Chapter 1

FUNCTIONAL ORGANIZATION OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM  
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Major notions

1.2

The Nobel Prize laureates in immunology

ORGANS AND CELLS OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM 
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2.1

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM ORGANS

2.1.1

Thymus and bone marrow

2.1.2

The secondary immune organs

2.2

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM CELLS

2.2.1

The major features of the cells

2.2.2

T lymphopoiesis

2.2.3

Burnet's clonal selection theory

2.2.4

B lymphopoiesis

2.2.5

NK cells

2.2.6

Monocyte/macrophage system

2.2.7

Dendritic cells

2.2.8

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes

2.2.9

Immune cell functions

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MOLECULES OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM 
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3.1

ANTIGENS AND PATHOGEN-ASSOCIATED MOLECULAR PATTERNS (PAMPs)

3.2

MOLECULES IN IMMUNE REACTIONS

3.2.1

Immunoglobulins

3.2.2

Major histocompatibility complex

3.2.3

Antigen-recognizing receptors

3.2.4

Adhesion molecules

3.2.5

Leukocyte migration

3.2.6

Pattern Recognition Receptors (PRRs)

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THE IMMUNE RESPONSES 
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4.1

PATHWAYS AND STEPS OF THE IMMUNE RESPONSES

4.2

PRELIMINARY EVENTS: ANTIGEN PROCESSING

4.2.1

The HLA II pathway

4.2.2

The HLA I pathway

4.3

RECOGNITION

4.3.1

Types of recognizing stimuli

4.3.2

"Dual recognition" of antigen/HLA complex

4.3.3

Cytokine signals

4.3.4

Interactions of costimulatory molecules

4.3.5

Adhesion molecules for physical contacts

4.4

SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION AND ACTIVATION

4.4.1

Signaling pathways

4.4.2

Phenotype of the activated cells

4.5

CLONAL EXPANSION OF T AND B CELLS

4.5.1

Proliferation of T cells

4.5.2

Proliferation of B cells and BCR affinity maturation

4.6

DIFFERENTIATION OF EFFECTOR AND MEMORY CELLS

4.6.1

T cell differentiation

4.6.2

B cell differentiation and isotype switching

4.6.3

Memory cells

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REGULATION OF THE IMMUNE PROCESSES 
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5.1

IMMUNE SELF-REGULATION

5.1.1

The idiotype/anti-idiotype network

5.1.2

The T-cell-mediated suppression and the Th1/Th2 paradigm

5.1.3

Cytokines and chemokines

5.2

THE LIVER REGULATION

5.3

THE ENDOCRINE GLAND REGULATION

5.4

THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM REGULATION

5.5

GENETIC REGULATION

5.5.1

Provision of diversity of the specific molecules

5.5.2

Provision of power of the immune responses

5.6

THE IMMUNOLOGICAL TOLERANCE

5.6.1

Central and peripheral mechanisms

5.6.2

Tolerance in pregnancy

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EFFECTOR ACTIVITY 
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6.1

NONSPECIFIC EFFECTOR MECHANISMS

6.1.1

Acute phase reaction

6.1.2

Complement: activation via alternative pathway

6.1.3

Nonspecific phagocytosis

6.1.4

Natural cytotoxicity system

6.2

SPECIFIC EFFECTOR ACTIVITY

6.2.1

Immune complexes' formation

6.2.2

Complement activation via classical pathway

6.2.3

Antigen opsonization by antibodies and phagocytosis

6.2.4

Cytotoxic T cell reactions: apoptosis of targets

6.2.5

Immune inflammation

6.2.6

Transplantation

6.2.7

Specific lymphocytic effectors and their targets

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THE IMMUNOLOGICAL METHODS 
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7.1

ANTIGEN-ANTIBODY REACTIONS

7.1.1

The tentative, quantitative and separation methods

7.1.2

Western blot

7.1.3

Monoclonal technology

7.1.4

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

7.1.5

Radioimmunoassay (RIA)

7.1.6

7.1.7

The flow cytofluorimetry

7.2

FUNCTIONAL TESTS

7.2.1

7.2.2

7.2.3

7.2.4

The migration and phagocytosis assays

7.3

MOLECULAR BIOLOGICAL METHODS

7.3.1

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RT-PCR

7.3.2

Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP)

7.3.3

DNA microarray technology

7.4

EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS AND SCREENING TESTS

7.4.1

Experimental animals

7.4.2

Screening tests for clinical purposes

7.5

NANOIMMUNICS

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