BioTech Week 3

Compare and contrast the innate and the adaptive immune responses
(based on speed and specificity

Innate:

• skin, nose, respiratory tract

• nonspecific

• many def immune cells and mechanism

• INCLUDES phagocytosis

Adaptive:

• slow initial response

  • forms “memory” of exposure

  • faster response on second exposure

• B Cells and T Cells

  • works separately and together

• specific for pathogens

What is the role of B cells in immunity

responsible for making anti-bodies

What is a vaccine trying to mimic and why?

the first exposure, so the immune system () can quickly respond om the second exposure.

What are the two different ways of whole virus administration?

Live Attenuated (Weakend)

• Pro:

  • seen as a threat but cant be efficiently replicated

  • longer duration of immunity

• Con:

  • small chance of infection

  • requires refrigeration

Inactivated/”Killed”

• Pros

  • replication is impossible;e

  • immune system still recognizes threat

  • more stable, doesn’t need attenuated

• Cons

  • shorter duration of immunity

Describe the portion of the SARS-CoV2 vaccine that would be most useful in an mRNA vaccine.

the mRNA sequence that codes for the spike proteins

list sequence of events from vaccine injection to development of antibodies

1. cell translate message for spike portion and display cell surface

2. T cells share spike proteins ”message” with B cells, which make antibodies to match

What are the phases of clinical trials?

1. testing safety and dosage (20-100 healthy volunteers)

   • are there serious side effects?

2. expanded in safety trials (several hundred volunteers)

   • how are the immune systems responding

3. in large-scale efficacy tests (hundreds of thousands )

   • is it effective?

How is vaccine efficacy calculated?

1. find the covid rate in placebo and vaccine separately

2. put into percentage

3. Relative risk is determined by vaccine rate/placebo rate.

4. do 100- relative risk = efficacy rate

Why was a COVID vaccine so rapidly availble?

what is the simple definition for immunity?

The immune system determining self vs nonself

• exceptions like allergies

What are the two types of antibodies? What do they do?

Neutralizing antibodies - directly interfere with infection

Non-neutralizing antibodies - bind with infection and may help signal other immune cells

What is a subunit vaccine?

-use just a piece of the virus or bacteria —> proteins

How to genetic material only vaccines work? Pros and cons

portion of genome

• host cell uses this to make protein

• the immune system recognizes the protein and makes antibodies

Pro

• fast to synthesize

• cant cause disease

Cons

• only approved for non humans until now

What are the 3 categories of vaccines?

1. Whole virus

2. Subunit/ parts

3. just the genetic material

What are the different ways to “deliver” genome to host cells?

• paste into bacterial plasmid

• coat in a lipid envelope

• place in a different virus that is inactivated

herd immunity

Herd immunity is the indirect protection from infectious diseases that occurs when a large portion of a population becomes immune. It happens when enough people are vaccinated or have already had the disease, making it harder for the infection to spread and protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated.

This is defined as “resistance to the spread of poor health when a high proportion of individuals across all demographics are “immune” to negative social determinants”

pre-existing conditions

Medical conditions that exist before obtaining health insurance coverage. They can include chronic illnesses, such as diabetes or asthma, or previous injuries. Pre-existing conditions may affect the cost and availability of insurance coverage, as some insurers may exclude or limit coverage for these conditions.

social determinants of health vs. health disparities

determinants —> social factors that influence health, wellness, and degree of vulnerability (± or neutral)

disparity —> the specific disproportions or burdens on one’s health

• some are measurable not all

• disability, illness, death, risk of disease

Upstream approaches to health

Effective prevention/wellness

neoliberalism

emphasis on the cost-benefit analysis model of human and environmental health to determine who lives and dies

• emphasis on individual health responsibility

social life of disease

historical and social experiances

health landscape

visualizes health disparities

• variables —> urbanization, habitat loss

diseases of despair

These diseases of despair are often associated with socioeconomic factors, such as unemployment and poverty, and can have severe consequences on individuals and communities and increase the likelihood of becoming depressed or addicted