Immunology

Recommended Prerequisites

No special requirements.

Teaching Methods

Lectures: The topics of the lectures should have the best possible articulation with the practical classes, in terms of subject and scheduling. The teacher's important role is to demonstrate the relative importance of physiology and pathophysiology of immune system and provide the student with the essential components for an independent and targeted self-learning. The theoretical classes should be guided by an active/interactive methodology, whenever possible.

Practical classes applied methodologies that promote themselves the active involvement of students, will be appllied, among them, questions that students must answer, in a self-regulating perspective of learning. At the end of the course, there will be discussion with the other students, so that all can be assessed on the theoretical issues or clinical cases and related matters. One of these classes will be targeted for student evaluation.

Learning Outcomes

To describe the acting of one of the most complex systems in the human body, the immune system, whereas upon normal physiological response as during the aberrant forms which lead to outbreaks of disease.

To characterize the types of immune responses that lead to illness because of a breakdown of the immune response or by exaggerated response to tissue or organ injury or by aberrant response.

To describe the characteristics of the immune response and protection at the mucosal level, in particular at the oral mucosa, as well as deviations or deregulation of the immune response leading to the pathology level of the physical barriers, with particular interest to future dental doctors.

Beyond the knowledge of the physiology and pathophysiology of the immune system,  students should acquire notions of practical application of immunology to laboratory diagnosis, which serves to support clinical practice, as well as basic scientific research / clinical within the biomedical sciences.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Biology and Physiology of the Immune System

Structural components of Immunity - Innate and acquired immune response: signaling links between innate and acquired immunity. Cells of the immune system, primary and secondary lymphoid organs, tissue antigens, antibodies and cell receptors - major histocompatibility complex and antigen presentation; Effector and regulator mechanisms of immune response. Characterization of mucosal immunity, in particular of oral cavity. Nutrition and immunoinflammatory system- immunoendocrinology- neuroimmunology – immune system of the the child and the erderly. Pathophysiology of the Immune System:Allergy, hypersensitivities Autoimmunity;, Immunodeficiency disorders (primary and secondary) – HIV infection; Cancer and the immune system. Infectious diseases and vacines; immunology of organ transplantation Laboratory immunology to support the clinical and research.

Head Lecturer(s)

Helena Manuel Pina Oliveira Sá

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Other: 15.0%
Exam: 85.0%

Bibliography

• Kuby Immunology by Owen, Punt, and Stranford. W. H. Freeman, New York, 2013. (Seventh edition).
• "Fundamentos de Imunologia", coordenado por Fernando A. Arosa, Elsa M. Cardoso e Francisco C. Pacheco, e publicado pela Lidel - Edições Técnicas (2.ª edição, 2012).
• Mucosal Immunology, 4th Edition, 2015. Jiri Mestechy, Warren Strober, Bart Lambrecht.
• •          J.Bagg, T.W.MacFarlane, I.R.Poxton and A.J. Smith-Essentials of Microbiology for Dental Students, second edition- Capítulos 8, 9 e 20.
• Ipad ou Kindle books:

–        Immunology. BIOS instant notes, third edition. Peter Lydyard, Alex Whelan, Michael Fanger.

• •          Artigos seleccionados de revistas científicas.