Course Overview:
The elective course on advanced topics in immunology and antibody development is designed to provide fifth/sixth-year medical students with a comprehensive understanding of immunization processes and the development of monoclonal antibodies. The course explores cutting-edge techniques and applications in antibody research and immunotherapy. Students will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on laboratory exercises and seminars, enabling them to gain practical experience and contribute to the advancement of immunotherapy research.
The course is intended primarily for students who are oriented towards molecular medicine and branches that include immunology, infectology, microbiology, oncology, pathology, pharmacology, molecular diagnostics, etc.; also to those students who want to understand the molecular basis on which the processes of immunization and antibody production are based, such as future epidemiologists and experts involved in vaccine development. The aim of the course is to integrate acquired theoretical knowledge from immunology and infectology using examples and to empower the student in experimental work in the laboratory using the example of the development of monoclonal antibodies to a protein antigen.
Course Structure:
L1 (1h) Introduction to immunization processes and the production of proteins as immunogens
L2 (2h) The process of producing monoclonal antibodies using the hybridoma technique and the phage display technique
L3 (1h) Recombinant antibodies, protein-based vaccines and vaccines using proteins as carriers
L4 (2h) Development of antibodies for the needs of immunotherapy with examples of own patents in the immunotherapy of tumors (1h) and viruses (1h)
Exercises (14 h): The maximum number of students is limited to three due to the experimental nature of the course and the use of several scientific laboratories. The exercises will include 14 hours of experimental work with supervision of procedures involved in the development and characterization of murine monoclonal antibodies, including but not limited to: BCA assay of immunogen concentration in a sample; ELISA assay of supernatant of hybridoma cell lines (1/3 of 96-well plate) for immunogen of interest; test of positive supernatants of hybridoma cell lines to identify native immunogens by immunofluorescence or flow cytometry or immunoblotting method - exercises are adapted to current laboratory activities.
Seminars (5h): Presentations of the students' experimental results in the form of a report which, in addition to the achieved results, will contain a short theoretical introduction to the research problem and the possibility of exploiting the antibodies in the development of which they participated.