Here we go! As previously noted, I am working on a companion volume
for a new edition of a major cellbiology text, and am in charge of
generating questions about such diverse topics as immunology,
cytoskeletons, ECM etc. The first chapter is immunology; this will be
crossposted to cellbiology and immunology. Any and all responses will
be greatly appreciated; all respondents will get credit in the preface
of the companion volume. Have a go at these, and thanks in advance
Dave
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Dave Rintoul Internet: drintoul at ksu.ksu.edu
Biology Division - KSU Latitude 39.18, Longitude -96.34
Manhattan KS 66506-4901 Compuserve: 71634,32
(913)-532-6663 or 5832 FAX: (913)-532-6653
ideas for higher level questions - I am not an immunologist and I have
only some vague ideas about the answers to some of these questions.
Any help would be appreciated, as would ideas for other questions in
the same vein.
1. In the textbook it states that patients with SCID (severe combined
immunodeficiency) "previously could be kept alive only in s sterile
environment, but now can be cured by bone marrow transplantation.
Patients lacking a suitable marrow donor re being treated
experimentally by gene therapy." My response to this is: What
constitutes a suitable vs unsuitable bone marrow donor for a person
who completely lacks an immune response?
2. In the textbook it states that tolerance can be induced in mature
animals by inoculation with large amounts of the antigen. What is the
mechanism behind this observation? DOes it involve B-cell anergy?
3. Why do we have an MHC? Why aren't these genes (encoding for
structurally unrelated proteins such as the class I and class II
proteins, peptidases, glycosyltransferases, cytokines, peptide
transporters, and even some mystery genes) scattered about the genome?
4. Induction of a classical immune response is dependent upon T cell
help, in response to antigen degradation and presentation in the
context of MHC molecules. How do large carbohydrates induce an immune
response, if only proteins (peptides) can be found in the binding
cleft of the MHC class II molecules?
--
Dave Rintoul Internet: drintoul at ksu.ksu.edu
Biology Division - KSU Latitude 39.18, Longitude -96.34
Manhattan KS 66506-4901 Compuserve: 71634,32
(913)-532-6663 or 5832 FAX: (913)-532-6653
