Timeline of immunology
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The following are notable events in the Timeline of immunology: * 2600 BCE – Imhotep uses poultice on an open wound in breast cancer to induce infection and destroy the tumor. * 1549 – The earliest account of
inoculation Inoculation is the act of implanting a pathogen or other microorganism. It may refer to methods of artificially inducing immunity against various infectious diseases, or it may be used to describe the spreading of disease, as in "self-inoculati ...
of
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
( variolation) occurs in
Wan Quan Wan Quan (1495–1585), also known as Wan Mizhai, was a Ming dynasty pediatrician. He was the third in his family to practice medicine. He advocated that children be frequently exposed to sunlight and fresh air and trained to resist cold. He also ...
's (1499–1582) ''Douzhen Xinfa'' (痘疹心法).Needham, Joseph. (2000).
Science and Civilization in China: Volume 6, Biology and Biological Technology, Part 6, Medicine
''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Page 134.
* 1718 – Smallpox inoculation in
Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
realized by West, and Henry Kipkosgei , recorded the positive effects of variolation. * 1761 – A case of breast cancer cured after ulcerating and getting infected is reported by Lambergen * 1796 – First demonstration of smallpox vaccination ( Edward Jenner) * 1808 – 1813 - First experimental demonstration of the
germ theory of disease The germ theory of disease is the currently accepted scientific theory for many diseases. It states that microorganisms known as pathogens or "germs" can lead to disease. These small organisms, too small to be seen without magnification, invade h ...
by Agostino Bassi though he does not formally propose the theory until 1844 * 1813 – Vautier reports spontaneous remission of cancer after gangrene infection (later to be known as '' Clostridium perfringens'') * 1829 – Another case of spontaneous remission of breast cancer after a patient refused surgery and the tumor ruptured, became infected and during a febrile illness with purulent discharge, it shrunk and disappeared after a few weeks. (
Guillaume Dupuytren Baron Guillaume Dupuytren (; 5 October 1777 – 8 February 1835) was a French anatomist and military surgeon. Although he gained much esteem for treating Napoleon Bonaparte's hemorrhoids, he is best known today for his description of Dupuytren's ...
) * 1837 – Description of the role of microbes in putrefaction and fermentation (
Theodore Schwann Theodor Schwann (; 7 December 181011 January 1882) was a German physician and physiologist. His most significant contribution to biology is considered to be the extension of cell theory to animals. Other contributions include the discovery of ...
) * 1838 – Confirmation of the role of yeast in fermentation of sugar to alcohol (
Charles Cagniard-Latour Baron Charles Cagniard de la Tour (31 March 1777 – 5 July 1859) was a French engineer and physicist. Charles Cagniard was born in Paris, and after attending the École Polytechnique became one of the ''ingénieurs géographiques''. He examined ...
) * 1850 – Demonstration of the contagious nature of puerperal fever (childbed fever) ( Ignaz Semmelweis) * 1857–1870 – Confirmation of the role of microbes in fermentation (
Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, the latter of which was named afte ...
) * 1862 – Phagocytosis (
Ernst Haeckel Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel (; 16 February 1834 – 9 August 1919) was a German zoologist, naturalist, eugenicist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist and artist. He discovered, described and named thousands of new sp ...
) * 1867 – Aseptic practice in surgery using carbolic acid (
Joseph Lister Joseph Lister, 1st Baron Lister, (5 April 182710 February 1912) was a British surgeon, medical scientist, experimental pathologist and a pioneer of antiseptic surgery and preventative medicine. Joseph Lister revolutionised the craft of s ...
) * 1868 – Busch discovered that a sarcoma patient being surgically intervened to remove the tumor, after being exposed to a patient suffering from
erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright red rash, t ...
, got a skin infection and her tumor disappeared. He inoculated some other cancer patients with many successes. * 1876 – Demonstration that microbes can cause disease-anthrax (
Robert Koch Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch ( , ; 11 December 1843 – 27 May 1910) was a German physician and microbiologist. As the discoverer of the specific causative agents of deadly infectious diseases including tuberculosis, cholera (though the Vibrio ...
