Merrill W. Chase (September 17, 1905 – January 5, 2004) was an immunologist working at

Rockefeller University The Rockefeller University is a Private university, private Medical research, biomedical Research university, research and graduate-only university in New York City, New York. It focuses primarily on the biological and medical sciences and pro ...

in New York City who is credited with discovering cell-mediated immunology in the early 1940s. While working with Dr. Karl Landsteiner, Dr. Chase discovered that white blood cells, and not antibodies alone, were important instruments of the immune system. His findings laid the groundwork for later research that discovered the role of

B cells B cells, also known as B lymphocytes, are a type 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 inserted into the plasm ...

T cells T cells (also known as T lymphocytes) are an important part of the immune system and play a central role in the adaptive immune response. T cells can be distinguished from other lymphocytes by the presence of a T-cell receptor (TCR) on their ce ...

and other types of

white blood cells White blood cells (scientific name leukocytes), also called immune cells or immunocytes, are cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against both infectious disease and foreign entities. White blood cells are genera ...

. Recognizing that other scientists were discovering multiple functions of the immune system, he established an independent Immunology laboratory at Rockefeller.Merrill W. Chase 1905–2004

References

* * * 1905 births 2004 deaths American immunologists {{US-biologist-stub