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This course is part of Immunology: The Immune System and its Failures Specialization
Instructors: Malgorzata (Maggie) Trela
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(61 reviews)
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Intermediate level
This course is intended for those learners with basic knowledge in biology, genetics, microbiology or related fields.
(61 reviews)
Recommended experience
Intermediate level
This course is intended for those learners with basic knowledge in biology, genetics, microbiology or related fields.
In this course, you will explore the two main types of adaptive immune cells, T and B lymphocytes.
You will understand how their various sub-sets contribute to the overall immune response.
Finally, you will explore the effect of age on the function of the immune system.
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In this course, you will learn about the role of immune responses of the adaptive (acquired) immune system which provides specialised immunity against pathogens.
Guided by our researchers in the Department of Immunity and Inflammation, we will take a closer look at the lymphocyte subsets and mechanisms involved in this delayed finely tuned response occurring days to weeks after the initial exposure to microbial antigens. We will also focus on the versatile cellular components which can distinguish between self- and nonself antigens and on how age affects the immune responses.
In module one, learners will discover who B lymphocytes are and how they contribute to our immune response against pathogens. Together, we will explore how they develop, commit to becoming functional effector cells and what their effector mechanisms are. We will also investigate how the immune system prevents them from over-reacting against health cells.
7 videos4 readings2 assignments
In module two, learners will discover how T lymphocytes develop, differentiate into two main sub-types and how these contribute to the orchestration of the adaptive immune response and the direct destruction of infected cells. We will also discuss the mechanism that our body has put in place to prevent these very powerful cells from turning against the host’s healthy cells.
2 videos2 readings3 assignments
In module three, we will explore the ability of some T lymphocytes to directly kill infected and tumour cells. We will learn about the mechanisms that activate them, contrast this with other complementary immune mechanisms of direct killing, and understand how their activation is kept under tight control to avoid the destruction of healthy cells.
1 video2 readings2 assignments
In module four, we will explore the development and function of a particular type of T lymphocytes, regulatory T cells, whose main role is to regulate the overall immune response to avoid serious detrimental outcome for the host. We will look at their mechanisms of action in more details and discuss their therapeutic application for human health.
1 video2 readings2 assignments
In module five, learners will be taken on a travel journey into our body to understand how the correct immune cells get to the correct site of infection. This will involve understanding the mechanisms by which immune cells migrate from the blood stream to infected tissues and sites of activation. Importantly, together with our expert here at Imperial, we will also explore the importance for this ability to be tightly regulated.
2 videos2 readings2 assignments
In module six, we will explore the impact ageing has on the immune system. We will identify what inflammaging is, its causes and its consequences on the immune system. We will reflect on what this means in terms of therapeutical approaches for human health.
1 video2 readings2 assignments
We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.
Imperial College London is a world top ten university with an international reputation for excellence in science, engineering, medicine and business. located in the heart of London. Imperial is a multidisciplinary space for education, research, translation and commercialisation, harnessing science and innovation to tackle global challenges. Imperial students benefit from a world-leading, inclusive educational experience, rooted in the College’s world-leading research. Our online courses are designed to promote interactivity, learning and the development of core skills, through the use of cutting-edge digital technology.
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Reviewed on Oct 31, 2023
Very useful in learning the basic principles of adaptive immunity. Highly recommended!
Reviewed on May 17, 2023
A comprehensive course to learn the basics of immunology. Well done and thanks!
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