BSc Biomedical Sciences

This Unit builds on the compulsory pre-requisite Advanced Immunology Unit (BIOL31371). Having learnt about how the immune system functions to sense and mount appropriate protective responses to different challenges in a manner so as to protect and maintain a healthy body last semester, you will now look at ways in which this normal function of the immune system can go wrong, why this results in disease, and how knowledge of normal and disease mechanisms can be used to inform corrective intervention. The Unit is organised as themed weeks, with each week dedicated to a different disease situation resulting from the actions of inappropriate immunity or immune dysfunction.

• To use knowledge of normal protective immune function to explain processes of disease in named situations involving inappropriate or dysfunctional immunity.
• To apply knowledge of the process of disease to explain current approaches to clinical intervention in the examples of immune-related disease being considered.
• To consider examples of contemporary experimental approaches aiming to manipulate the immune system in the context of immune-related disease for improved therapeutic intervention in the future.

By the end of this Unit you should be able to;
• use your understanding of normal immune function to explain mechanisms of disease in named situations of inappropriate immunity or immune dysfunction studied in the Unit
• critically evaluate the rationale for current therapeutic intervention in relation to knowledge of immune dysfunction in such situations
• discuss, using examples, how knowledge of disease mechanism is informing experimental approaches to improved therapeutic intervention in the future.
 

This Unit builds on the compulsory pre-requisite Advanced Immunology Unit (BIOL31371). Having learnt about how the immune system functions to sense and mount appropriate responses to different challenges in a manner so as to protect and maintain a healthy body last semester, you will now look at ways in which this normal function of the immune system can go wrong, why this results in disease, and how knowledge of normal and disease mechanisms can be used to inform corrective intervention. The Unit will be organised as five themes, with each theme dedicated to a different disease situation resulting from the actions of inappropriate immunity or immune dysfunction.  

Diseases forming themes in the Unit in recent years have included autoimmunity, immune dysregulation in the brain, primary immune deficiency, transplantation, cancer, allergy and inflammatory bowel disease. Themes are reviewed regularly to ensure they are reflective of current trends in the field and can change from year to year. For each theme, you will establish the underlying mechanism of disrupted immunity and how this results in disease, how this understanding has informed current clinical interventions and how it is driving experimental approaches toward improved therapeutic intervention in the future. 

Invigilated exam (2 hours)

One essay from a choice of 5, worth 70%, plus MCQ, worth 30%. 

• Online ’Community Learning Forum’, incorporating anonymous submission and discussion, and regular monitored by staff up to the Unit exam.

• Interactive class discussion using past exam questions to challenge knowledge and interrogate course material.  

• Post-exam reflection informed by examiner comments on scripts and in a compiled examiner report in a staffed exam-clinic. 
     
 

Recommended: Kuby Immunology (8th edition, 2018), written by Stranford, Owen, Jones and Punt (MacMillan Education), 
Optional: Janeway’s Immunobiology, 10th Edition (2022), written by Murphy and Weaver (Garland Scientific).

Optional: The Immune System (4th edition, 2015), written by Peter Parham (Garland Science).

Optional: Roitt’s Essential Immunology (13th edition, 2017), written by Delves, Martin, Burton and Roitt (Wiley-Blackwell).

Immunology is a fast-moving field. Further reviews, original articles and websites will be provided in lectures.