9. Immune modulating therapies I Flashcards
What are different approaches to boosting the immune system?
Vaccination; replacement of missing components (e.g. replacing immune cells); blocking immune checkpoints; cytokine therapy
Which epidemic lead to the understanding of protection offered by primary measles infection?
Epidemic on Faroe islands
What is immune memory?
The immune system is able to remember an infection that is has encountered in the past and provide protection thereafter. This is a feature of the adaptive immune response
What cells is the adaptive immune response comprised of ?
B and T cells
How do we have a variety of antigen receptors (as part of the adaptive immune response)?
Consist of a wide variety of antigen receptors. This is NOT entirely genetically encoded. Genes for segments of receptors are rearranged and nucleic acids are deleted/added at the sites of rearrangement almost randomly. This gives potential to produce up to 10^12 different types of receptor. Autoreactive cells are likely to be generated but there are mechanisms to delete or tolerate these autoreactive cells. The adaptive immune response has exquisite specificity - it can discriminate between very small differences in molecular structure
What happens when an adaptive immune cell is engaged with an antigen it recognises?
- You get massive clonal expansion.
- T cells with appropriate specificity will proliferate and differentiate into effector cells (cytokine secreting, cytotoxic).
- B cells with appropriate specificity will proliferate.
- They can then differentiate into T-cell independent IgM plasma cells.
- Or they can undergo a germinal centre reaction and differentiate to T cell-dependent IgG producing memory and plasma cells.
- Following infection, a residual pool of specific cells with enhanced capacity to respond if re-infection occurs will be left (memory cells).
What is the CD8+ and CD4+ T cell response to recognition of antigen?
Antigen presented by APC to a CD8 T cell. CD8+ T cells are activated and T helper cells provide help (cytokine growth factor) to CD8 T cells. This leads to clonal expansion. Then the T cells die by apoptosis or survive as memory cells. A less pronounced proliferation is seen in CD4+ T cells
What are antigen-presenting cells?
These are cells that can present antigens to T cells to initiate an acquired immune response
What do APCs include?
Dendritic cells, macrophages and B lymphocytes
APCs include macrophages. What are types of macrophages?
Langerhans cells, mesangial cells, kupffer cells, osteoclasts, microglia
What are three features of memory T cells?
- Longevity (persist by the continuous low level proliferation in response to cytokines). 2. Memory cells have a different pattern of expression of cell surface proteins involved in chemotaxis cell adhesion. This allows memory cells to rapidly access non-lymphoid tissues (where microbes enter). 3. Rapid, robust response to subsequent antigen exposure. Lower threshold of activation than naive cells
What are three features of memory B cells?
Memory B cells and plasma cells will last for a long time. Produce a rapid and robust response on subsequent antigen exposure. Circulating pre-formed high affinity IgG antibodies are present.
What are the aims of vaccines?
Generate protective, long-lasting immune response; no adverse reactions; single shot; easy storage
What is target for influenza vaccines?
CD8 T cells control the viral load but the antibody is responsible for providing a protective response. Haemaglutinin (HA) is the receptor-binding and membrane fusion glycoprotein of influenza virus. HA is the target for antibodies. These antibodies can be detected using a haemaglutinin inhibition assay.
How can antibodies to influenza be detected using haemaglutinin inhibition assay? And what suggests a greater level of antibodies?
- If you put normal red cells in a dish, they will clump at the bottom forming a red spot. 2. If you add the influenza virus to the red cells, the haemaglutinin will make the cells stick together and it will cause a diffuse coloration across the well. 3. If you add the serum of someone who has a lot of antibodies against HA with the virus and red cells, it will inhibit the HA from causing the above effect - this results in the cells clumping at the bottom as if the virus was not present. 3. This can be done on a large scale with lots of well containing blood and virus with dilutions of the patients serum put on top. The higher the dilution at which the inhibitory effect can be seen, the greater the level of antibodies the patient has against HA (e.g. Pt1 has high levels of antibodies, Pt5 has lower levels of antibodies). The higher the antibody level the lower the likelihood of infection.
When does a patient have protection after the influenza virus?
Antibody protection begins 7 days after vaccine and protection can last for around 6 months.
What vaccine is used for tuberculosis?
BCG is an attenuated strain of bovine tuberculosis.
What does the BCG vaccine provide protection against?
Provides some protection against primary infection. Mainly provides protection against progression to active TB.
What response is important in the BCG vaccine?
T cell response
What is the Mantoux test for?
The Mantoux test is a widely used test for latent TB
How is the Mantoux test done?
Inject a small amount of liquid tuberculin (aka purified protein derivativ (PPD)) intradermally. The area of injection is examined 48-72 hours after tuberculin injection
What suggests a positive Mantoux test?
Positive: The reaction is an area of swelling around the injection site. Negative test for TB has no bump.
How long does BCG vaccine protect against TB?
Protection usually lasts for 10-15 years
What are different types of vaccines?
- Live attenuated vaccines; 2. inactivated/component vaccines (including conjugates, adjuvants, toxoids, component/subunit); 3. DNA vaccines; 4. dendritic cell vaccines
What is a live attenuated vaccine?
The organism is modified to limit pathogenesis
What are examples of live attenuated vaccines?
MMR, BCG, Yellow fever, Typhoid, Polio (Sabin), Vaccinia
What are the advantages of live attenuated vaccines?
Establishes infections (ideally mild); raises broad immune response to multiple antigens (more likely to offer protection against different strains); activates all phases of immune system; often confer life-long immunity after one dose
What are disadvantages of live attenuated vaccines?
Storage problems, possible reversion to virulence, spread to contacts, spread to immunocompromised/ immunosuppressed.
How can we increase immunogenicity in inactivated/component vaccines?
Conjugates + adjuvants increase immunogenicity
What are examples of inactivated/component vaccines?
Influenza, cholera, polio (Salk), Hep A, Pertussis, Rabies