Immune and Immune Disorders 2024

React and Overreact: Exploring the Four Faces of Hypersensitivity - Team 18

Media Type: Video

Summary

team_18_image.jpgOur project explores hypersensitivity, a condition where the body excessively reacts to harmless substances or situations. The immune system can be considered an overly diligent security guard that sometimes wrongly identifies harmless elements as threats, triggering unnecessary defensive actions. These reactions range from mild, such as itching and sneezing, to severe, including conditions where the body attacks its own cells. To make this complex topic more engaging and accessible, we created an interactive motion video. This medium combines visual storytelling with explanatory voice-overs to illustrate the mechanisms, outcomes, and examples of the four types of hypersensitivity. Our choice of topic stems from our group’s initial struggle to differentiate between hypersensitivity types on past assessments. Our goal was not only to deepen our own understanding of hypersensitivity but also to provide a clear, informative resource for future pathology students to assist them with their studying. Understanding hypersensitivity is crucial, given its prevalence and the variety of ways it can affect individuals. We chose the video format for its ability to keep viewers engaged and to enhance comprehension via visual aids. By breaking down the science into more simple concepts, we aim to clarify hypersensitivity for a broad audience, emphasizing its importance and relevance in health and everyday life. This approach ensures that the topic is not only more approachable but also memorable, providing viewers with a solid foundation in recognizing and appreciating the complexities of the immune system’s response mechanisms.

Keywords: Hypersensitivity, Immune System, Allergies, Complement System, Antibodies, Tolerance

Navigating Myasthenia Gravis - An Interactive Infographic Journey - Team 39

Media Type: Infographic

Summary

team_39_image.jpgThe topic we chose is Myasthenia Gravis and the format is an interactive infographic. We chose Myasthenia Gravis because we wanted to learn more about this fascinating example of type II hypersensitivity reaction. We thought an interactive infographic would be a new and exciting way of presenting the information. Myasthenia Gravis is a condition where muscle contractions cannot occur properly due to antibodies destroying the acetylcholine receptors that allow for the contraction signal to be propagated. Since there are antibodies attacking “self” receptors, it is classified as an auto-immune disease or specifically, a type II hypersensitivity reaction. Type II hypersensitivity reactions are antibody mediated which means that antibodies are directed against target antigens and cause cellular dysfunction. Symptoms of this condition include muscle weakness, fatigue, slurred speech, difficulty breathing, swallowing, and moving the eyes. A basic summary of the treatments includes various immunosuppressive medications, symptomatic treatment, supportive care, and potential thymus surgery. Our assignment can serve as a way to shed light on myasthenia gravis and its detrimental effects on patients' everyday lives. It allows individuals to learn about the complex nature of the disease and hopefully spark interest in individuals that want to help in research. There are rare subtypes of Myasthenia Gravis that are not as well understood as well as understanding the role of the thymus in the disease’s pathogenesis.

Keywords: Myasthenia Gravis, Autoimmune Disorder Type II (antibody mediated) Hypersensitivity Acetylcholine, Receptor, IgG Antibodies, Muscle Weakness

Everything you need to know about the peanut problem: allergy awareness - Team 45

Media Type: Infographic

Summary

team_45_image.jpgAs the number of people allergic to peanuts continues to rise, currently surpassing 2% of the population in the Western world, peanut allergies have emerged as one of the fastest-growing health concerns in recent years. A peanut allergy is a potentially life-threatening immune system reaction to proteins in peanuts. Symptoms range from mild itching to difficulty breathing upon peanut exposure. The number of accidental exposures to peanuts is higher in comparison to other allergens and may result in potentially severe reactions like an anaphylactic attack if left untreated. We chose our topic on peanut allergies to educate potential new parents on the risks and ways to avoid or try to fix peanut allergies, where there is a history of peanut allergies in the family. To deliver our message to the mass public in the fastest and most efficient way, we chose to create an infographic.

Firstly, infographics can provide visually appealing representations to simplify complex information on symptoms, risk factors, and management strategies for peanut allergies and can promote awareness of our message better than plain text. Including a video-link showing additional scientific information on the mechanism of peanut allergies provides an additional level of detail for those interested. The visual elements like videos and images on an infographic make it memorable and help enhance retention of key concepts. Moreover, an infographic’s accessibility across various platforms, including social media and educational sites, ensures a rapid spread of critical information.

Overall, an infographic format was chosen as the best way to present information about peanut allergy for its ability to simplify complex information, engage viewers in a creative fashion, and facilitate an understanding and awareness of this significant health concern. A quick and easy glance at one of these catchy health infographics might possibly save someone’s life, or even your own!

Keywords: Peanut Allergy, Type 1 hypersensitivity, Immune Response, Desensitization, Anaphylaxis, Inflammation.

Systemic Lupus: Immunity's Double-Edged Sword - Team 46

Media Type: Infographic

Summary

team_46_images.jpgOur PULSE assignment focuses on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), a chronic inflammatory disease caused by a failure in the immune system. When our body fails to recognize and distinguish harmful entities from our own cells, it triggers a widespread immune response capable of damaging our tissues through chronic inflammation. With its non-specific characterizations, SLE can affect any part of the body, but it most commonly affects the skin, joints, and kidneys. The most important characteristic of SLE is the presence and deposition of immune complexes in our tissues. When the immune system mistakenly identifies the body’s own cells as foreign, antibodies against self-cells, known as autoantibodies, are produced. When these autoantibodies bind to their corresponding self-cells, immune complexes are formed. These immune complexes then circulate in the bloodstream and eventually deposit in our tissues and organs, triggering widespread inflammation and eventual tissue damage. We have decided to provide an infographic illustrating the disease process of SLE, highlighting how it develops and manifests in our bodies. We believe that an infographic would provide a good resource in helping students to understand the disease by providing visual explanations. This encourages students to visualize the processes involved in development of SLE, helping them connect the body’s immune responses to the clinical implications of SLE.

Keywords: Lupus, Immune Complex, Chronic Inflammation, Tissue Damage, Autoantibodies, Autoimmunity