbial invasion and initiate innate immune
defenses.
2. State how the adaptive immune system (T and B cell army) uses T cell receptors(TCR) and B cell
receptors (BCR) to detect exogenous antigens to trigger the specific immune responses.
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Non self recognition by the innate immune system
2. B cell recognition of antigen, the B cell receptor complex and co-receptors
(1) The B cell receptor (BCR) complex
(2) B cell co-receptors
3. T cell recognition of antigen, the T cell receptor complex
(1) Overview
(2) T cell receptor (TCR) for antigen
(3) The T cell receptor complex
(4) Generation of T cell diversity
(5) Selection of the T cell receptoire
(6) Antigen recognition by T cells
4. The major histocompatibility complex and antigen processing and presentation
(1) The structure of MHC molecules
(2) Nature of the antigen (peptides) associated with MHC class Ⅰand class Ⅱ
molecules
(3) Cellular distribution of class Ⅰand class Ⅱ molecules
(4) Class Ⅰprocessing pathways
(5) Class Ⅱprocessing pathways
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(6) MHC molecules and immune defense against intracellular pathogens
SECTION J The antibody response
Objectives and Requirements
1. Compare and contrast primary and secondary antibody responses;
2. Iinterpret the molecular events involved in class switching, affinity maturation and
membrane immunoglobulin expression;
3. Describe general characteristics of the specific immune response.
4. Remember following terms: Primary response, Secondary/ anamnestic/ booster response,
Class switching, Affinity maturation, Germinal centre, Cross reactivity.
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. The cellular basis of the antibody response
(1) Selection and activation of B cells
(2) Primary and memory responses
(3) Responses are usually multiclonal
(4) Cross-reactivity responses
2. Affinity maturation and class switching
3. Antibody responses in different tissues
4. Antigen/antibody complex (immune complexes)
SECTION K The T cell response - cell mediated immunity
Objectives and Requirements
1. Define the concept of T-cell-mediated immunity
2. Distinguish two T cell subpopulation, especially Th and Tc
3. State the specific recognition mechanisms and processes of Th and Tc
4. Formulate what cytokines can be produced from Th1 or Th2 and the function of Th1 and Th2
5. Describe the process of peptide recognition and CTL activation
6. Enumerate what mediators can be induce and release from the cells when CTL is activated
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Cell mediated immunity
(1) T cell-mediated immunity
(2) Functionally distinct T cell subpopulations
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(3) Cell-mediated immunity in context
2. T cytotoxic cells
(1) Peptides recognition and activation of cytotoxic T cells
(2) Mechanisms of cytotoxicity
3. T helper cells
(1) T helper cells
(2) Two types of T helper cells- Th1 and Th2
SECTION M Self and non self discrimination
Objectives and Requirements
1. State the meaning of cell recognition in the immune system
2. Introduce the mechanism of self and non self discrimination in the adaptive immune system
3. State the definition of central tolerance and peripheral tolerance
4. Describe the main mechanisms involved in central tolerance and peripheral tolerance
5. Discuss about the factors that may influence the induction of tolerance, including the nature of
antigen, maturity of the immune system, route of immunization of the antigen and the dose of
antigen
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Cell recognition of self and non self
2. Central Tolerance
3. Peripheral Tolerance
(1) Introduction
(2) The importance of peripheral tolerance
(3) T cell anergy
(4) B cell anergy
(5) Activation induced cell death
(6) Other mechanisms
4. Acquired Tolerance
(1) Introduction
(2) Nature of antigen
(3) Maturity of the immune system
(4) Route of administration
(5) Dose of antigen
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SECTION N Regulation of the immune response
Objectives and Requirements
1. Describe the components involved in immune regulation
2. Demonstrate several aspects of the immune response stimulation by antigen
3. Describe the way to remove the antigen as the most effective means of regulating an immune
response
4. Draw the diagram of reciprocal regulation of Th1 and Th2 cells and list the main stimulation and
inhibitory cytokines
5. Describe the negative feed back by IgG
6. Demonstrate the idiotype-mediated regulation of the immune response
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Components involved in immune regulation
2. The role of antigen
3. Genes, T helper cells and cytokines
4. The role of antibody
5. Other control mechanisms
Section R Vaccination
Objectives and Requirements
1. State the primary goal of vaccination which is realized via antibody mediated and cell-mediated
immunity.
2. Describe different pathways of immunization.
3. Tell how to prepare antigens required for vaccination and the role of adjuvants.
4. Define the DNA vaccines and recombinant vaccines.
5. Identify vaccines to bacteria, viruses and other infectious agents.
6. List vaccination strategies against tumors
Distribution of Teaching Hours
3 teaching hours
Contents
1. Principles of vaccination
2. Immunization
3. Antigen preparations
4. Vaccines to pathogens and tumors
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