Principles of Mucosal Immunology

The Society for Mucosal Immunology advances research and education related to the field of mucosal immunology. Phillip D. Smith, MD, is Professor of Medicine and Microbiology and The Mary J Bradford Professor of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alabama. Thomas T. MacDonald, PhD, FRCPath, FMedSci, is Dean for Research and Professor of Immunology, Centre for Immunology and Infectious Disease, at Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London. Richard S. Blumberg, MD, is Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Chief, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.

I. Development and Structure of Mucosal Tissue
1. Overview of the Mucosal Immune System Structure
2. Phylogeny of the Mucosal Immune System
3. Immunological and Functional Differences Among Individual Compartments of the Mucosal Immune System
4. Secreted Effectors of the Innate Mucosal Barrier


II. Cellular Constituents of Mucosal Immune Systems and Their Function in Mucosal Homeostasis
5. Immune Function of Epithelial Cells
6. Intraepithelial Lymphocytes: Unusual T Cells at Epithelial Surfaces
7. Lymphocyte Populations within the Lamina Propria
8. Mucosal B Cells and Their Function
9. Secretory Immunoglobulins and Their Transport
10. Role of Dendritic Cells in Integrating Immune Responses to Lumenal Antigens
11. Intestinal Macrophages in Defense of the Mucosa
12. Mucosal Basophils, Mast Cells, and Eosinophils
13. M Cells and the Follicle-Associated Epithelium
14. Lymphocyte Trafficking from Inductive Sites to Effector Sites
15. Mucosal Tolerance


III. Microbial Commensalism
16. Recognition of Microbe-Associated Molecular Patterns by Pattern Recognition Receptors
17. The Commensal Micorbiota and Its Relationship to Homeostasis and Disease


IV. Genitourinary Tract
18. The Immune System of the Genitourinary Tract
19. Mucosal Immune Responses to Microbes in the Genitourinary Tract


V. Nose, Airways, Oral Cavity, and Eyes
20. Immunobiology of the Nose, Upper Airways, and Oral Cavity
21. Bronchial Associated Lymphoid Tissue and Immune-mediated Respiratory Diseases
22. The Ocular Surface as a Mucosal Immune Site


VI. Infectious Diseases of Mucosal Surfaces
23. Mucosal Interactions with Enteropathogenic Bacteria
24. Heliobacter pylori Infection
25. Viral Infections
26. Infection-driven Periodontal Disease
27. Vaccine Strategies for Mucosal Infections


VII. Specific Immune-mediated Diseases of Mucosal Surfaces
28. Celiac Disease
29. IgA Nephropathy
30. Mucosal Manifestations of Immunodeficiencies
31. Inflammatory Bowel Disease
32. Food Sensitive and Eosinophilic Enteropathies