BEB - PHD Programme

Preventing Disease Before It Begins: Mucosal associated lymphoid tissues are the first line of host defense. These surfaces most often successfully exclude harmful elements from the body. On the other hand, it is well known that the most common infections begin at the mucosa. Therefore, solutions to prevent these infections may include the development of mucosal vaccines. Creative solutions to design mucosal vaccines can only succeed if investigators with different backgrounds work and think together. The aim of this course is to promote a discussion on key topics on the development of mucosal vaccines giving emphasis to mucosal immunology.
Invited speakers:

Pavel Bostik, MD, PhD (Professor and Director) Center for Advanced Studies Faculty of Military Health Sciences University of Defence, Hradec Kralove Czech Republic 

Ed Lavelle, PhD (lecturer in immunology)
School of Biochemistry and Immunology
Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin
Ireland

Gerrit Borchard, PhD (Professor)
Biopharmaceutical Sciences
School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Geneva-Lausanne University
Geneva, Switzerland

António Gil, PhD (Senior Investigator)
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Fernando Rodrigues, PhD (Senior Investigator)
Life and Health Sciences Research Institute, University of Minho
Braga, Portugal

Helena Sá, MD, PhD (Professor)
Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra
Portugal

Manuel Santos Rosa, MD, PhD (Professor and Director of the Immunology Dpt)
Faculty of Medicine; University of Coimbra
Portugal

Frederico Regateiro, MD, PhD (Professor)
Faculty of Medicine; University of Coimbra
Portugal

Paulo Rodrigues Santos, MD, PhD
Faculty of Medicine; University of Coimbra
Portugal

CNC researchers:

Olga Borges, PhD (vectors and gene therapy group)
and Professor Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra

Teresa Cruz, PhD (cellular immunology and oncobiology group)
and professor Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra

Teresa Gonçalves, PhD (yeast research group)
and professor Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra

Agenda:

12th March (Monday)

Free Morning

14:00 h - Introduction/Welcome
Olga Borges; CNC-FFUC

14:15 h – 15:00 h – Allergen vaccines
Gerrit Borchard; Genève

15:15h –16:00h Overview of immune system and mucosal immunology
Manuel Santos Rosa; University of Coimbra

16:00h - 16:45h - Innate responses at mucosal interface
Paulo Rodrigues Santos; University of Coimbra
Q&A with speakers

13th March (Tuesday)

9:30h-10:15h "What makes mucosal vaccines antigenic? The role of adjuvants"
Gerrit Borchard; University of Genève

10:15 h -11:30h “Initiation of immune responses by injectable vaccines”
Ed Lavelle; University of Dublin
Q&A with speakers
Presentation of an article by student’s group 1 (Ana Patrícia & André Soares)

14:00 h- 14:45 h "CD4 T cell anergy in immune response".
Pavel Bostik; University of Defence

15:00h-15:45h – Mucosal inductive sites and effector immune responses (from oral mucosa to MALT)
Helena Sá; University of Coimbra

15:45h-16:30h – Oral tolerance and regulation of mucosal immunity
Frederico Regateiro; University of Coimbra
Q&A with speakers
Presentation of an article by student’s group 2 (António Silva; Catarina Almeida & Dominique Fernandes)

14th March (Wednesday)

9:30 h – 11:30 h "HIV: history, pathogenesis and perspectives for intervention."
& "Role of the NK cells in AIDS".
Pavel Bostik; University of Defence
Presentation of an article by student’s group 3 (Joana Guedes; João Almeida; Marcelo Correia)

14:00h – 16:00h - “MALT. A good target for vaccines?
Ed Lavelle; University of Dublin
Presentation of an article by student’s group 4 (Mariline Silva & Sara Lopes)
Break

17:00 h – 17:45 h Open Seminar: “activation of innate and adaptive immunity by particulate vaccine adjuvants”
Ed Lavelle; University of Dublin
CNC auditorium

15th March (Thursday)

9:30 h – 11:30h “ Nanotechnology: an approach to the development of a mucosal vaccine”
Olga Borges; University of Coimbra

11:45 h – 12:45 h short (10 min to 15 min) presentations of research projects carried by participants
Dulce Bento; Ph.D student “Development of a mucosal anthrax vaccine: designing a prototypic multi-antigen polymeric delivery system”
Filipa Lebre; Ph.D student “Development of chitosan-based nanoparticles for nasal immunization against hepatitis B”
Sandra Jesus; Ph.D student: "Chitosan/PCL and PCL Nanoparticles as Nasal Vaccine Delivery Systems: Preparation and Characterization"

14:00h – 14:45h “Mucosal Immunity: A fine-tuned balance between Protection and Tolerance”
Gil Castro; University of Minho

14:45h – 15:30h “TL9 differential activation and B cell proliferation”
Fernando Rodrigues ; University of Minho
Q&A with speakers

Presentation of an article by student’s group 5 (Sofia Romano; Tânia Perestrelo; Michela Comune)

16th March (Friday)

10:15 h – 11:00 h –“Dendritic cells: the future of immunotherapy?”
Teresa Cruz; University of Coimbra

11:00 h – 11:45 h "The immunity to fungal infections and the real challenge of a fungal vaccine"
Teresa Gonçalves; University of Coimbra

12:00 h – close of the course
Olga Borges; University of Coimbra

Evaluation of each PhD student :  i) Assiduity & punctuality. ii) Participation in Sessions –Students are invited to discuss the topics with colleagues (student’s presentation) and with lecturers. iii) Quality of Presentation (maximum duration of 10 min/student).
Clarity and critical attitude towards the methodology and scientific results reported in the manuscript.
iv) Demonstration that knows the immunology basic concepts.