ECTS credits ECTS credits: 3
ECTS Hours Rules/Memories Student's work ECTS: 51 Hours of tutorials: 3 Expository Class: 9 Interactive Classroom: 12 Total: 75
Use languages Spanish, Galician
Type: Ordinary subject Master’s Degree RD 1393/2007 - 822/2021
Departments: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, External department linked to the degrees
Areas: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Área externa M.U en Investigación Biomédica (2ª ed)
Center Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry
Call: First Semester
Teaching: With teaching
Enrolment: Enrollable | 1st year (Yes)
This course is aimed at students with basic knowledge in Immunology, a biomedical science that deals, among other things, with the study of the normal functioning of the immune system under physiological conditions. Therefore, one of the objectives of this course will be to delve into the mechanisms employed by the immune system to protect the individual. Additionally, Immunology is essential in current global biomedical research, as many complex diseases have a significant immunological component. Thus, a second objective of this course will be for students to acquire a series of integrative skills and knowledge (using concepts from Biochemistry, Genetics, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology, etc.), which will in turn be cross-cutting and important for a better understanding of other Master's courses (Experimental Methods, Cell Biology, Experimental Animals, Biological Bases of Cancer, Genomics and Genetic Diseases, etc.). These concepts and analytical tools of Immunology are already being applied in different areas, such as basic and translational research, and are essential for understanding the mechanisms by which the immune system can contribute to various pathologies, for disease diagnosis, drug design, and new therapies based on immune system stimulation and suppression, overcoming immune barriers in transplants, and the generation of more effective vaccines; especially for the treatment of immunodeficiencies or inflammatory/metabolic, allergic, infectious, autoimmune, or tumoral diseases.
LECTURES (9 HOURS)
Topic 1. Basic concepts and new findings in Immunology (1 hour).
Topic 2. New concepts in the functioning of the innate immune system (2 hours).
Topic 3. New concepts in the functioning of the acquired immune system (3 hours).
Topic 4. Control of the immune response and homeostasis in the Immune System (1 hour).
Topic 5. Tools and research methodology in Immunology (2 hours).
INTERACTIVE SEMINARS (12 HOURS)
Seminar 1. Immunology in transplants and pregnancy (2 hours).
Seminar 2. Hypersensitivity reactions (2 hours).
Seminar 3. Inflammatory and autoimmune diseases (2 hours).
Seminar 4. Neuroimmunology (2 hours).
Seminar 5. Primary and secondary (acquired) immunodeficiencies (2 hours).
Seminar 6. Immunology in cancer (2 hours).
TUTORIALS (3 HOURS) These will be used to address class questions, conduct practical cases, and monitor assignments.
EXAM (2 HOURS)
Abbas, A. K., Lichtman, A. H., Pillai S. Basic Immunology (2013). Editorial Elsevier Saunders. (*)
Abbas, A. K., Lichtman, A. H., Pillai S. Inmunología celular y molecular (2018, 9ª edición). Editorial Elsevier Saunders.(*)
Delves P. J., Martin S. J., Burton D. R., Roitt I. V. Essetial Immunology (2011, 12ª edición). Editorial Wiley-Blackwell.
Janeway´s and Murphy K. Immunobiology (2016, 9ª edición) Editorial: GS Garland Science.
Owen J., Punt J., Stranford S., Jones P. Immunology (2013, 7ª edición). Editorial MacMillan.
Peakman M., Vergani D. Inmunología básica y clínica (2011, 2ª edición). Editorial Elsevier Saunders.
Regueiro J. R., López C., González S. Inmunología (2010). Biología y patología del sistema inmunitario. Editorial Panamericana.
(*) Works marked as (*) can be accessed through the Elsevier Clinical Keys platform (https://www.clinicalkey.com), as well as the following:: David Male, Inmunología; Isabel Olazabal Olarreaga & José Antonio Arias Navalón Inmunología básica para medicina.
