Tutorial 5 - Tumor immunology Flashcards
CARDINAL FEATURES OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES: state the functional significance of specificity
ensures immune response to pathogen targets only that pathogen
CARDINAL FEATURES OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES: state the functional significance of diversity
enables immune system to respond to wide variety of pathogens
CARDINAL FEATURES OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES: state the functional significance of memory
augments ability to fight off repeated infections by same pathogen
CARDINAL FEATURES OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES: state the functional significance of clonal expansion
increases number of antigen-specific lymphocytes, matching the force of growing pathogen population
CARDINAL FEATURES OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES: state the functional significance of specialisation
generates responses especially effective against certain pathogens
CARDINAL FEATURES OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES: state the functional significance of contraction and homeostasis
allows immune system to recover after mounting an immune response, in preparation for the next
CARDINAL FEATURES OF ADAPTIVE IMMUNE RESPONSES: state the functional significance of nonreactivity to self
prevents injury to host during immune response
state the phases of the adaptive immune responses?
- Antigen recognition
- Lymphocyte activation
- Antigen elimination
- Contraction (homeostasis)
- Memory
‘antigen elimination’ is AKA?
effector phase
what occurs during the 4th phase of the adaptive immune response?
CONTRACTION:
antigen-stimulated lymphocytes die by apoptosis, homeostasis is restored and antigen specific cells which survive become memory cells
t/f: the duration of each of the phases in an adaptive immune response is always the same
false - may vary
define the abscopal effect?
Phenomenon within treatment of metastatic cancer where localized treatment of tumor causes shrinkage of not only this tumor, but also tumors in different compartments around the tumor
Generally, what does the abscopal effect apply to?
single-tumor, localised radiation therapy
How common is the abscopal effect?
extremely rare
Explain how the abscopal effect works?
- X-ray irradiator directly kills the localised tumor
- APC cells take antigen from this tumor, travel in blood to CD8 T cells
- CD8 T cells now know what to look for, go on hunt for and destroy secondary tumors
how can non-pathogenic microbes be beneficial?
- digestion
- energy for metabolism
- make essential vitamins
- Act as
t/f: there is 10x more human cells then microbial cells (non-human) in the human body
false - other way around
Describe how a childs microbiome forms?
- infants are born sterile (microbe free)
- first inoculum of microbes during childbirth (vaginal)
- then thru breast milk more introduced
- few weeks -> millions
- few years -> stable amounts
t/f: the characteristics of human microbiota change over time in response to varying environmental conditions and life stages
true - all diff types of bacteria n stuff haha
describe the relationship between microbes and a newborns immune system?
Maturing immune system relies on resident microbial communities to distinguish self and non-self, and develop various immune cells. For example, newborn’s gut microbiota trigger development and maturation of immune cells.
Resident microbial communities must be classified as ‘self’ because they are needed for various functions; immune system consults these communities (effectively functioning as memory banks) when a new microbe is encountered (basically, I.S. is like yo is he with you???)
Where are most the microbes in our immune system?
Mostly large intestine, but different groups of microbes prefer different areas
What contributes to the colonization/ growth of resident microbial communities?
Diet, hormones, bodily fluids, skin oils, genetic makeup, where we live etc
t/f: each person has own strains of microbes
true
State part of common medical practice which may be altering the balance of microbial communities?
antibiotics!
How do antibiotics routine use pose a threat in terms of collateral damage to the human body?
- production of antibiotic resistant bacteria (superbug)
2. unintended death of non-targeted bacteria (normal flora)
what causes antibiotic resistance to form?
patients don’t fully finish script, remaining bug community were the resistant ones, then its essentially the founder effect
It is thought there is a linkage between unintended antibiotic related microbiome destruction and what?
increased autoimmune disease - as body can no longer readily detect self and non-self
examples of autoimmune diseases?
rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, celiac, diabetes
explain the linkage between cancer treatment and microbiomes?
- patients recover faster when microbiomes in tact
- radiation and chemotherapy destroy microbiomes as collateral, this is why these treatments are hard to endure
- this encountered for by doctor’s storing patient microbiome (stool) before treatment, then inoculating patients with microbiome so they may quickly re-establish
