21 Questions
What is the first line of immunity?
Chemical barriers
Which cells detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs)?
Neutrophil
What type of cells orchestrate inflammation?
Macrophage
Which cells are known to 'irritate' the tissue to help expel parasites and pollen?
Eosinophil
Which type of immunity is specific and slow?
Adaptive immunity
Which cells are required to trigger adaptive immunity?
Dendritic cell
Which cells engulf bugs, viruses, and fungi?
Macrophage
What do activated innate cells secrete to induce local and systemic effects?
Cytokines
What initiates the inflammation process?
Activated innate cells
Which type of cells are known to detect a threat and trigger innate immunity?
Mast cell
What can be stimulated to help overcome foreign pathogens?
Innate immunity
What is the role of dendritic cells in the immune system?
Engage with pathogens and migrate to lymph nodes
What is the function of effector T-cells?
Kill infected cells and activate other immune cells
How are B-cells activated in the immune system?
By helper-T cells generating antibodies
What is the main role of regulatory T-cells in the immune system?
Suppress immune responses to prevent autoimmunity
How can pathogens evade the immune system?
By mutating, hiding, or inducing immunosuppression
What is the focus of immunotherapies?
Creating a specific type of response
'CAR-T therapy' involves engineering which type of cells in the body?
'Patient's T-cells'
'Checkpoint blockade therapy' uses antibodies to block what in T-cells?
'Off switches'
'CAR-T therapy' is effective against which type of tumors?
'Liquid tumors' only
'Checkpoint blockade therapy' has seen great success in treating which type of tumors?
'Solid tumors'
Study Notes
- Dendritic cells are key players in the immune system, they engage with pathogens, they migrate to lymph nodes and activate naive T-cells.
- Activated T-cells can respond specifically to the pathogen, they mature, proliferate and differentiate into effector T-cells and memory T-cells.
- B-cells, activated by helper T-cells, generate antibodies to neutralize, opsonize and complement pathogens.
- T-cells are a crucial part of the immune system, they are our last line of defense against pathogens and cancer. Effector T-cells kill infected cells and activate other immune cells.
- Helper T-cells stimulate immune responses by activating other immune cells such as B-cells and macrophages. Regulatory T-cells suppress immune responses to prevent autoimmunity.
- The immune system has to deal with various challenges, including recognizing self vs foreign, active vs suppressed, and specific mechanisms to control immune responses.
- Pathogens can evade the immune system by mutating, hiding, or inducing immunosuppression.
- Immunotherapies aim to engineer the "right type of response" rather than a "strong response," using mechanisms such as immunosuppression, immune-stimulation, and full replacement of immune cells.
- CAR-T therapy, a type of immunotherapy, involves engineering a patient's T-cells to recognize and attack cancer cells. It's effective against liquid tumors but less so against solid tumors and can have side effects like cytokine storm, CAR lymphomas, and safety concerns.
- Checkpoint blockade therapy, another type of immunotherapy, uses antibodies to block "off switches" on T-cells, allowing them to attack cancer cells. It has seen great success in solid tumors but can have safety concerns, such as rare fatal autoimmune reactions and variable responses depending on the cancer.
- Immunotherapies using memory T-cells and engineered responses like natural killer cells and checkpoint blockade therapy in macrophages are also being explored. The immune system has a short window of time to reverse "exhausted" T-cells back to effector T-cells before they reach a point of irreversibility.
Test your knowledge on the general logic of immunology and the multi-layered defense system. Explore concepts such as innate and adaptive immunity, the first line of immunity, and the requirements for triggering adaptive immunity.
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