Upon entering graduate school, you heard rumors about a student, who was totally inspired by a "rusty nail experience". Your experiences, while not so traumatic, have also led you to this point. You join a lab that studies T-dependent responses of the immune system.
Describe the development of a T-dependent immune response. Include details of B cells, T cells, and all relevant cytokines .
Describe the development of a T-independent immune response, and be sure to include all the relevant information.
Finally design a study to examine a T-dependent response to a specific bacterial pathogen.
How does the variety of expressed cytokines predict whether an immune system response will be T-dependent or T-independent?
How will the experiment be performed? Be sure to include details of the hypothesis, experimental design, and necessary controls.
Describe the expected results and the next experimental question that you would attempt to answer.
You are now a prominent scientist and research money is no object. Additionally, as you have completed your investigation into the normal functioning of the immune system, you embark on a career focused on the study of autoimmune disease, specifically lupus. Please answer the following questions.
What are the clinical features of lupus?
How is the functioning of the IS specifically altered during this disease?
List and describe at least 2 experiments to study this disease. (Include details of your hypothesis, experimental design, expected results, and conclusions)
For experiment one, please design a FACs experiment, where you identify a cell population that is dysfunctional during disease. Include in your answer your FACs gating strategy, which you used to identify the dysfunctional cell population. Please draw at least 3 FACs plots, to demonstrate how these cells are defined.
For experiment two, you may design the experiment of your choice; however, please include all the relevant details.