) * 1877 – Mast cells ( Paul Ehrlich) * 1878 – Confirmation and popularization of the germ theory of disease (
Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, the latter of which was named afte ...
) * 1880 – 81 Theory that bacterial virulence could be attenuated by culture in vitro and used as vaccines. Used to make chicken cholera and anthrax "vaccines" (
Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, the latter of which was named afte ...
) * 1882 – Identification of '' Streptococcus pyogenes'' as the causative agent of
erysipelas Erysipelas () is a relatively common bacterial infection of the superficial layer of the skin ( upper dermis), extending to the superficial lymphatic vessels within the skin, characterized by a raised, well-defined, tender, bright red rash, t ...
( Friedrich Fehleisen). He repeats Busch experiments inoculating cancer patients with eryisipelas, noting tumor regression in many of them. * 1883 – 1905 – Cellular theory of immunity via phagocytosis by macrophages and microphages (polymorhonuclear leukocytes) (
Elie Metchnikoff Elie and Earlsferry is a coastal town and former royal burgh in Fife, and parish, Scotland, situated within the East Neuk beside Chapel Ness on the north coast of the Firth of Forth, eight miles east of Leven. The burgh comprised the linked vi ...
) * 1885 – Introduction of concept of a "therapeutic vaccination". Report of a live "attenuated" vaccine for rabies (
Louis Pasteur Louis Pasteur (, ; 27 December 1822 – 28 September 1895) was a French chemist and microbiologist renowned for his discoveries of the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization, the latter of which was named afte ...
and
Pierre Paul Émile Roux Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
). * 1888 – Identification of bacterial toxins (
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...
bacillus) (
Pierre Roux Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French language, French form of the name Peter (given name), Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via ...
and
Alexandre Yersin Alexandre Emile Jean Yersin (22 September 1863 – 1 March 1943) was a Swiss- French physician and bacteriologist. He is remembered as the co-discoverer of the bacillus responsible for the bubonic plague or pest, which was later named in his h ...
) * 1888 – Bactericidal action of blood (
George Nuttall George Henry Falkiner Nuttall FRS (5 July 1862 – 16 December 1937) was an American-British bacteriologist who contributed much to the knowledge of parasites and of insect carriers of diseases. He made significant innovative discoveries in immu ...
) * 1890 – Demonstration of antibody activity against
diphtheria Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Corynebacterium diphtheriae''. Most infections are asymptomatic or have a mild clinical course, but in some outbreaks more than 10% of those diagnosed with the disease may die. Signs and s ...
and
tetanus Tetanus, also known as lockjaw, is a bacterial infection caused by ''Clostridium tetani'', and is characterized by muscle spasms. In the most common type, the spasms begin in the jaw and then progress to the rest of the body. Each spasm usually ...
toxins. Beginning of humoral theory of immunity. (
Emil von Behring Emil von Behring (; Emil Adolf von Behring), born Emil Adolf Behring (15 March 1854 – 31 March 1917), was a German physiologist who received the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the first one awarded in that field, for his discovery ...
) and (
Kitasato Shibasaburō Baron was a Japanese physician and bacteriologist. He is remembered as the co-discoverer of the infectious agent of bubonic plague in Hong Kong during an outbreak in 1894, almost simultaneously with Alexandre Yersin. Kitasato was nominated ...
) * 1891 – Demonstration of cutaneous (delayed type) hypersensitivity (
Robert Koch Heinrich Hermann Robert Koch ( , ; 11 December 1843 – 27 May 1910) was a German physician and microbiologist. As the discoverer of the specific causative agents of deadly infectious diseases including tuberculosis, cholera (though the Vibrio ...
) * 1893 – Use of live bacteria and bacterial lysates to treat tumors-" Coley's Toxins", based on Busch and Fehleisen experiences (
William B. Coley William Bradley Coley (January 12, 1862 – April 16, 1936) was an American bone surgeon and cancer researcher best known for his early contributions to the study of cancer immunotherapy. Although his work was not proven effective in his lifetime ...
