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Immunology

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Google Image Result for. Blackboard Learn. Influenza virus: it's all in the packaging! A real influenza virion [Image courtesy Edward Hutchinson] Influenza is a seasonal disease we are all familiar with. Most of us have experienced the misery of being cooped up in bed with a streaming nose, aching joints and temperature now and again. However sometimes influenza can cause serious complications, particularly in the elderly, occasionally leading to death. And this year's swine flu pandemic, thankfully with fewer deaths than expected, has given us an inkling of just how dangerous influenza could be. Influenza comes in three types — A, B and C — with A the most common and the cause of the major outbreaks.

A virus particle, called a virion, is a roughly spherical shell containing the influenza genome, and covered by two types of surface proteins called antigens: one (H) which allows the virus to enter host cells, and the other (N) which allows new virions to be released from infected host cells. What makes influenza so dangerous is the way in which it evolves. The Deadliest Disease Outbreaks in History(Scaling) Cell Size and Scale. Some cells are visible to the unaided eye The smallest objects that the unaided human eye can see are about 0.1 mm long. That means that under the right conditions, you might be able to see an ameoba proteus, a human egg, and a paramecium without using magnification. A magnifying glass can help you to see them more clearly, but they will still look tiny.

Smaller cells are easily visible under a light microscope. To see anything smaller than 500 nm, you will need an electron microscope. Adenine The label on the nucleotide is not quite accurate. How can an X chromosome be nearly as big as the head of the sperm cell? No, this isn't a mistake. The X chromosome is shown here in a condensed state, as it would appear in a cell that's going through mitosis. A chromosome is made up of genetic material (one long piece of DNA) wrapped around structural support proteins (histones).

Carbon The size of the carbon atom is based on its van der Waals radius. Cell-mediated immunity. In the previous sections, we described mechanisms of humoral immunity. In this section we will discuss how T cells recognize foreign antigens and mount a response against them. Naïve T cells and their effector products make up the second branch of the adaptive immune system: cell-mediatd immunity. (Remember, B cells and their products make up the first branch: humoral immunity.) Learning about T cells tends to feel less straightforward than learning about B cells—it can be a frustrating alphabet soup of terms, (CD, MHC, HLA…) so before we get started, it is worth taking some time to define the different types of T cells and the receptors on each. THE CD NOMENCLATURE: For our purposes, T lymphocytes come in two flavors: helper and cytotoxic.

Although there are a few smaller populations of other flavors of T cells, (regulatory T cells, natural killer T cells…etc which are the subject of current research) for now, let’s just focus on the two: helper T cells and cytotoxic T cells. “Wrapped Up” Vaccines in the Context of HIV-1 Immunotherapy. Winni De Haes1, Charlotte Pollard1, 2, Guido Vanham1, 3 and Joanna Rejman4 1. Introduction The Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1), the causative agent of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), was described for the first time in 1983 [1, 2].

In the meantime, various classes of anti-retroviral drugs have been developed and combination therapy has improved the quality of life for millions of people affected. At the end of 2010 more than 34 million people were living with HIV infection worldwide [3]. HIV belongs to the family of Retroviridae and the genus Lentivirus (lenti, Latin for “slow”), which is characterized by a long incubation period causing long-lasting illnesses [4]. Binding of gp120 to the co-receptor induces further conformational changes that lead to the exposure of the fusion domain on glycoprotein 41 (gp41). The majority (> 90 %) of infected individuals progresses to AIDS within about ten years after primary infection (normal progressors). 2. 2.1. 2.2. Figure 1. Center for Computational Immunology. Flight Patterns as Art - Aaron Koblin Photography. I always used to believe that it would be impossible for two planes to crash into each other.

I didn't think of it in terms of technology as sonar and navigation systems are advanced enough to avoid that. I simply believed that the sky was too big and vast for two planes to even come close to each other on route to their destinations. This belief of mine came to a screeching halt when I discovered the art of Aaron Koblin. The picture above shows the flight patterns and air traffic over all the flights in North America. Aaron colors and forms these patterns in order to make interesting designs and prints, which are available for purchase. He uses information compiled from a processing programming environment and composites his work using various programs, such as Adobe After Effects.

