Find Me a -mAb!

Draw IgM

End of Term Reflection

This was my second time taking Introduction to Immunology at ODU. The previous time, I had tried to take a 6-week condensed version of the course during the summer semester while also juggling work and two other condensed courses. I learned very quickly that the subject of immunology is so incredibly complex and has so much depth that it was not feasible to take it without having the time and energy required to truly absorb everything.

I’m very glad I made that decision, not just for my sanity, but because this time around, I felt like I wasn’t just memorizing seven hundred different molecule names, but really learning how all of these systems interact with each other and work to reach the end goal of immunity.

As an aspiring physical therapist, I often only focus on the neuromuscular and skeletal aspects of rehabilitation, and the word inflammation is so often tossed around as this negative catch all source to chronic pain, even though it is just the regulated immune response that directly affects tissue healing and recovery. I now have a more accurate picture of how excessive, prolonged inflammation can slow down the healing process, how it creates those symptoms of swelling and stiffness, and how it can potentially worsen long-term tissue damage.

In the clinic, I often work with patients recovering from surgical repairs like ACL reconstruction, where the outcome depends heavily on whether inflammation transitions properly toward tissue remodeling and repair rather than remaining chronically active. This course helped me understand how and why the immune system shifts from a pro-inflammatory state (M1) to a tissue repair state (M2) during healing.