Additional Bibliography
• American Association of Immunologists: http://www.aai.org
• European Federation of Immunological Societies: http://www.efis.org
• Spanish Society of Immunology: http://www.inmunologia.org
After completing this course in the Master's program and, in line with the competencies developed in the Biomedical Research Master's program at USC, students are expected to have the ability to:
a) Understand and rigorously analyze scientific articles related to the field of Immunology.
b) Clearly communicate knowledge about Immunology.
c) Understand the diversity and complexity of the components of the immune system, the essential biological processes that maintain it in balance and integrated with the rest of physiological systems, and the mechanisms by which this balance is altered in pathology.
d) Apply knowledge from the field of Immunology to any study in Biomedicine, designing experiments intelligently and employing the most advanced techniques and tools available in current immunological research.
e) Apply basic Immunology knowledge to the clinic, interpreting analytical results and identifying the main immunological alterations that occur in some of the most socially relevant human diseases (infectious processes, cancer, transplants, and allergic processes).
f) Identify possible points of intervention (therapeutic targets) and manipulate the immune response at the human level.
g) Identify the most appropriate animal models for studying human diseases and designing therapeutic targets.
Both lectures and interactive classes will be used, with the latter applying concepts of Immunology to different groups of diseases and discussing practical cases and research articles. Student participation will be fundamental.
Activities with a Face-to-Face Component Lectures: A system of lectures will be used. Attendance to the classroom is not mandatory but recommended. During the lectures, the subject matter of the course will be developed. The teaching material used by the professor in the classroom will be provided to the students, as well as supplementary teaching material.
Seminars: Seminars will be mandatory and conducted in person. There will be six sessions used to address more specific/applied aspects of Human Immunology, applying theoretical knowledge. Seminars will be held during the usual class time and in the regular classroom.
Tutorials: Tutorials will be voluntary and always conducted synchronously through the MS-TEAMS platform. They will be used to address class-related questions.
Exam: The exam will be mandatory and conducted in person.
Student's Autonomous Work Periodically, short questions related to the theoretical content of the course will be posted on the virtual classroom. These questions must be answered INDIVIDUALLY and submitted on time by ALL students (new enrollees and repeaters) (MANDATORY and EVALUABLE activity). The monitoring of these continuous assessment activities will be done through regular submissions and tutorials.
General Evaluation Guidelines
The evaluation will be the same for repeaters and non-repeaters, with no grades carried over from previous years. Additionally, the evaluation will be consistent for both attempts.
Specific Aspects
As part of continuous assessment, attendance and demonstrated interest by students will be taken into account; specifically, the number and quality of questions asked by students during lectures and seminars. This section will be evaluated with a maximum of 1 point (10% of the final grade). As part of continuous assessment, points will also be awarded for questions posed during lectures to be solved individually at home and those proposed regarding practical cases associated with seminars, with a maximum of 4 points (40% of the final grade). Finally, a written exam consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions will be conducted, with a maximum value of 5 points (50% of the final grade).
Competency Evaluation
All competencies will be evaluated through the exam or individual assignments (continuous assessment).
Number of ECTS credits: 3
Number of face-to-face hours: 24 hours
Number of expository hours: 9 hours
Number of interactive seminar hours: 12 hours
Number of tutorial hours: 3 hours
Number of student work hours: 51 hours
In all scenarios, attendance and participation in classes are recommended, as well as continuous study of the subject matter. Reviewing the course contents before seminars and utilizing tutorials to address any doubts that may arise are also recommended. Additionally, using the recommended bibliography, reading books, articles, and documents, as well as submitting activities on time, is advised.
It is recommended that individuals taking this course have a good level of English, as well as prior knowledge in Cell Biology, Histology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Physiology, and especially Human Immunology. The course will have a virtual classroom on the Moodle platform. Communication with students will be conducted via email, a chat enabled on the Moodle platform, and through the MS Teams application.
IMPORTANT: In cases of fraudulent completion of exercises or tests, the provisions of the "Regulations on the Evaluation of Student Academic Performance and Review of Grades" will be applied. It is also strictly prohibited to distribute, through various means (for example, websites), any teaching material posted in the virtual classroom or provided by other means without the consent of the professors.
Iria Maria Gomez Touriño
- Department
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Area
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- iria.gomez.tourino [at] usc.es
- Category
- Professor: Temporary PhD professor
José Gómez Rial
- Department
- External department linked to the degrees
- Area
- Área externa Grado en Medicina
- jose.gomez.rial [at] rai.usc.es
- Category
- External area professional_máx. 30 h
Juan Jose Nieto Fontarigo
Coordinador/a- Department
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Area
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
- Phone
- 881816936
- juanjose.nieto.fontarigo [at] usc.es
- Category
- Researcher: Ramón y Cajal
| Monday | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:30-18:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | R.N.S.-Classroom 10 |
| Tuesday | |||
| 09:30-10:30 | Grupo /CLE_01 | Spanish | R.N.S.-Classroom 10 |