Course Overview

SCI-424: Immune System (3 Credits)
Program(s): CMR

COURSE CONSULTANTS

SEVENTH AND EIGHTH EDITIONS:

Joseph T. DiPiro, PharmD
Professor, Executive Dean
South Carolina College of Pharmacy
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
University of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina

Courtney V. Fletcher, PharmD
Professor, Department of Clinical Pharmacy
University of Colorado
School of Pharmacy
Denver, Colorado

Larry W. Williams, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Allergy
and Immunology
Duke University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina

Who Should Take This Course:
Sales representatives and managers who interact with healthcare professionals, including primary care physicians, pediatricians, obstetricians and gynecologists, internists, hematologists, allergists, and oncologists, who treat disorders of the immune system, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), leukemias, and transplant rejection.

Career Applications/Benefits:
Disorders of the immune system appear in virtually every healthcare provider’s practice. The study of immunology is one of the most heavily researched and rapidly advancing medical disciplines, due in part to the current epidemic of HIV/AIDS. Developing an understanding of immune system disorders and the role pharmacology plays in their treatment will help healthcare representatives and others to appreciate the challenges faced by professionals who treat patients with these disorders. Information provided in this course will allow representatives to discuss key features and benefits of pharmaceutical therapies with physicians, pharmacists, and others who treat patients with disorders of the immune system.

Course Description:
This course describes the many pharmacologic resources available to modulate the immune response and correct immune system failures. The course begins by describing the immune system and its functions. It then provides an overview of disorders commonly associated with the immune system and drugs that complement immune system function or compensate for dysfunction. The course then describes the etiology, symptoms, diagnostic data, and treatment of some selected disorders, and discusses the effects of aging on immunity.

Related Courses:
• Diabetes: Approaches in Disease Management
• Diabetes Virtual Preceptorship
• Focus on Women’s Health
• Integumentary System
• Introduction to Pharmacology
• Musculoskeletal System
• Oncology: Treatment and Management
• The Respiratory System

Chapter Content:

Chapter 1: Anatomy and Physiology of the Immune System
	Purpose and Basic Components of the Immune System Foundation of Immunity: White Blood Cells, Mast Cells, and Platelets Acquired Immunity: The Role of Lymphocytes The B Lymphocyte System: Antibody-Mediated Immunity The T Lymphocyte System: Cell-Mediated Immunity Review of the Immune Response
Chapter 2: Pharmacology Related to the Immune System
	Overview of Immune System Disorders Pharmacology Relevant to the Immune System Inflammation and Anti-inflammatory Drugs Antihistamines Miscellaneous Classes and Agents: Vaccines Miscellaneous Classes and Agents: Allergen Testing and Immunotherapy Miscellaneous Classes and Agents: Immunosuppressants and Immunomodulators Miscellaneous Classes and Agents: Immunoenhancers
Chapter 3: Disorders of the Immune System
	Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection Leukemias Hypersensitivity Transplant Rejection Decline in Immune Response with Aging

Learning Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to discuss the immune response with respect to cellular interactions in both humoral and cell-mediated responses; discuss disorders related to the immune system, including the disease process and methods of treatment; and relate the pharmacology relevant to immune system disorders to the total concept of the immune system physiology.