Presenter: Heather Zwickey, PhD

Original Date: March 18, 2018

A healthy immune system should be responsive to infectious disease and tolerant to self. As we gain a better understanding of how the immune system goes awry during autoimmune disease, we have discovered new mechanisms of self-tissue destruction. This presentation provides an update on three aspects of the immune system, and their role in autoimmunity.

IL-17 is involved in the elimination of extra-cellular bacteria and fungi. However, IL-17 is also found in autoimmune lesions, suggesting that it can be pathogenic or beneficial depending upon the context. Likewise, while TNFalpha helps keep tumors at bay, it can be highly destructive in autoimmunity. Finally, we will examine the breadth of auto-antibodies to determine which are ubiquitous and which are truly predictive of disease. We will discuss the immunological chemicals as well as the pharmaceuticals – biologics – used to block these chemicals.

1.5 Pharmacology CEUs approved by OBNM