Cell Recognition and Targeting

Module Title: Cell recognition and targeting

Module Code: BE518
School: Biotechnology, Dublin City University
Module Coordinator: Richard O’KennedyOffice Number: X206

Level:5
Credit Rating: 7.5
Pre-requisite(s):None
Co-requisite(s):None

Module Aims:
To provide the student with an understanding of how cell surface molecules of the immune system can be exploited for targeting of therapeutics.
To provide the student with an understanding of how manipulation of cell surface molecules can be used in therapeutic intervention.
To give the student the relevant background and expertise to understands how antibodies are generated and applied for cell recognition and the delivery of therapeutics.
To provide the student with the relevant background information necessary to understand how genes of therapeutic interest are delivered to specific cell subtypes using antibody and viral-based systems.

Learning Outcomes:
On completion of this module, the student should be able to:

• Give an overview of the cells involved in innate and adaptive immunity.
• Describe key cell surface molecules that are important in cell interactions in the immune system.
• Discuss how targeting receptors involved in antigen recognition can be used for therapeutic benefit.
• Outline case studies which demonstrate the use of cell surface molecules in therapeutic intervention.
• Provide an overview of antibody production
• Understand how various antibody-based molecules can be derived by chemical and recombinant approaches.
• Comprehend the problems associated with targeted delivery and how they may be overcome
• Understand the rationale in designing specific targeting approaches and their selection
• Give an overview of transgene delivery using viral vectors
• Describe the background to and construction of recombinant adenoviral vectors
• Describe the background to and construction of recombinant lentiviral vectors.
• Understand the concept, design and delivery of nucleic acid therpeutics
• Understand cell lineage-specific/viral specific transcriptional control elements
• Discuss strategies for pseudotyping recombinant viral vectors
• Discuss candidate disorders for therapeutic intervention

Indicative Time Allowances:
Hours
Lectures: 20
Journal-club presentations: 4
Tutorials and student presentations: 6
Independent Learning Time: 82.5
TOTAL: 112.5

Indicative Syllabus:

• Overview of innate and adaptive immunity
  
• Cell surface markers of the immune system
  
• Manipulation of cell surface markers for therapeutic intervention
  
• Use of cell surface markers for targeting to immune cells
  
• Overview of antibody production
  
• Recombinant antibodies and antibody fragments
  
• Targeting: antibody-based strategies and their associated problems
  
• Procedures for labelling antibodies
  
• Cell recognition; selection of surface markers and value for antibody targeting
  
• Problems associated with antibody use in targeting; in vitro and in vivo and how they may be overcome.
  
• Case studies to illustrate rationale used
  
• Case studies where students must work singly and in groups to design a strategy for targeting. This will relate specifically to research projects associated directly with the overall focus of the graduate school and its research aims.
  
• Overview of transgene delivery using recombinant viruses
  
• Recombinant Adenoviral vectors: design, construction and applications
  
• Recombinant Lentiviral vectors: design, construction and applications
  
• Targeted transduction strategies for recombinant Lentiviral vectors
  
• Transcriptional targeting of recombinant viral vectors
  
• Gene silencing using recombinant viral vectors
  
• Candidate disorders for therapeutic intervention (selected topics)

  Assessment:
  Presentations/Case Studies (x 4) 25 % each
  TOTAL: 100%

  Indicative Reading List:
  Roitt, I. et al. Essential Immunology, Blackwell, 2006.
  Wilson, K. and Walker J. Principles and Techniques of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 6th Edition, Cambridge University Press, 2005.
  An up-to-date list of relevant reviews articles from scientific journals will be provided annually