) * 1894 – Bacteriolysis ( Richard Pfeiffer) * 1896 – An antibacterial, heat-labile serum component ( complement) is described (
Jules Bordet Jules Jean Baptiste Vincent Bordet (; 13 June 1870 – 6 April 1961) was a Belgian immunologist and microbiologist. The bacterial genus ''Bordetella'' is named after him. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to him in 1919 for ...
) * 1900 –
Antibody An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...
formation theory ( Paul Ehrlich) * 1901 – Blood groups (
Karl Landsteiner Karl Landsteiner (; 14 June 1868 – 26 June 1943) was an Austrian-born American biologist, physician, and immunologist. He distinguished the main blood groups in 1900, having developed the modern system of classification of blood groups from ...
) * 1902 – Immediate hypersensitivity
anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction and medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of use of emergency medication on site. It typically causes more than one of the follow ...
(
Paul Portier Paul Portier was a French cinematographer.Powrie & Rebillard p.224 He worked on around fifty films during his career. Selected filmography * '' Imperial Violets'' (1924) * '' The Woman in Gold'' (1926) * '' The Song of the Nations'' (1931) * '' ...
) and (
Charles Richet Charles Robert Richet (25 August 1850 – 4 December 1935) was a French physiologist at the Collège de France known for his pioneering work in immunology. In 1913, he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "in recognition of his work on ...
) * 1903 – Intermediate hypersensitivity, the "Arthus reaction" ( Maurice Arthus) * 1903 –
Opsonization Opsonins are extracellular proteins that, when bound to substances or cells, induce phagocytes to phagocytose the substances or cells with the opsonins bound. Thus, opsonins act as tags to label things in the body that should be phagocytosed (i.e. ...
* 1905 – "Serum sickness"
allergy Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...
( Clemens von Pirquet and ( Bela Schick) * 1909 – Paul Ehrlich proposes "immune surveillance" hypothesis of tumor recognition and eradication * 1911 – 2nd demonstration of filterable agent that caused tumors (
Peyton Rous Francis Peyton Rous () (October 5, 1879 – February 16, 1970) was an American pathologist at the Rockefeller University known for his works in oncoviruses, blood transfusion and physiology of digestion. A medical graduate from the Johns Hopki ...
) * 1917 – Hapten (
Karl Landsteiner Karl Landsteiner (; 14 June 1868 – 26 June 1943) was an Austrian-born American biologist, physician, and immunologist. He distinguished the main blood groups in 1900, having developed the modern system of classification of blood groups from ...
) * 1921 – Cutaneous allergic reactions ( Otto Prausnitz and Heinz Küstner) * 1924 –
Reticuloendothelial system In anatomy the term "reticuloendothelial system" (abbreviated RES), often associated nowadays with the mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS), was originally launched by the beginning of the 20th century to denote a system of specialised cells that eff ...
* 1938 –
Antigen In immunology, an antigen (Ag) is a molecule or molecular structure or any foreign particulate matter or a pollen grain that can bind to a specific antibody or T-cell receptor. The presence of antigens in the body may trigger an immune response. ...
-Antibody binding hypothesis (
John Marrack Professor John Richardson Marrack, DSO, MC (26 November 1886 – 1976) was the Emeritus Professor of Chemical Pathology in the University of London, visiting professor to the University of Texas and known for his book ''Antigens and Antibodies' ...
) * 1940 – Identification of the
Rh antigen The Rh blood group system is a human blood group system. It contains proteins on the surface of red blood cells. After the ABO blood group system, it is the most likely to be involved in transfusion reactions. The Rh blood group system consists ...
s (
Karl Landsteiner Karl Landsteiner (; 14 June 1868 – 26 June 1943) was an Austrian-born American biologist, physician, and immunologist. He distinguished the main blood groups in 1900, having developed the modern system of classification of blood groups from ...
and Alexander Weiner) * 1942 –
Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction and medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of use of emergency medication on site. It typically causes more than one of the follow ...
