Paper Topics for Immunology

As stated in the syllabus, the paper you write should specifically focus on the cellular immunology of the topic you choose and there should be current journal articles written on the subject. For many of you the topic you that you will cover will be related to disease. While it is fine to briefly describe the important symptoms, it isabsolutely required that you discuss the pertinent immunology of the subject you are studying in your paper. Ideally, the biology will explain the resulting symptoms and you should make this link clear in your paper. I can provide you with more specifics on the topics listed below so please feel free to come and talk with me. Please do not feel constrained by these suggestions. Follow your own creative idea!
Pathogenesis

Staphylococcus and Streptococcus: Superantigens and their effect LPS and endotoxic shock: Neisseria meningitidis Hemorrhagic fevers and their effects through the immune system: Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, Ebola virus Immune evasion strategies of viruses: HIV, herpes simplex, Epstein-Barr, HHV-8 Living within the macrophage: Salmonella, Mycobacterium, Legionella Induction of lymphocyte apoptosis by bacteria: Yersinia Escaping the immune response: Listeria Influenza: antigenic drift/shift, vaccine design Anthrax pathogenesis related to the immune system West Nile virus pathogenesis related to the immune system
HIV/AIDS

Why do some HIV infected individuals (nonprogressors) never develop AIDS? Role of CTLs in HIV infection How does HIV decrease T cell counts so dramatically? Macrophages as a reservoir of HIV in infection HIV vaccine: design and ethics HIV immune evasion and problems for treatment/vaccine Immune evasion of HIV AIDS dementia Perinatal HIV transmission

Allergies/Asthma

Large increase in asthma How do animals become tolerized to the foods they eat? Food intolerance New therapies for allergies balancing the TH1 vs. TH2 response oral tolerization to antigens Specific allergic reactions: peanuts, shellfish, poison ivy Autoimmunity (there are others besides these!) Diabetes mellitus Systemic lupus erythematous Hashimoto's thyroiditis (apoptosis as a mechanism of autoimmunity) Rheumatoid arthritis
Tolerance

How do animals become tolerized to the foods they eat? Oral tolerization to antigens Neuroimmunology Multiple schlerosis and experimental allergic encephalomyeltis as a model Alzheimers disease Dementia in AIDS Stress and the immune system
Cancer

Immunotherapy for the treatment of cancer: cell immunotherapy Humanized monoclonal antibodies: Herceptin, anti-lymphoma antibody How do tumors cells evade/defeat the immune system? Kaposis sarcoma:and herpes virus (HHV-8) Papilloma virus and cervical cancer Cancers of immune cells: Hodgekins, leukemias Bone marrow transplantation
Treatment/Vaccines

Smallpox vaccine: development strategies, long-term immunity, herd immunity Anthrax vaccine Mucosal immunity and vaccines

Vaccine development strategies/safety viruses/bacteria as vectors for vaccine delivery peptide vaccines DNA vaccines Why is it so hard to make effectives vaccines against parasites? (e. g. malaria) Edible vaccines
Transplantation

Xenografting: possibilities, problems, and ethics Transplantation and infection: West Nile virus, Epstein-Barr virus, Hepatitis B/C Immunosupression: new ideas on preventing rejection Bone marrow transplants: graft versus host disease (GVHD) Immunodeficiences (there are others besides these) Lack of B and/or T cellsSevere combined immunodeficiency (SCID) Omenn syndrome Phagocytic defects- Chediak-Higashi syndrome Lack of B cells/antibody X-linked agammoglobulinemia, Wiscott-Aldrich syndrome Lack of T cellsMHC deficiencies X-linked SCID Ataxia telangiectasia Adenosine deaminase deficiency (ADA) Lack of complement- complement deficiences
Disease prevention

Obesity and the immune response Normal microbiota as a microbiological barrier and stimulator of immune system Do natural products/vitamins help the immune system? What happens when people stop vaccinating their children? Does stress affect the immune system? Aging Relationship to the immune system function

Immunological memory

How is it retained? Unknowns/risks of past and present smallpox immunizations Immunological mechanisms: Apoptosis: mechanism and prevention Antimicrobial peptides: defensins Nitric oxide (NO): antimicrobial effects How did the immune system evolve? M cells and the delivery of antigen from the GI tract to lymphoid tissue T cells and their role in the immune system