Medicine and Surgery

Course Subjects: General aspects of the immune system: cellular and molecular participants to innate and adaptive immune responses. Cytokines and their receptors. Innate immunity: cellular and molecular components, cell differentiation, activation, effector functions, and their regulation. The molecular basis of antigenicity, antigen receptors and the generation of diversity. The Major Histocompatibility Complex and antigen presentation. Maturation, activation and effector functions of B and T lymphocytes. Biology of T cell subsets: helper (Th), cytotoxic (CTL), and regulatory (T reg). Antibodies: molecular structure, effector functions, Fc receptors, the antigen/antibody reaction. The complement cascade: activation pathways and regulation. Natural Killer (NK) cells. Hematopoiesis, lymphoid organs, leukocyte migration and trafficking. Mucosal immunology. Development and regulation of immune responses. Immune responses against different classes of pathogens: viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, and mechanisms of pathogen evasion. Principles of vaccination. Immune responses against tumors and principles of immunotherapy. Type I hypersensitivity reactions (allergies). Type II hypersensitivity reactions and elements of immunohematology. Type III and type IV (delayed-type) hypersensitivity reactions. Mechanisms of central and peripheral tolerance; autoimmune diseases. Transplantation immunology. Primary and acquired immunodeficiencies. The most common immunological techniques.

The knowledge usefull for the full understanding of immunology course are biology, genetics, biochemistry and physiology and microbiology. These techings are located in the first and second year, ence before the immunology course. Furthermore, the knowledge acquired with the general pathology course regarding the mechanisms of the inflammatory response can also be useful.

1. IMMUNOLOGIA CELLULARE E MOLECOLARE 10° edizione (anche e-book) A.K. Abbas, A.H. Lichtman. Ed. EDRA (2022) 2. Janeway’s IMMUNOBIOLOGIA 9° edizione K. Murphy, P. Travers, M. Walport, Ed. Piccin (2019)

The course is based on lectures held in the classroom in a traditional way. With respect to the security protocols made necessary by the pandemic situation, the lessons can be held in "blended" mode (in person and at a distance) in a synchronous manner using the ZOOM or MEET platform , following the schedule of lessons provided by the study program.

more than 67% of attendance to lectures may be guarantee

oral examination

The course is based on lectures held in the classroom in a traditional way following the schedule of lessons provided by the study program.

General aspects of the immune system: cellular and molecular participants to innate and adaptive immune responses. Cytokines and their receptors. Hematopoiesis, lymphoid organs, leukocyte migration and trafficking. Innate immunity: cellular and molecular components. The complement cascade: activation pathways and regulation. The molecular basis of antigenicity, antigen receptors and the generation of diversity. The Major Histocompatibility Complex and antigen presentation. Maturation, activation and effector functions of T, B and NK lymphocytes. Antibodies: molecular structure, effector functions, Fc receptors. Regulation of immune responses. Mucosal immunology. Immune responses against different classes of pathogens: viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, and mechanisms of pathogen evasion. Principles of vaccination. Immune responses against tumors and principles of immunotherapy. Hypersensitivity reactions. Mechanisms of tolerance. Autoimmune diseases. Transplantation immunology. Primary and acquired immunodeficiencies.

- K. Murphy. “Janeway’s Immunobiology”.Garland Science - A.K. Abbas, A.H. Lichtman, S. Pillai. “Cellular and Molecular Immunology”. Elsevier/Saunders. - D. Male, J. Brostoff, D.B. Roth, I. Roitt. Immunology. Elsevier.

mandatory