(
Karl Landsteiner Karl Landsteiner (; 14 June 1868 – 26 June 1943) was an Austrian-born American biologist, physician, and immunologist. He distinguished the main blood groups in 1900, having developed the modern system of classification of blood groups from ...
and Merill Chase) * 1942 –
Adjuvant In pharmacology, an adjuvant is a drug or other substance, or a combination of substances, that is used to increase the efficacy or potency of certain drugs. Specifically, the term can refer to: * Adjuvant therapy in cancer management * Analgesic ...
s (
Jules Freund Jules Freund (June 24, 1890 – April 22, 1960) was a Hungarian born American immunologist, most famous for the Freund's adjuvant. According to the ''Journal of Immunology'', "Jules (Julius) Freund studied in Budapest at the Royal Hungaria ...
and
Katherine McDermott Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and other variations are feminine names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria. In the early Christ ...
) * 1944 – hypothesis of allograft rejection * 1945 –
Coombs test A Coombs test, also known as antiglobulin test (AGT), is either of two blood tests used in immunohematology. They are the direct and indirect Coombs tests. The direct Coombs test detects antibodies that are stuck to the surface of the red blood ce ...
antiglobulin test (AGT) * 1946 – Identification of mouse MHC (H2) by George Snell and Peter A. Gorer * 1948 – Antibody production in plasma
B cell B cells, also known as B lymphocytes, are a type of white blood cell of the lymphocyte subtype. They function in the humoral immunity component of the adaptive immune system. B cells produce antibody molecules which may be either secreted or ...
s (
Astrid Fagraeus Astrid Elsa Fagraeus-Wallbom, born May 30, 1913 in Stockholm, Sweden and died February 24, 1997, was a Swedish immunologist. Education and career Fagraeus received a PhD in medicine in 1948 from the Karolinska Institute. In 1949, she was app ...
) * 1949 – Growth of
polio virus A poliovirus, the causative agent of polio (also known as poliomyelitis), is a serotype of the species ''Enterovirus C'', in the family of ''Picornaviridae''. There are three poliovirus serotypes: types 1, 2, and 3. Poliovirus is composed of an ...
in tissue culture, neutralization, and demonstration of attenuation of
neurovirulence A neurotropic virus is a virus that is capable of infecting nerve tissue. Terminology A neurotropic virus is said to be neuroinvasive if it is capable of accessing or entering the nervous system and neurovirulent if it is capable of causing dis ...
(
John Enders John Franklin Enders (February 10, 1897 – September 8, 1985) was an American biomedical scientist and Nobel Laureate. Enders has been called "The Father of Modern Vaccines." Life and education Enders was born in West Hartford, Connecticut on Fe ...
) and (
Thomas Weller Thomas Christian Weller (born 4 November 1980) is a German former professional association football, footballer who plays as a left midfielder or left-back for FC Romanshorn. Career Weller joined FC St. Gallen on 24 October 2007. He moved t ...
) and (
Frederick Robbins Frederick Chapman Robbins (August 25, 1916 – August 4, 2003) was an American pediatrician and virologist. He was born in Auburn, Alabama, and grew up in Columbia, Missouri, attending David H. Hickman High School. He received the Nobel Prize in P ...
) * 1951 – A vaccine against
yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...
* 1953 –
Graft-versus-host disease Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a syndrome, characterized by inflammation in different organs. GvHD is commonly associated with bone marrow transplants and stem cell transplants. White blood cells of the donor's immune system which remain wit ...
