BTLW100074 Introduction to immunology and immunotherapy

Art
nicht prüfungsimmanente Lehrveranstaltung
Semesterstunden
3
Vortragende/r (Mitwirkende/r)
Wozniak-Knopp, Gordana , Traxlmayr, Michael
Organisation
Biotechnologie und Lebensmittelwissenschaften
Angeboten im Semester
Sommersemester 2026
Unterrichts-/ Lehrsprachen
Englisch
Lehrinhalt

Introduction to immunology (March/April 2026)
Lecture 1.
History of observation of the immune response: how vaccination works
Natural (innate) Immunity
Organs of the immune system
The concept of Antigen
Binding interactions; receptor-ligand interactions
Stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells; Cellular immune system
The role of cytokines
Toll-like receptors
Complement
Interferons
Natural killer cells and their receptors

Lecture 2.
The structure of T-cell receptor
MHC molecules and TAP transporter
MHC-mediated antigen presentation
MHC restriction; superantigens
Cellular immune system: lymphoid organs

Lecture 3.
Cellular immune response: T-cell receptor
Response of T cells causing cell killing; concept of immune synapse
T-cell receptor accessory molecules
Antigen presenting cells, antigen-specific and co-stimulatory signals
Introduction to immunooncology

Lecture 4.
The Concept of Antigen and an Immunogen
Receptor-ligand recognition
Function and behaviour of T-cell receptor in ligand recognition
Antibodies: structure, classes, generation of antibody diversity
B cells: origin, differentiation, maturation
Role of B cells in protective immunity; clonal selection hypothesis
Monoclonal antibodies

Lecture 5.
Autoimmunity
Immunology of transplantations
Hypersensitivity reactions: celiac disease, pollen, danders, house dust mite

Lectures 6 and 7.
Tumor immunology
- What is cancer and how does cancer develop?
- How does our immune system recognize cancer cells?
- How can cancer cells evade our immune response?

Lecture 8.
Checkpoint inhibitors – a revolution in cancer therapy
- Mechanism of action of checkpoint inhibitors
- Anti-cancer efficacy of checkpoint inhibitors
- Limitations and adverse events

Lecture 9.
Bispecific T cell engagers (BiTEs)
- BiTEs and T cell signaling
- Clinical effects of BiTEs
- Limitations and adverse events

Lecture 10.
Using viruses for cancer immunotherapy
- Oncolytic viruses
- Lenti- and retroviruses for gene delivery

Lecture 11.
Cellular therapies for cancer
- CAR T cells
- TCR-engineered T cells
- Therapy with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs)

Lecture 12.
Immunotherapy for the treatment of other diseases apart from cancer
- Autoimmune diseases
- Transplant rejection
Inhaltliche Voraussetzungen (erwartete Kenntnisse)

Interest in finding out how the immune system works!
Lehrziel

Introduction to immunology
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- describe the mechanisms of immune cell cooperation and cell communication
- evaluate the role of growth factors, cytokines and chemokines for different branches of the immune system
- give an overview of receptors involved in pathogen recognition
- comment on the specificity of immune reactions
- compare the functions of innate and adaptive immune system
- evaluate the role of the immunological memory (immunization, vaccination).
- discuss natural immune responses against cancer and how cancer cells can escape from these natural immune responses
- explain different applications of monoclonal antibodies in immunotherapy
- explain how natural immune responses against cancer can be amplified
- discuss possibilities to create new immune responses against cancer including CAR T cells and bispecific antibodies
- explain how immunotherapy can also be used for the treatment of autoimmune diseases or to prevent transplant rejection
Noch mehr Informationen zur Lehrveranstaltung, wie Termine oder Informationen zu Prüfungen, usw. finden Sie auf der Lehrveranstaltungsseite in BOKUonline.