Ateneo - UPO

The course gives basic knowledge of immunology with special consideration to the importance of the immune system in allergies, autoimmune diseases and how immune dysregulation in these disease may be linked to food and gut microbiota

- Scientific articles and reviews will be provided during lectures.
- Suggested books Kuby Immunology, ed. W.H.Freeman & Co Ltd; Janeway "Immunobiology" - ed. Garland Science. These books are available at the library of UPO for consultation (https://upo.sebina.it/opac/query/)

The aim of this course is to provide a general overview of the immune system, its components, their role in diseases with special consideration to the importance of nutrition and gut microbiota in immunology.

Basic knowledge of the principles of Molecular and Cell Biology; Biochemistry; Genetics; Histology; General Physiology

-Frontal lectures (power point slide). - PowerPoint slides will be provided and will be available on the website (DIR) of UPO
at the end of lectures.
- Scientific articles and reviews will be provided during lectures.
- Each student will be trained how to critically read a scientific article and how to perform a bibliography search dealing with one of the topics covered by the course.

Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted
the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination
modalities, concerning academic aspects.

At the end of the course, a general review of most important topics discussed during lectures will be held.The exam is written with multiple choices questions that will assess the ability’s student to link the different topics covered during the course. The grading system is based on numerical marks which may vary between 18 and 30 (full marks). In order to pass the test, the minimum mark required is 18/30 which corresponds to a sufficient knowledge of the different topics of the course; the maximum 30/30 corresponds to an excellent knowledge of all the topics of the course. A distinction (honor) may be added to this maximum grade as a mention of special merit. The final assessment is conducted in a collegial and shared manner among all instructors of the individual modules, expressed as the simple (unweighted) average of the modules.

-Review of the basic concepts of immunology learned during the Bachelor degree (innate and adaptive immunity, cells and organs of immune system, antigen recognition by B-cell and T cells, MHC I and II molecules) - IMMUNOPATHOGENESIS: 1.Allergy and hypersensitivity 2.Food tolerance and food allergy (pathogenetic mechanisms) 3.Diagnostic test of food allergies 4.Autoimmune diseases: organic and systemic, antibody and cell-mediated 5. Examples of autoimmune disease and pathogenetic mechanism 6. Etiology of autoimmune disease (environmental factors: infection and nutrition) 7. Introduction to gut microbiota: composition, diversity, concepts of dysbiosis and eubiosis 8. Impact of diet and life style on microbiota 9. Microbiota and allergy 10. Gut-brain axis and role in autoimmunity 11. Microbiota revolution (personalized medicine): pre -and probiotics, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) Gender mainstreaming: approaches to grant equal benefits in actions and activities for women and mens and for eliminating gender inequalities.

At the end of the course the students will be able:
-to describe how immune system functions and immunopathogenesis of human diseases covered by the course
-to present the topics of the course in a clear and understandable way using the correct scientific terminology.
- to deepen their knowledge of immunobiology on different texts and scientific articles in order to critically follow the evolution of the discipline;
- to develop learning ability
- to autonomously formulate hypotheses on connections between microbiota and human diseases. The correlation between learning assessment and grading is as follows:

18–21/30 (pass/sufficient): the student demonstrates possession of the essential knowledge, with a simple but correct presentation.

22–25/30 (good): the student shows a deeper understanding of the topics and is able to connect them, using appropriate scientific terminology.

26–29/30 (very good/excellent): the student demonstrates full mastery of the subject, critical ability, and the skill to apply concepts to clinical and experimental contexts.
30/30 with honors: the student shows outstanding knowledge, clear and concise argumentation, strong interdisciplinary connections, and autonomy in critical judgment.