* 1953 – Validation of
immunological tolerance Immune tolerance, or immunological tolerance, or immunotolerance, is a state of unresponsiveness of the immune system to substances or tissue that would otherwise have the capacity to elicit an immune response in a given organism. It is induced by ...
hypothesis * 1957 – Clonal selection theory ( Frank Macfarlane Burnet) * 1957 – Discovery of
interferon Interferons (IFNs, ) are a group of signaling proteins made and released by host cells in response to the presence of several viruses. In a typical scenario, a virus-infected cell will release interferons causing nearby cells to heighten the ...
by
Alick Isaacs Alick Isaacs FRS (17 July 1921 – 26 January 1967) was a Scottish virologist. Background and early life Isaacs's Jewish paternal grandparents came from Lithuania to escape oppression, and took the surname Isaacs. Alick's father Louis was born ...
and
Jean Lindenmann Jean Lindenmann (September 18, 1924 – January 15, 2015) was a Swiss virologist and immunologist. Lindenmann, together with his colleague, the British virologist Alick Isaacs, co-discovered and identified interferon in 1957 through their research ...
* 1958–1962 – Discovery of human leukocyte antigens (
Jean Dausset Jean-Baptiste-Gabriel-Joachim Dausset (19 October 1916 – 6 June 2009) was a French immunologist born in Toulouse, France. Dausset received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1980 along with Baruj Benacerraf and George Davis Snell fo ...
and others) * 1959–1962 – Discovery of antibody structure (independently elucidated by
Gerald Edelman Gerald Maurice Edelman (; July 1, 1929 – May 17, 2014) was an American biologist who shared the 1972 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work with Rodney Robert Porter on the immune system. Edelman's Nobel Prize-winning research concern ...
and
Rodney Porter Prof Rodney Robert Porter, CH, FRS FRSE HFRCP (8 October 1917 – 6 September 1985) was a British biochemist and Nobel laureate. Education and early life He was born in Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire, England, the son of Joseph Lawrence Po ...
) * 1959 – Discovery of
lymphocyte A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell (leukocyte) in the immune system of most vertebrates. Lymphocytes include natural killer cells (which function in cell-mediated, cytotoxic innate immunity), T cells (for cell-mediated, cytotoxic ad ...
circulation ( James Gowans) * 1960 – Discovery of lymphocyte "blastogenic transformation" and proliferation in response to mitogenic lectins-phytohemagglutinin (PHA) (
Peter Nowell Peter Carey Nowell (February 8, 1928 – December 26, 2016) was a cancer researcher and co-discoverer of the Philadelphia chromosome. At the time of his death, he was the Gaylord P. and Mary Louise Harnwell Emeritus Professor of Pathology and Labo ...
) * 1961–1962 Discovery of
thymus The thymus is a specialized primary lymphoid organ of the immune system. Within the thymus, thymus cell lymphocytes or ''T cells'' mature. T cells are critical to the adaptive immune system, where the body adapts to specific foreign invaders. ...
involvement in
cellular immunity Cell-mediated immunity or cellular immunity is an immune response that does not involve antibodies. Rather, cell-mediated immunity is the activation of phagocytes, antigen-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocytes, and the release of various cytokines in ...
( Jacques Miller) * 1960 – Radioimmunoassay – ( Rosalyn Sussman Yalow) * 1961 – Demonstration that glucocorticoids inhibit PHA-induced lymphocyte proliferation (
Peter Nowell Peter Carey Nowell (February 8, 1928 – December 26, 2016) was a cancer researcher and co-discoverer of the Philadelphia chromosome. At the time of his death, he was the Gaylord P. and Mary Louise Harnwell Emeritus Professor of Pathology and Labo ...
) * 1963 – Development of the plaque assay for the enumeration of antibody-forming cells in vitro by Niels Jerne and
Albert Nordin Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert (supermarket), a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street market in The Gambia * Albert Productions, a record label * Albert C ...
* 1963 – Gell and Coombs classification of hypersensitivity * 1964–1968 – T and B cell cooperation in immune response * 1965 – Discovery of lymphocyte mitogenic activity, "blastogenic factor" (
Shinpei Kamakura Shinpei or Shimpei (written: , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese politician *, Japanese cyclist *, Japanese footballer *, Japanese politician *, Japanese manga artist *, Japanese po ...
