Diseases of Immunity: Immune-Mediated Disorders
Master hypersensitivity, autoimmunity, immunodeficiency, transplant rejection, and amyloidosis for clinical practice
Why do some bodies attack themselves, fail to defend against ordinary microbes, or react violently to harmless pollens? The immune system is one of medicine's most powerful and most dangerous biological networks, and when it misfires the consequences range from a stubborn rash to life-threatening anaphylaxis, organ failure, or fatal infection. This course gives you a rigorous, clinically grounded tour of immune-mediated disease, translating dense immunology into the recognizable syndromes you will encounter on the wards, in pathology, and on board examinations.
You will begin with a focused review of the normal immune response, covering innate and adaptive immunity, antigen presentation through the MHC system, T and B cell activation, immunological memory, and the cytokine networks that coordinate every immune reaction. From there you will walk through the four classical Gell and Coombs hypersensitivity reactions, mastering IgE-mediated allergy and anaphylaxis, antibody-mediated cytotoxicity, immune complex disease, and delayed cell-mediated reactions including granulomatous inflammation. You will study self-tolerance and its breakdown, then dissect systemic autoimmune diseases such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic sclerosis alongside organ-specific disorders including Type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto thyroiditis, multiple sclerosis, and myasthenia gravis.
The course then explores primary immunodeficiencies including SCID, DiGeorge syndrome, Bruton agammaglobulinemia, and common variable immunodeficiency, before tackling HIV pathogenesis and the AIDS-defining illnesses that mark immune collapse. You will examine transplant immunology including hyperacute, acute, and chronic rejection, graft-versus-host disease, and the major immunosuppressive drug classes used in clinical practice. The course closes with amyloidosis as an immune-related systemic disease, tying together the unifying themes of immune-mediated pathology.
Designed for medical, pathology, and immunology students as well as clinicians who want a comprehensive refresher, this course turns intimidating immunopathology into clear, memorable mechanisms you can apply at the bedside. Enroll now and build the durable mental framework you need to reason through any immune-mediated disease with confidence.
What you'll learn
- Explain innate and adaptive immunity, antigen presentation, and immunological memory
- Differentiate the four Gell and Coombs hypersensitivity reactions with classic disease examples
- Analyze mechanisms of self-tolerance and how their breakdown causes autoimmunity
- Compare systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases including SLE, RA, and MS
- Recognize primary immunodeficiency patterns from SCID to common variable immunodeficiency
- Trace HIV pathogenesis from CD4 depletion to AIDS-defining opportunistic infections
- Distinguish hyperacute, acute, and chronic graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease
- Identify major immunosuppressive drug classes and their mechanisms of action
- Classify amyloidosis subtypes and connect each to its underlying immunopathology
- Apply immunological reasoning to interpret real clinical presentations
Course outline
28 on-demand lessons across self-paced modules. Expand each part to see what it covers.
Foundations & framework
- Explain innate and adaptive immunity, antigen presentation, and immunological memory
- Differentiate the four Gell and Coombs hypersensitivity reactions with classic disease examples
Core concepts in depth
- Analyze mechanisms of self-tolerance and how their breakdown causes autoimmunity
- Compare systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases including SLE, RA, and MS
Implementation & practice
- Recognize primary immunodeficiency patterns from SCID to common variable immunodeficiency
- Trace HIV pathogenesis from CD4 depletion to AIDS-defining opportunistic infections
Mastery & real-world application
- Distinguish hyperacute, acute, and chronic graft rejection and graft-versus-host disease
- Identify major immunosuppressive drug classes and their mechanisms of action
- Classify amyloidosis subtypes and connect each to its underlying immunopathology
- Apply immunological reasoning to interpret real clinical presentations
Common questions
How is the course delivered?
Entirely on-demand video on Udemy. Learn at your own pace, on any device, with lifetime access once enrolled.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes — Udemy issues a certificate of completion once you finish all lessons.
What do I need before starting?
Basic understanding of human anatomy and physiology
Is there a refund if it's not for me?
Udemy's standard 30-day money-back guarantee applies to every course.