Education Series; First Line Defense: The Immune System

The University of Nebraska Medical Center and 10 sites across Nebraska

invite the public to attend UNMC Mini-Medical School, a free health educational

series for four consecutive Thursdays beginning Sept. 27. The four-part

series, titled, First Line Defense: The Immune System will focus on the

immune system and its role, ways to boost the immune system to fight diseases,

from the common cold to cancer and AIDS, and promising new therapies for

treating diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis.

The free series will be held Sept. 27, Oct. 4, 11 and 18, from 6:30

to 8:30 p.m. central time. It will be broadcast live from Omaha via satellite

to: Columbus, Grand Island, Kearney, Lincoln, Norfolk, North Platte, ONeill,

Red Cloud and Scottsbluff. Anyone with NebSat2 can downlink the series.

The goal of Mini-Medical School is to educate Nebraskans on health

issues that affect them and the world in which they live, as well as highlight

the strides being made in research at UNMC. The series is geared for the

public. This is the 12th series. Previous topics included the brain, cancer,

womens health, genetics, heart disease, geriatrics, diabetes and respiratory

systems.

“No matter where you live, what you eat, or how well you take care of

yourself, your body is under continuous attack by various agents,” said

Geoffrey Thiele, Ph.D., UNMC associate professor,  departments of

Internal Medicine and Pathology and Microbiology. “These agents include

viruses, bacteria, parasites, malignant cells, allergens and toxins which

may cause mild to serious illness and even death.”

Researchers are investigating the complexities of the immune system.

One thing theyve learned is that a defect in any part of the immune system

can leave the body defenseless, allowing a mild infection to turn into

a life-threatening situation. UNMC Mini-Medical School participants will

learn about the immune system and what UNMC health-care professionals are

doing to improve the health of Nebraskans.

UNMC Mini-Medical School dates, topics and presenters:

Sept. 27 First Line Defense from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Immunology 101 — Learn about the basic components of the immune

system, how they are involved in inflammation, and how specific immune

responses occur, presented by Geoffrey Thiele, Ph.D., associate professor,

pathology/microbiology

Sounding the Alarm — Discover how your cells alert your immune

system when something is going wrong, presented by Joyce Solheim, Ph.D.,

assistant professor, Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied

Diseases, assistant professor, pathology/microbiology, and biochemistry

and molecular biology, UNMC

Oct. 4 When to Boost the System from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Immunizations — Learn how immunizations work, how they keep

us healthy and what vaccines adults and children need, presented by Jose

Romero, M.D., associate professor, pediatrics and pathology/microbiology

HIV/AIDS — Discover new breakthroughs in HIV research and see

how much weve learned in 20 years, presented by Susan Swindells, M.D.,

associate professor, internal medicine; medical director, HIV Clinic; Terry

K. Watanabe Distinguished Chair for HIV/AIDS Research and Care at UNMC.

Oct. 11 When the Body Attacks Itself from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Rheumatoid Arthritis — Learn about who gets rheumatoid arthritis

and what innovative treatments researchers at UNMC have developed, presented

by James R. ODell, M.D., professor, vice chair of internal medicine

Lupus — Find out how individuals with lupus can understand

their disease process and treatment options, presented by Lynell W. Klassen,

M.D., Stokes-Shackleford Professor of Medicine; vice chairman, internal

medicine, UNMC

Oct. 18 Research to Reset the System from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Vaccines to Treat Lymphoma — Discover what clinical studies

have revealed about vaccines for cancer and the potential of future treatments,

presented by R. Gregory Bociek, M.D., assistant professor, internal medicine,

UNMC

Blood Stem Cell Transplantation: Potential Therapy for Multiple

Sclerosis — Learn about how blood stem cell (adult) transplantation

is used as a potential treatment for patients with severe multiple sclerosis,

presented by Steven Pavletic, M.D., associate professor, internal medicine

Anyone can register for the series via website: www.unmc.edu/immune

Seating is limited, registration is required.

While the program is free to the public, Nebraska and Iowa nurses who

wish to receive eight contact hours of continuing nursing education credits

can do so at a cost of $40, through the UNMC College of Nursing. The college

is accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Centers Commission

on Accreditation (Iowa provider #78).

Locations of free UNMC Mini-Medical School series

Columbus

Central Community College Columbus Campus, North Education Building

Room 904, 4500 63rd St., to register, call (402) 562-1252 or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by the Central Community College Columbus Campus

Grand Island

College Park, Auditorium

3180 W. Highway 34, (308) 385-5014 or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by College Park

Kearney

University of Nebraska at Kearney, Center for Distance Education

Communications Center 101, 1918 University Drive, call (308) 865-8503

or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by the University of Nebraska at Kearney and UNMC College

of Nursing

Lincoln

UNMC College of Dentistry, Dixon Lecture Hall

40th and Holdrege Streets, call (402) 472-9993, or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by the UNMC College of Nursing and UNMC College of Dentistry

in Lincoln

Norfolk

Northeast Community College, Lifelong Learning Center

Suite 104, University Classroom, 601 E. Benjamin Ave., call (402) 370-4000

or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by the University of  Nebraska Cooperative Extension

Office and Northeast Community College

North Platte

Mid-Plains Community College Area, McDonald-Belton Campus

Room 143, I-80 & Highway 83, call (308) 535-7448, ext. 1 or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by Mid-Plains Community College Area, McDonald-Belton Campus

and Great Plains Regional Medical Center

Omaha

UNMC College of Nursing, Cooper Auditorium

42nd & Dewey Ave., call (402) 559-4315 or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by UNMC

and broadcasting to:

Peter Kiewit Institute of Information Science, Technology and Engineering

Room 160, 67th & Pacific St., call (402) 554-4954 or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by Peter Kiewit Institute of Information Science, Technology

and Engineering

ONeill

University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, Courthouse Annex

128 N. 6th St., call (402) 336-2760 or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension Office

Red Cloud

Webster Co. Historical Museum

721 W. 4th (West Highway 136), Call (402) 746-3417 or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by Webster County Cooperative Extension Office

Scottsbluff

UNMC College of Nursing, University Complex Panhandle Station

Room 201, 4502 Ave. I, (308) 632-0410 or www.unmc.edu/immune

Sponsored by UNMC College of Nursing

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