Medical entomology	An advanced course dealing with parasitic Arthropods with emphasis on their role in transmission of infectious diseases. Insects and arachnids important for human and veterinary medicine: Ixodid and Argasid ticks, parasitic mites, Phthiraptera, Hemiptera, Aphaniptera and bloodsucking Diptera. Vector biology, ecology and physiology: location of the host, ingestion of the blood meal, managing of the bloodmeal. Host-insect interactions and transmission of pathogens by blood-sucking arthropods: factors affecting transmission and vector-pathogen interactions. The course of lectures is accompanied by laboratory course (see "Medical Entomology: practical course") which is obligatory for the classification of the course Medical entomology - practical course This advanced laboratory course is dealing with morphology and anatomy of insects and arachnids important for human and veterinary medicine: Ixodid and Argasid ticks, parasitic mites, Phthiraptera, Hemiptera, Aphaniptera and bloodsucking Diptera. The course includes microscopical demonstration of living and fixed specimens, determination of species and training in methods used in medical and veterinary entomology. The course is required for examination of Medical Entomology lectures. References M.J. Lehane, 1991. Biology of Blood-sucking Insects. HarperCollins Academic, London. Lane R.P. and Crosskey R.W., 1993. Medical Insects and Arachnids. Chapman and Hall, London
Parasite Immunology	Introduction to general immunology, molecular mechanisms of self/nonself discrimination, Aim of the course: give the information about host immune mechanisms operating against selected groups of parasites, including protozoa, helminths and ectoparasites. Emphasis is put on the relation between parasite life cycles and particular host immune mechanisms, defence of parasites against these mechanisms and immunopathology of parasitic infections. A special lecture is devoted to modern trends in vaccine development. Lecture content: Survey of immune mechanisms, Experimental immunoparasitology, Malaria, Leishmaniasis, African trypanosomes, Schistosomes, Gastrointestinal nematodes, Nematodes that invade tissues, Immunity to ectoparasites, Vaccines General introduction: MHC molecules, TCR, antigen receptors, B-cells, T-cells, effector mechanism if immune reactions, antibody response, inflammation, cellular cytotoxicity. Immune response to parasitic protozoa causing malaria, Chagas disease, Sleeping sickness, leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis; strategies of the parasites how to escape from the host defence system. Immune response to parasitic helmints: schistosomiases and filariases, role of antibodies, granulocytes, macrophages and Th1 and Th2 subset cells. Immune response to ticks and bloodsucking insects, role of arthropod saliva in pathogen transmission.
General parasitology- Host-Parasite Interactions	Characterization Basic course focused on cellular and molecular biology of parasitic organisms and mechanisms of host-parasite interactions, and transmission of parasites by vectors. The following topics are the most important in the protozoology part: cell and cytoskeleton, membrane transport, cell organels, interactions of protozoa with mucosa, adaptation to parasitism in body liquids, mechanisms of intracellular parasitism, mode of action of antiparasitic drugs. In the helminthology part: mechanisms of infection of and migration within hosts, immune a hormonal interactions between helminths and hosts, evasion strategies, intracellular parasitism. Integral part of the lecture is centered on interactions between vectors and transmitted parasitic agents. Before participating at General Parasitology, it is recommended (but not obligatorily required) to pass the following bachelor courses: Foundations of Parasitology, Biochemistry, Foundations of Molecular Biology, Immunology for Bachelors