Choose your fighter! The immune system, pathogens, and their fascinating, never-ending battle

Course Description

Did you know that your body goes through incredible battles every single day? Your immune system works tirelessly to keep you safe from all sorts of nasty threats. Through this MCP, we'll cover the fascinating topic of immunology through the following topics:

Day 1
Choose your fighter! What is the immune system?
T cells, B cells, NK cells, macrophages ... your immune system works hard as a team to keep you safe. We'll learn about each of these cells, their function, and why you would (probably) be dead without them.

Day 2 - 3
Wanted dead or alive: Your body's enemies, and how you (unknowingly) fight them.
The world is a harsh place! We'll explore a large range of pathogens, from bacteria and viruses, to fungi and parasites. We'll also learn that, in the case of autoimmune diseases, your greatest enemy may be yourself. This unit will also cover immunodeficiency, oncology, and how toxicants can affect the immune system.

Day 4
Vaccines and cold medicine: How can we arm our fighters?
This unit will focus on immunotherapy, vaccines, antigens, and other aspects of medicine which utilizes the immune system as its main therapeutic vector, or which support us through sickness (and health).

Day 5
Students will be split in teams, and each team will be assigned one type of immune cell. This day will be spent researching a pathogen which involves their assigned cell as the main line of defense. Students will then present their research to the class in a format of their choice.

This schedule is subject to modification.