How the Immune System Works

the Immune System 82 The powerful weapons of the immune system must be restrained lest they become overly exuberant. In addition, once an invader has been defeated, the immune system must be "reset" to prepare for future attacks. Lecture 9 Self Tolerance and MHC Restriction 86 T cells must be "tested" to be sure they focus on appropriately presented antigens, and B and T lymphocytes must be screened to eliminate those which might attack our own bodies. Lecture 10 Immunological Memory 97 The innate immune system remembers pathogens which have been attacking humans for millions of years. In contrast, B and T cells remember pathogens we have encountered during our lifetime. Memory B and T lymphocytes respond more quickly and effectively to a subsequent attack by the same invader. Lecture 11 The Intestinal Immune System 103 The human intestines are home to trillions of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. How the immune system deals with these potentially dangerous intestinal residents, which frequently invade the tissues surrounding the intestines, is a hot topic in immunology. Lecture 12 The Immune System Gone Wrong 110 The immune system usually does a good job of defending us. Sometimes, however, mistakes are made. Two examples of the "immune system gone wrong" are allergies and autoimmunity. Lecture 13 Immunodeficiency 119 Serious disease may result when our immune system does not operate at full strength. Humans who are infected with HIV-1 have profoundly impaired immune systems. Lecture 14 Vaccines 125 Vaccines safely mimic a microbial attack so that our immune system will be primed and ready for a future challenge by the same pathogen. Lecture 15 Cancer and the Immune System 132 The human immune system is not very good at defending us against cancer. Indeed, there is a built-in conflict between the need to minimize the chance that its weapons will attack our own bodies and the need to destroy cancer cells. Lecture 16 Immunotherapy 139 Physicians are "borrowing" some of the weapons of the immune system and using them to treat disease. Lecture 17 COVID-19 and the Immune System 146 The COVID-19 pandemic has given immunologists a "laboratory" to study the immune response to respiratory viral infections. The COVID-19 vaccine program has resulted in major advances in vaccine design, including the mRNA vaccine platform. Glossary 154 Here are definitions of some of the terms that immunologists use - but which "normal" people wouldn't. Acronyms and Abbreviations 158 Immunologists are big on acronyms and abbreviations, but they can drive you crazy. So I've made a list to which you can refer. Index 159