2025
Veterinary Immunology
Name: Veterinary Immunology
Code: MVT15226I
3 ECTS
Duration: 15 weeks/78 hours
Scientific Area:
Veterinary Medicine
Teaching languages: Portuguese
Languages of tutoring support: Portuguese, English
Regime de Frequência: Presencial
Sustainable Development Goals
Learning Goals
The learning objectives are:
• To know the current concepts of immunology;
• To know the various aspects of the immune response;
• To understand the balance of the Immune System in the state of health and disease;
• To learn strategies for modulating the immune response as an instrument in the control of infectious diseases;
• To know the dysfunctions of the Immune System.
• To know the immunological techniques used for the diagnosis of infectious diseases and for the assessment of the animal's immune status.
The skills to be developed are:
• Ability to manipulate laboratory instrumentation and the various immunological and serological techniques applied to veterinary diagnosis;
• Ability to apply the knowledge acquired to the study of infectious diseases, their pathogenesis and their control.
• To know the current concepts of immunology;
• To know the various aspects of the immune response;
• To understand the balance of the Immune System in the state of health and disease;
• To learn strategies for modulating the immune response as an instrument in the control of infectious diseases;
• To know the dysfunctions of the Immune System.
• To know the immunological techniques used for the diagnosis of infectious diseases and for the assessment of the animal's immune status.
The skills to be developed are:
• Ability to manipulate laboratory instrumentation and the various immunological and serological techniques applied to veterinary diagnosis;
• Ability to apply the knowledge acquired to the study of infectious diseases, their pathogenesis and their control.
Contents
Theoretical
1. Infection and immunity
2. Innate immunity
2.1 Systemic effects of inflammation. Disease
3. Adaptive immunity
4. B lymphocytes and humoral immunity
4.1 Immunoglobulins. Classes and functions
5. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes and cellular immunity
5.1 Antigen presenting cells (APC)
6. T helper lymphocytes and regulation of the immune response
6.1 Cytokines. Th1, Th2 lymphocytes
6.2 Local Immunity
7. Acquisition of immunity. Serums and vaccines
7.1 Classic vaccines. Adjuvants
7.2 Genetically engineered vaccines
7.3 Autovaccines
7.4 Vaccination rules. Vaccine complications
8. Dysfunctions of the immune system
8.1 Immunodeficiency
8.2 Autoimmunity
8.3 Hypersensitivity. Allergic diseases.
8.4 Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases
Practical
Agglutination
Anti-species sera. Monoclonal antibodies.
Agar gel immunodiffusion
Complement Fixation
Direct and indirect immunofluorescence
Direct, indirect, blocking ELISA
Immunochromatography
Immunobloting
Inhibition of hemagglutination
Flow cyt
1. Infection and immunity
2. Innate immunity
2.1 Systemic effects of inflammation. Disease
3. Adaptive immunity
4. B lymphocytes and humoral immunity
4.1 Immunoglobulins. Classes and functions
5. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes and cellular immunity
5.1 Antigen presenting cells (APC)
6. T helper lymphocytes and regulation of the immune response
6.1 Cytokines. Th1, Th2 lymphocytes
6.2 Local Immunity
7. Acquisition of immunity. Serums and vaccines
7.1 Classic vaccines. Adjuvants
7.2 Genetically engineered vaccines
7.3 Autovaccines
7.4 Vaccination rules. Vaccine complications
8. Dysfunctions of the immune system
8.1 Immunodeficiency
8.2 Autoimmunity
8.3 Hypersensitivity. Allergic diseases.
8.4 Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases
Practical
Agglutination
Anti-species sera. Monoclonal antibodies.
Agar gel immunodiffusion
Complement Fixation
Direct and indirect immunofluorescence
Direct, indirect, blocking ELISA
Immunochromatography
Immunobloting
Inhibition of hemagglutination
Flow cyt
Teaching Methods
This subject will be taught over half the semester (7 weeks).
Each week will consist of a theoretical lecture (120 minutes) and a practical laboratory lecture (120 minutes).
The theoretical lectures will be plenary sessions dedicated to acquiring basic concepts and knowledge. The practical lectures will consist of practical assignments developed by the students after a demonstration by the professor. This hands-on work will promote the acquisition of the desired skills.
Each week will consist of a theoretical lecture (120 minutes) and a practical laboratory lecture (120 minutes).
The theoretical lectures will be plenary sessions dedicated to acquiring basic concepts and knowledge. The practical lectures will consist of practical assignments developed by the students after a demonstration by the professor. This hands-on work will promote the acquisition of the desired skills.
Assessment
There is no continuous assessment in this subject.
The final assessment consists of a written test and an individual oral practical exam. Each test has a minimum passing grade of 10 points.
Students who have not attended at least 75% of the practical classes will have to take an extra oral practical exam and obtain a minimum grade of 10 points. The practical grade will be the arithmetic mean of these two grades.
The grade results from 50% of the theoretical and 50% of the practical.
In the Special Period and Extraordinary Period, the exam is oral, including both theoretical and practical material.
The final assessment consists of a written test and an individual oral practical exam. Each test has a minimum passing grade of 10 points.
Students who have not attended at least 75% of the practical classes will have to take an extra oral practical exam and obtain a minimum grade of 10 points. The practical grade will be the arithmetic mean of these two grades.
The grade results from 50% of the theoretical and 50% of the practical.
In the Special Period and Extraordinary Period, the exam is oral, including both theoretical and practical material.
Teaching Staff
Accreditations and Certifications