Flight patterns don't generally stand out as something that can be artistic, but Aaron has taken this simple process and has turned it into unique and interesting works of art. The Immune System - in More Detail. Introduction The immune system is one of nature's more fascinating inventions. With ease, it protects us against billions of bacteria, viruses, and other parasites. Most of us never reflect upon the fact that while we hang out with our friends, watch TV, or go to school, inside our bodies, our immune system is constantly on the alert, attacking at the first sign of an invasion by harmful organisms. The immune system is very complex.

The Complement System The first part of the immune system that meets invaders such as bacteria is a group of proteins called the complement system. Phagocytes This is a group of immune cells specialized in finding and "eating" bacteria, viruses, and dead or injured body cells. Lymphocytes - T cells and B cells White blood cells called lymphocytes originate in the bone marrow but migrate to parts of the lymphatic system such as the lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus.

To understand the receptors, think of a hand that can only grab one specific item. T cells B Cells. Peter P. Lee, MD - Stanford Cancer Institute - Stanford Medicine. In his first six years on the faculty, Peter P. Lee, MD, had devoted most of his time to research on the role of the immune system in melanoma and leukemia, with some HIV studies on the side.

He had only recently turned his attention to breast cancer on the day in the spring of 2005, when he saw a flyer announcing a $4 million grant for breast cancer research. So he didn't think he was a likely candidate—even when he saw it was targeted to young researchers who could bring fresh ideas to the field. "I didn't think I had much of a chance, but the grant was a dream, so I figured what the heck," he said. Already his tack is yielding tantalizing results: He published findings last fall that showed his method of using immune cells to predict the severity of a woman's breast cancer could be more effective than the current method of looking at cancer cells. Not your ordinary grant The U.S. "The selection process for this is completely different," said Lee.

Another perspective on breast cancer. Getting Started in Computational Immunology. Figures Citation: Kleinstein SH (2008) Getting Started in Computational Immunology. PLoS Comput Biol 4(8): e1000128. doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000128 Editor: Olga Troyanskaya, Princeton University, United States of America Published: August 29, 2008 Copyright: © 2008 Steven Kleinstein. Funding: This work was supported in part by NIH NIAID contract HHSN266200500021C. Competing interests: The author has declared that no competing interests exist. The immune system acts across multiple scales involving complex interactions and feedback, from somatic modifications of DNA to the systemic inflammatory reaction. Figure 1. Population dynamics of splenic germinal center B cells is probed by quantifying labeled cells over time with flow cytometry (left panes). Doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000128.g001 Germline and Somatic Diversity The adaptive immune system operates by clonal selection.

Mutation Analysis Low sensitivity is another problem that plagues methods for detecting selection. Population Dynamics. Laboratory of Peter P. Lee - Research - Hematology - Department of Medicine - Stanford University School of Hematology. Laboratory focus: Studying the interplay between T cells and cancer The immunotherapy of cancer holds promise of a new treatment modality which may be more specific and potentially less toxic than radiation and chemotherapy. To reach this elusive goal, we need a thorough understanding of the interactions between the immune system and cancer, and why the immune response fails to control cancer in the first place. What role does the immune system play in cancer? Myth 1 - Cancer cells are ignored by the immune system in cancer patients It has been observed for decades that tumors are frequently infiltrated or surrounded by lymphocytes.

Myth 2 - Immune responses to tumor cells are elicited only against unique 'tumor antigens' Dogma in immunology states that T cells respond to 'foreign' antigens and spare 'self'. Myth 3 - Tumor-specific T cells alone are sufficient for tumor regression Clinical responses in cancer vaccine trials thus far have been disappointing. Key questions being pursued. 3d bubonic plague. This is a legally binding agreement between licensee ("you"), and TurboSquid regarding your rights to use Stock Media Products from the Site under this license. "You" refers to the purchasing entity, whether that is a natural person who must be at least 18 years of age, or a corporate entity.

The rights granted in this agreement are granted to the purchasing entity, its parent company, and its majority owned affiliates on a "royalty free" basis, which means that after a Purchase, there are no future royalties or payments that are required. Collectively, these rights are considered "extended uses", and are granted to you, subject to applicable Editorial Use Restrictions described below. The license granted is wholly transferable to other parties so long it is in force and not terminated, otherwise violated, or extinguished, as set forth herein. Part I: Introduction & Definitions Part II: License Rights Part III: License Term and Termination Part IV: Warranties Part VI: Other Terms I. II. V. Www.keck.bioimaging.wisc.edu/neuro670/Introduction to Flow Cytometry.pdf. Center for Computational Immunology.