) and ( Louis Lowenstein) (
J. Gordon ''J. The Jewish News of Northern California'', formerly known as ''Jweekly'', is a weekly print newspaper in Northern California, with its online edition updated daily. It is owned and operated by San Francisco Jewish Community Publications In ...
) and ( L.D. MacLean) * 1965 – Discovery of "immune interferon" (
gamma interferon Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is a dimerized soluble cytokine that is the only member of the type II class of interferons. The existence of this interferon, which early in its history was known as immune interferon, was described by E. F. Wheelock ...
) ( E.F. Wheelock) * 1965 – Secretory
immunoglobulin An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...
s * 1967 – Identification of
IgE Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a type of antibody (or immunoglobulin (Ig) " isotype") that has been found only in mammals. IgE is synthesised by plasma cells. Monomers of IgE consist of two heavy chains (ε chain) and two light chains, with the ε c ...
as the reaginic antibody ( Kimishige Ishizaka) * 1968 – Passenger leukocytes identified as significant immunogens in allograft rejection ( William L. Elkins and Ronald D. Guttmann) * 1969 – The lymphocyte cytolysis Cr51 release assay (
Theodore Brunner Theodore may refer to: Places * Theodore, Alabama, United States * Theodore, Australian Capital Territory * Theodore, Queensland, a town in the Shire of Banana, Australia * Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada * Theodore Reservoir, a lake in Saskatche ...
) and ( Jean-Charles Cerottini) * 1971 – Peter Perlmann and
Eva Engvall Eva Engvall, born 1940, is one of the scientists who invented ELISA in 1971. She is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Vita Eva Engvall earned her PhD from the University of Stockholm in 1975. Her postd ...
at
Stockholm University Stockholm University ( sv, Stockholms universitet) is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden, founded as a college in 1878, with university status since 1960. With over 33,000 students at four different faculties: law, humanities, so ...
invented
ELISA The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (, ) is a commonly used analytical biochemistry assay, first described by Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann in 1971. The assay uses a solid-phase type of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the presence ...
* 1972 – Structure of the antibody molecule * 1973 –
Dendritic Cell Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells (also known as ''accessory cells'') of the mammalian immune system. Their main function is to process antigen material and present it on the cell surface to the T cells of the immune system. ...
s first described by
Ralph M. Steinman Ralph Marvin Steinman (January 14, 1943 – September 30, 2011) was a Canadian physician and medical researcher at Rockefeller University, who in 1973 discovered and named dendritic cells while working as a postdoctoral fellow in the labora ...
* 1974 – Immune Network Hypothesis ( Niels Jerne) * 1974 – T-cell restriction to MHC (
Rolf Zinkernagel Rolf Martin Zinkernagel (born 6 January 1944) is Professor of Experimental Immunology at the University of Zurich. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1996 for the discovery of how the immune system recognizes virus-infe ...
and (
Peter C. Doherty Peter Charles Doherty (born 15 October 1940) is an Australian immunologist and Nobel laureate. He received the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research in 1995, the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Rolf M. Zinkerna ...
) * 1975 – Generation of
monoclonal antibodies A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a cell Lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell. Monoclonal antibodies ca ...
(
Georges Köhler Georges may refer to: Places * Georges River, New South Wales, Australia * Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses *Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 19 ...
) and (
César Milstein César Milstein, CH, FRS (8 October 1927 – 24 March 2002) was an Argentine biochemist in the field of antibody research. Milstein shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1984 with Niels Kaj Jerne and Georges J. F. Köhler for d ...
) * 1975 – Discovery of Natural Killer cells ( Rolf Kiessling,
Eva Klein Eva Klein ( Eva Fischer; born January 22, 1925) is a Hungarian-Swedish scientist. Klein has worked at the Karolinska Institute since leaving Hungary in 1947. She is regarded as a founder of cancer immunology. Her life and career choices as a you ...
,
Hans Wigzell Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi a ...
) * 1976 – Identification of somatic recombination of
immunoglobulin An antibody (Ab), also known as an immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large, Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique molecule of the ...
genes (
Susumu Tonegawa is a Japanese scientist who was the sole recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1987 for his discovery of V(D)J recombination, the Genetics, genetic mechanism which produces antibody diversity. Although he won the Nobel Prize ...
