MILESTONES IN IMMUNOLOGY AND SEROLOGY

There are three periods of immunology when lots of inventions were made:

 

Experiential immunology period (17^th century – mid 19^th century )

During this period the conclusions were based on experiences and observations in the environment.

  Ø     Experimental immunology period (mid 19^th -20^th century )

                In this period conclusion were based on the laboratory works .

   Ø     Modern immunology period (mid 20^th century – 21^st century )

   It is the period of molecular biology where   binding of antigens were elucidated .The era of immunology was began during very ancient time .Thucydides, the great historian of the Peloponnesian War first described a plaque in Athens .He wrote that who recovered from the plaque could nurse the sick because they would not contract the diseases a second time .Though early people could observe the phenomenon of immunity, for almost 2000 years they could not carry the concepts to actual medical benefits.

 

Major milestones in immunology and serology

Year	Investigators	Discovery
1670	Chinese practitioner	Introduced Variolation against small pox (this procedure was performed either by inhalation the small pox lesion through nostril or by inserting lesion via skin to gain immunity from the illness .)
1718	Lady Mary Montagu	Helped to popularize Variolation
1798	Edward Jenner	Introduced first effective vaccine ( cowpox) against smallpox
1880 1881 1885	Louis Pasteur	Developed immunization technique Developed anthrax vaccine Developed rabies vaccine
1881-1884	Robert Koch                 Elie Metchnikoff Hans Christian Gram	•       Introduced the use of pure culture techniques for handling bacteria in LAB ,identifies the causative a gents of tuberculosis &states Koch’s postulates •       Discovered phagocytic cells •       Adviced the gram stain technique which differentiate bacteria
1890	Von Behring	Prepared antitoxins for  diphtheria andtetanus
1901	Karl Landsteiner	Identified and named human blood groups A,B,AB,O

 

Year	Investigator	Discovery
1906	August Wasserman	First performed serological test for syphilis
1955	Jerne and burnet	Proposed a model called” Clonal selection theory “ of antibody formation , that explains how the body is able to recognize and respond to a virtually limitless number of foreign antigens .
1957	Alick Isaacs and Lindeman	Discovered Interferon by the application of Rdna technology and genetic engineering.
1959	Gerald Edelman and Rodney porter	First determine the Structure of antibodies
1960	Rosalyn Yalow	Discovered Radioimmunoassay technique a method of quantitifying minute amount of biological substances in the body using radioactive –labeled material.
1962	Rodney Porter	Structure of immunoglobulin G
1975	Cesar milstein ,Georgea kohleer and Niels Jerne	Monoclonal antibodies that represent a novel way in which to target specific mutations and defects in protein structure and expression in a wide range of diseases.
1983	Luc  Montagnier and Robert Galio	Isolation and characterization of HIV
1987	Susuma tonegawa	Discovered Molecular genetics of antibody genes

 

 

Year	Investigators	Discovery
1998	Carol Tacket	Transgenic potato conifers immunity
2001	Obel , Yue Huang and Wing Pui Kong	First AIDS vaccine made at NIAIDs vaccine research center enters clinical trial
2002	Randall Prather	Cloned first miniature  swine (important step towards animals to human organs transplant )
2003	Julia y. Wang	New anthrax vaccine
2004	Manthew Bell	A new DNA vaccine against anthrax
2005	Ian Hector Frazer	Development of human papillomavirus vaccine
2011	Carl H.june	Report first successful use of CAR T-cells expressing the 4-1BB costimulatory signaling domain for the treatment of CD19+ malignancies
2020		The first mRNA vaccines (BNT162b2 , mRNA -1273) , are developed for SARS-CoV-2 infection ; this new technology completed design , testing , and emergency approval in under one year

 

 

Year	Investigators	Discovery
2021		•       Bharat biotech BBV152 COVAXIN vaccine •       The Sinovac – Corona Vac COVID – 19 vaccine •       The Sinopharm CoVid -19 vaccine •       The AstraZeneca (ChAdOx1 –S (recombinant)vaccine ) CoVId-19 vaccine •       The Janssen Ad26.cov2.S COVID -19 •       The Novavax vaccine •       NYU Langone Health successfully performed its investigational xenotransplantation   procedure  using a genetically engineered pig kidney .
2022		University of Maryland School of Medicine ( Surgeon Bartely P Griffith ) successfully transplanted genetically engineered pig’s heart to 57 years old David Benneth having terminal heart diseases . This progress in xenotransplantation has opened a door to new supply of critically needed organ and will help to solve the organ shortage crisis.