Module 7 - Depth Study Flashcards
monocytes
- type of WBC formed in bone marrow
- turn into macrophage or dendritic cell after moving from bloodstream into tissues in response to infection
- mac + dend are APCs (participate in acquired immunity)
neutrophils
- first to move to site of infection to inactivate pathogens
- produce neutrophil extracellular traps to bind + trap pathogens, preventing further spread
- recruits other immune cells to SOI but not APCs (self-destruct after a few days)
leukocytes =
lymphocytes =
WBCs
type of leukocyte
NK cells
innate immune system
- don’t attack pathogens directly but destroy infected host cell
- cytotoxic - contain cytoplasmic granules filled with perforin + proteases
- once it detects a ‘non-self’ cell it attaches to it + releases these cytotoxic molecules causing the lysis (rupture) + death of target cell
Dendritic cells (DC)
- presents antigens on surface (APCs) - located in tissues - common points for infection - triggers adaptive immune response
- messenger between the innate and adaptive immune system
CD4T
‘helper’ T cells - they do not neutralise infections but rather trigger the body’s response to infections
CD8T
adaptive immune system
- during an infection, naïve CD8+ T cells are initially stimulated by interacting with APCs within lymphoid organs
- CD8T cells are cytotoxic T cells that induce cell death either by lysis or apoptosis
Interleukin (IL)
- naturally occurring proteins that mediate communication between cells
- can elicit many reactions in cells and tissues by binding to high-affinity receptors in cell surfaces
cytokine
small, short-lived proteins (made in response to pathogens)
- released by one cell to regulate the function of another cell, thereby serving as intercellular chemical messengers
D.I.C.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation = implication of Cytokine Storm
- a serious disorder in which the proteins that control blood clotting become overactive
- abnormal clumps of thickened blood clots form inside blood vessles (use up clotting factors) –> can lead to massive bleeding in other places
A.R.D.S.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome = CS can cause ARDS
- a serious lung condition that causes low blood oxygen
- fluid buildup and break down of surfactant prevent the lungs from properly filling with air and moving enough oxygen into the bloodstream and throughout the body
Anaemia
- condition where the # of RBCs or haemoglobin concentration within them is lower than normal
–> decreased capacity of the blood to carry oxygen to the body’s tissues
Cytokine storm
- excessive, uncontrolled immune response characterised by a widespread release of many pro-inflammatory cytokines
–> overactivation of other immune cells like T-cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells
–> (can) tissue damage, organ dysfunction, and sometimes death
how antiviral drugs work
Rather than killing a virus directly, antivirals usually inhibit the growth, development and multiplication of viruses at different points
- anti-entry
- protease inhibitors
- anti-RNA polymerase
- anti-viral release
= do not cure the disease but slow down the progress allowing the body’s natural defences to take over
why viruses mutate
all organisms mutate (natural selection)
- by becoming more effective in moving from host to host + reproducing faster, a virus can extend its life
- mutation can help viruses evade immune responses + vaccines + antivirals
why virus mutation problem for antivirals
- viruses have high mutation rates
- mutation might give virus antiviral resistance to a drug = certain antiviral has lower effectiveness in inhibiting the spread + harm of a particular virus
reasons viruses are genome-mapped
- help to track the way a virus is spreading + changing
- easier to develop vaccines (don’t need actual sample)
- compare current and past viruses
viral diseases with antiviral drugs (6)
- coronaviruses, e.g. COVID-19
- ebola
- flu
- genital herpes
- hepatitis b and hepatitis c
- HIV
two antiviral drugs for COVID-19 in Australia
primarily used for people with mild COVID-19 who have a high risk for developing severe disease, reducing the need (or lowering the risk) for admission to hospital
oral:
* Paxlovid (most effective oral treatment to date)
* Lagevrio (molnupiravir)
covid - rna or dna virus?
RNA
RNA viruses vs DNA viruses - mutate
- RNA viruses - replicate using RNA polymerase which doesn’t proofread + makes many mistakes (generally no error correction ability) = mutations accumulate rapidly
- DNA viruses - replicate using DNA polymerase which do proofread + have cell repair mechanisms = much lower chance of mutating
reverse transcriptions
synthesis of DNA from an RNA template
RNA is starting material
link between Anti-RNA polymerase and protein synthesis
- Anti-RNA polymerase refers to substances or molecules that inhibit the activity of RNA polymerase –> disrupts/halts transcription –> decrease/absence of mRNA synthesis
- reduction/absence of mRNA molecules prevents translation –> disrupts protein synthesis
of variants genome mapped to date
13
covid variants
Alpha, beta, gamma, delta, omicron
antibiotic define
A chemical substance, generally produced by a microorganism, that kills bacteria or slows its growth
different classes of antibiotics
- quinolones
- macrolides
- streptogramins
bacteriostatic vs bactericidal antibiotics
- Bacteriostatic antibiotics: slows growth of bacteria by interfering with processes the bacteria need to multiply, e.g. DNA replication, protein production, etc.
- Bactericidal antibiotics: kill bacteria, e.g. by preventing bacteria from making a cell wall, cell membrane or its cell contents
quinolones - bacteriostatic or bactericidal?
bactericidal
macrolides - bacteriostatic or bactericidal?
bacteriostatic
streptogramins - bacteriostatic or bactericidal?
bactericidal
gram + vs gram -
- refers to the classification of bacteria by the colour they turn in the staining method
- gram + has thick peptidoglycan cell wall, more susceptible to antibiotics that target the cell wall BC higher permeability with no outer membrane
- gram - has thin peptidoglycan cell wall, more resistant to antibiotics BC complex cell wall + has outer membrane (selective permeability)
quinolones - research and effectiveness
- interfere with bacteria DNA (!!!) replication + transcription (inhibit bacteria’s ability to grow/infect cells in body)
- broad-spectrum antiobiotic
- quite effective against gram-negative bacteria (e.g. E. coli)
quinolones examples
- ciprofloxacin - treat people exposed to anthrax / certain types of plague
- levofloxacin - treat pneumonia, UTIs, sinus infections
- trovafloxacin - treat pneumonia, abdominal infections, etc.