) * 1980–1983 – Discovery and characterization of interleukins, 1 and 2 IL-1
IL-2 The Ilyushin Il-2 (Russian language, Russian: Илью́шин Ил-2) is a Ground attack aircraft, ground-attack plane that was produced by the Soviet Union in large numbers during the World War II, Second World War. The word ''shturmovík'' (C ...
(
Robert Gallo Robert Charles Gallo (; born March 23, 1937) is an American biomedical researcher. He is best known for his role in establishing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the infectious agent responsible for acquired immune deficiency syndrome ( ...
,
Kendall A. Smith Kendall may refer to: Places Australia *Kendall, New South Wales United States *Kendall, Florida *Kendall, Kansas *Kendall, Missouri *Kendall, New York *Kendall, Washington *Kendall, Lafayette County, Wisconsin *Kendall, Monroe County, Wiscons ...
, Tadatsugu Taniguchi) * 1983 – Discovery of the T cell antigen receptor TCR ( Ellis Reinherz) (
Philippa Marrack Philippa "Pippa" Marrack, FRS (born 28 June 1945) is an English immunologist and academic, based in the United States, best known for her research and discoveries pertaining to T cells. Marrack is the Ida and Cecil Green Professor and chair of ...
) and (
John Kappler John Wayne Kappler (born December 22, 1943, in Baltimore, Maryland) is a professor in the Department of Integrated Immunology at National Jewish Health. His principal research is in T cell biology, a subject he collaborates on with his wife Phili ...
) ( James Allison) * 1983 – Discovery of
HIV The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of ''Lentivirus'' (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune ...
(
Luc Montagnier Luc Montagnier (; , ; 18 August 1932 – 8 February 2022) was a French virologist and joint recipient, with and , of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). He worked as a res ...
) (
Françoise Barré-Sinoussi (; born 30 July 1947) is a French virologist and Director of the Regulation of Retroviral Infections Division (french: Unité de Régulation des Infections Rétrovirales) and Professor at the in Paris, France. Born in Paris, France, Barré-Sinou ...
) (
Robert Gallo Robert Charles Gallo (; born March 23, 1937) is an American biomedical researcher. He is best known for his role in establishing the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) as the infectious agent responsible for acquired immune deficiency syndrome ( ...
) * 1985–1987 – Identification of genes for the T cell receptor * 1986 – Hepatitis B vaccine produced by
genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...
* 1986 – Th1 vs Th2 model of
T helper cell The T helper cells (Th cells), also known as CD4+ cells or CD4-positive cells, are a type of T cell that play an important role in the adaptive immune system. They aid the activity of other immune cells by releasing cytokines. They are considere ...
function ( Timothy Mosmann) * 1988 – Discovery of biochemical initiators of T-cell activation: CD4- and CD8-p56lck complexes (
Christopher E. Rudd Christopher Edward Rudd, is a Canadian-born immunologist-biochemist. He is currently Professor of Medicine at the Universite de Montreal and Director, Immunology-Oncology at the Centre de Recherche Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (CR-HMR). Early ...
) * 1990 –
Gene therapy Gene therapy is a medical field which focuses on the genetic modification of cells to produce a therapeutic effect or the treatment of disease by repairing or reconstructing defective genetic material. The first attempt at modifying human DN ...
for SCID * 1991 – Role of peptide for MHC Class II structure (Scheherazade Sadegh-Nasseri & Ronald N. Germain) * 1992 – Discovery of
transitional B cells Transitional B cells are B cells at an intermediate stage in their development between bone marrow immature cells and mature B cells in the spleen. Primary B cell development takes place in the bone marrow, where immature B cells must generate a fun ...
(David Allman & Michael Cancro) * 1994 – Danger model of
immunological tolerance Immune tolerance, or immunological tolerance, or immunotolerance, is a state of unresponsiveness of the immune system to substances or tissue that would otherwise have the capacity to elicit an immune response in a given organism. It is induced by ...
