PATH 6000 - Medical Immunology

Medical Immunology is an introduction to both basic and clinical immunology appropriate for medical students. The course reviews the major arms of the immune system including the role of antibody, complement, phagocytes, and T cells in protection against bacterial and viral infections and tumor cell development. The molecular aspects of the generation of diversity in the immune system is outlined and the numerous mediators of the immune response are detailed. A review of tolerance and the development of autoimmunity is also provided. The laboratory tests used in evaluating various aspects of immune function in the human host are described as well. Transplantation biology and the role of the major histocompatibility locus and immunosuppression is presented. Lastly, the clinical and laboratory presentation of immune deficiency diseases as well as their molecular defects are described in great detail. Case presentations are utilized to point out the clinical relevance of the basic science material to human disease.