Main description:

Milestones in Immunology: Based on Collected Papers contains scientific milestones relating to the history of medicine over the past two centuries. The book highlights the contributions of pioneering scientists whose discoveries have paved the way for researchers working in the field of immunology. As the science of immunology grew from knowledge that survivors of common infectious diseases rarely contracted them again, the book uses this as a central thesis, helping readers understand how the adaptive immune system aids in defense against pathogens. In addition, the book covers special fields, such as immunohistochemistry, immunogenetics and immunopathology.

For the past century, immunology has fascinated and inspired some of the greatest scientists of our time. Numerous Nobel Prizes have been awarded for fundamental discoveries in immunology, from Paul Ehrlich' work on antibodies (1908) to the studies of Zinkernagel and Doherty (1986) elucidating mechanisms of cell-mediated immunity.

Contents:

1. Paul Ehrlich's doctoral thesis: a milestone in the study of mast cells 2. Miller'seminal studies on the role of thymus in immunity 3. The contribution of Bruce Glick to the definition of the role played by the bursa of Fabricius in the development of the B cell lineage 4. The fundamental contribution of Robert A. Good to the discovery of the crucial role of thymus in mammalian immunity 5. Giulio Bizzozero and the discovery of platelets 6. Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet and the clonal selection theory of antibody formation 7. The embryonic origins of lymphatic vessels: an historical review 8. The fundamental contribution of William Bate Hardy to shape the concept of mast cell heterogeneity 9. The mast cell: an evolutionary perspective 10. From the discovery of monoclonal antibodies to their therapeutic application: an historical reappraisal 11. Max D. Cooper and the delineation of two lymphoid lineages in the adaptive immune system 12. Edelman's view on the discovery of antibodies 13. Peter Brain Medawar and the discovery of acquired immunological tolerance 14. The discovery of blood-thymus barrier