(
Polly Matzinger Polly Celine Eveline Matzinger (born July 21, 1947, in La Seyne, France) is a French-born Immunology, immunologist who proposed the danger model theory of how the immune system works. Early years Polly Matzinger was born on July 21, 1947, in Fra ...
) * 1995 – James P. Allison describes the function of CTLA-4 * 1995 – Regulatory T cells (
Shimon Sakaguchi is an immunologist and a Distinguished Professor of Osaka University. He is best known for the discovery of regulatory T cells and to describe their role in the immune system. This discovery is used in the treatment of cancer and autoimmune d ...
) * 1995 – First
Dendritic cell Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells (also known as ''accessory cells'') of the mammalian immune system. Their main function is to process antigen material and present it on the cell surface to the T cells of the immune system. ...
vaccine trial reported by Mukherji et al. * 1996 – 1998 – Identification of
Toll-like receptor Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are a class of proteins that play a key role in the innate immune system. They are Bitopic protein, single-pass membrane-spanning Receptor (biochemistry), receptors usually expressed on sentinel cells such as macrophage ...
s * 1997 – Discovery of the
autoimmune regulator The autoimmune regulator (''AIRE'') is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''AIRE'' gene. It is a 13kb gene on chromosome 21q22.3 that has 545 amino acids. AIRE is a transcription factor expressed in the medulla (inner part) of the thymus. ...
and the AIRE gene. * 2000 – Characterization of M1 and M2 macrophage subsets by Charles Mills * 2001 – Discovery of FOXP3 – the gene directing regulatory T cell development * 2005 – Development of
human papillomavirus Human papillomavirus infection (HPV infection) is caused by a DNA virus from the ''Papillomaviridae'' family. Many HPV infections cause no symptoms and 90% resolve spontaneously within two years. In some cases, an HPV infection persists and res ...
vaccine ( Ian Frazer) * 2006 – Antigen-specific NK cell memory first reported by Ulrich von Andrian's group after discovery by Mahmoud Goodarzi * 2010 – The first autologous cell-based cancer vaccine, provenge, is approved by the FDA for the treatment of metastatic, asymptomatic stage IV prostate cancer. * 2010 – First immune checkpoint inhibitor, ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4), is approved by the FDA for treatment of stage IV melanoma * 2011 –
Carl H. June Carl H. June (born 1953) is an American immunologist and oncologist. He is currently the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pen ...
reports first successful use of CAR T-cells expressing the 4-1BB costimulatory signaling domain for the treatment of CD19+ malignancies * 2014 – A second class of immune checkpoint inhibitor (anti-PD-1) is approved by the FDA for the treatment of melanoma. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab are approved within months of each other. * 2016 – Halpert and Konduri first characterize the role of dendritic cell CTLA-4 in Th immune polarization * 2016 – A third class of immune checkpoint inhibitor, anti-PD-L1 ( atezolizumab), is approved for the treatment of bladder cancer * 2017 – First autologous CAR T-cell therapy
tisagenlecleucel Tisagenlecleucel, sold under the brand name Kymriah, is a CAR T cells medication for the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) which uses the body's own T cells to fight cancer (adoptive cell transfer). Serious side effects occu ...
approved for the treatment of pediatric B-ALL; second autologous CAR T-cell therapy
axicabtagene ciloleucel Axicabtagene ciloleucel, sold under the brand name Yescarta, is a medication used for the treatment for large B-cell lymphoma that has failed conventional treatment. T cells are removed from a person with lymphoma and genetically engineered to p ...
(Yescarta) is approved. * 2020 – The first mRNA vaccines ( BNT162b2, mRNA-1273), are developed for
SARS-CoV-2 Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) is a strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019), the respiratory illness responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The virus previously had a ...
infection; this new technology completed design, testing, and emergency approval in under one year.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline of Immunology * History of immunology Medicine timelines Biology timelines