Fundamentals of Immunology

Immune system is a fascinating innovation by living organisms to fend off infections by other organisms. Its evolutionary roots are ancient, and many of the components of immune system are conserved from plants to invertebrates to mammals. It has several amazing, awe-inspiring features, including the ability to recognize various classes of pathogens, recruitment of cells to kill bacteria, viruses, as well as infected cells, and last but not the least, the ability to distinguish self from non-self. Knowledge of how the immune system works has helped us in controlling many deadly diseases, including small pox, AIDS, polio, and cancer.

Although immune system is extremely useful to us, learning and mastering this subject can be tough, given the technical terms and huge amount of information the students have to remember and absorb. It sometimes discourages students to take up this subject, and some also lose interest along the way.

Albert Einstein once said, “Things should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler.” This course is designed along this line of thinking. It provides all the necessary details to understand the complex subject of immunology, while keeping the focus on the bigger picture and avoiding getting lost in the minutiae.

Here is a snapshot of what is in store for you:

Lecture 1 – Introduction to the subject and overview of main concepts

Lecture 2 – Cells of the Immune System

Lecture 3 – Primary and Secondary Lymphoid Organs

Lecture 4 – Innate Immunity

Lecture 5 – The Complement system

Lecture 6 – Antigens and Immunogens

Lecture 7 – Antibody Structure

Lecture 8 – Antibody Diversity

Lecture 9 – Immunological Techniques I – Making Antibodies

Lecture 10 – Immunological Techniques II – Antibody-based techniques

Lecture 11 – Immunological Techniques III – Flow Cytometry

Lecture 12 – Immunological Techniques IV – Western Blotting

Lecture 13 – Immunological Techniques V – Animal Models

Lecture 14 – MHC and Antigen Presentation

Lecture 15 – B Cell Development

Lecture 16 – B Cell Differentiation

Lecture 17 – Humoral Immunity

Lecture 18 – T Cell Development and Differentiation

Lecture 19 – Cell-mediated Immunity

Lecture 20 – Cytokines and Chemokines

Lecture 21 – Immunological Tolerance

Lecture 22 – Transplantation Immunology

Lecture 23 – Immunodeficiency diseases

Lecture 24 – Cancer Immunology

Lecture 25 – Cancer Immunotherapy

Lecture 26 – Hypersensitivity

Lecture 27 – Autoimmune Diseases

Lecture 28 – Vaccines

Lecture 29 – Immunology of COVID-19

Lecture 30 – Conclusion

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to apply the concepts you have learned in clinical as well as research settings. The concepts you learn in this course will help you in understanding research literature and keep up with the latest developments in immunology.