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PA20345: Infection and immunity

Follow this link for further information on academic years Academic Year: 2019/0
Further information on owning departmentsOwning Department/School: Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology
Further information on credits Credits: 9      [equivalent to 18 CATS credits]
Further information on notional study hours Notional Study Hours: 180
Further information on unit levels Level: Intermediate (FHEQ level 5)
Further information on teaching periods Period:
Semester 2
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Summary: ES 20%, EX-TH 80%*
Further information on unit assessment Assessment Detail:
  • Essay* (ES 20%)
  • Open book examination of 24 hours duration* (EX-TH 80%)

*Assessment updated due to Covid-19 disruptions
Further information on supplementary assessment Supplementary Assessment:
Like-for-like reassessment (where allowed by programme regulations)
Further information on requisites Requisites:
Further information on descriptions Description: Aims:
To familiarise the students with the pathogenic mechanisms of infectious disease, the human host response to infection and the pharmacology of anti-infective agents; to describe the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with acute and chronic inflammation, to illustrate the pathology of chronic inflammatory diseases and to introduce the pharmacology of anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drugs and biological agents; to illustrate clinical cases through problem-based learning.

Learning Outcomes:
After taking this unit, the student will be able to
* Describe the innate, adaptive and inflammatory host defence mechanisms against infectious agents
* List the key features required by micro-organisms to cause human disease
* Explain the role of excessive stimulation of host defence mechanisms in themselves causing human disease;
* Justify the use of pharmacology of agents targeted at the exogenous infection or endogenous host defence response,
* Explain the uses and limitations of antibodies in the laboratory and in the diagnosis and treatment of disease
* Apply their knowledge of host defence mechanisms to interpret clinical case studies.

Skills:
Scientific and practical skills (T/F/A)
Study skills, handling information, working with others (T/F)
Problem solving (T/F)
Written skills (T/F/A).

Content:

* The innate and adaptive immune system - antibodies, T and B lymphocytes, antigen presenting cells and the MHC, effector functions,
* Mechanisms by which micro-organisms cause infectious disease.
* Pharmacology of anti-infective compounds.
* Mechanisms of tolerance and autoimmunity, acute and chronic inflammation,
* Pharmacology of anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic agents and potential novel therapeutic approaches.
* Use of antibodies as laboratory, diagnostic and therapeutic agents.
* Problem based learning applied to relevant clinical case studies.
Further information on programme availabilityProgramme availability:

PA20345 is Compulsory on the following programmes:

Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology
  • USPA-AFB02 : BSc(Hons) Pharmacology (Year 2)
  • USPA-AKB02 : BSc(Hons) Pharmacology with Year long work placement (Year 2)
  • USPA-AKM02 : MPharmacol(Hons) Pharmacology with Year long work placement (Year 2)

Notes: