Moodle at CCNM

This lecture addresses the environmental impact that our global food production has on our air, water, and land resources. With up to 200 species of plants, insects, animals and fish going extinct daily, we are currently into the largest mass extinction since the dinosaurs went extinct 66 million years ago! A detailed look at the major contributors to greenhouse gases, water and land depletion will be followed by a look at “Blue Zones”, the ideal diet, and how through our daily eating habits we can not only effect the health of our environment but also optimize our health and extend our lifespan.

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.