Vaccines and Immune Therapeutics

1 Course Unit

Vaccination is perhaps the most successful medical technological intervention. The goal of this course is to expand on students' general understanding of the immune system and to focus this understanding towards the application of modern vaccines and immune therapies in the 21st century. The course will provide the student with a sense of how these principles are applied to a vaccine and immune therapeutic development. The course covers basic vaccine science and describes how this science is translated through clinical, regulatory, ethical, and political issues to result in a final vaccine product. The courses' goal is to leave the student with an understanding of the implications of modern vaccines /immunotherapies and their impact on world health. Initial lectures review immune mechanisms believed to be responsible for vaccine-induced protection from disease. Subsequent lectures build on this background to explore the science of vaccines for diverse pathogens, including agents of bioterrorism, as well as vaccines and immunotherapies for cancer. An appreciation for the application of laboratory science to the clinical development and clinical trials of vaccines are provided. An important focus on the regulatory, safety, and ethical implications of vaccines in different world situations based on true world examples are presented. The financial implications of specific vaccines with these implications for global health is a focus of the course. The course is presented in a lecture-style consisting of multiple distinguished guest lecturers who are experts in their particular area of vaccine development. There are required readings to provide the student context and background for the diverse lectures. Students are graded on course participation and a final project/exam which the students will present. The project is to design a vaccine strategy for a current disease or pathogen of importance that does not as yet have an effective vaccine or immune therapy and present this to the class. Strategies used should build on the material presented in the class lectures. The course is intended for graduate students or medical students in various MS, Ph.D., or MD/Ph.D. programs on the campus, as well as local scientists and professionals in the community. As a prerequisite, students should have taken biology, biochemistry, or immunology courses at the advanced college level. This course is offered in the fall semester. Prerequisite: Biology, Biochemistry at the advanced college level, college-level immunology is recommended. Not limited to CAMB students, however first options are to CAMB students, the permission of the Fall Also Offered As: IMUN 6090 1 Course Unit