IMMUNOLO

GY

Dr. A.K.M. Akbar Kabir

Immunology:

Immunology is a branch of biomedical science that

covers the study of all aspects of the immune
system in all organisms.

It deals with the physiological functioning of the

immune system in states of both health and
diseases.
Immunology: Branches

1. Classical immunology

It studies the relationship between the body

systems, pathogens and immunity.
Immunology: Branches (contd.)

2. Clinical immunology
Clinical immunology is the study of diseases caused
by disorders of the immune system. It also
involves diseases of other systems, where immune
reactions play a part in the pathology and clinical
features.
The diseases caused by disorders of the immune
system fall into two broad categories:
immunodeficiency and autoimmunity. Other immune
system disorders include hypersensitivities.
Immunology: Branches (contd.)

The most well-known disease that affects the

immune system itself is AIDS.

Clinical immunologists also study ways to prevent

transplant rejection, in which the immune system
attempts to destroy allografts.
Immunology: Branches (contd.)

Immunotherapy
The use of immune system components to treat a
disease or disorder is known as immunotherapy.
Immunology: Branches (contd.)

3. Developmental immunology

The body’s capability to react to antigen depends

on a person's age, antigen type, maternal factors
and the area where the antigen is presented.
These issues are being studied in this section.
Immunology: Branches (contd.)

Diagnostic immunology

The specificity of the bond between antibody and

antigen has made it an excellent tool in the
detection of substances in a variety of diagnostic
techniques.
Immunology: Branches (contd.)

Reproductive immunology

This area of the immunology is devoted to the

study of immunological aspects of the reproductive
process including fetus acceptance.
Immunologist

An immunologist is a research scientist who

investigates the immune system of vertebrates.

Immunologists include research scientists (Ph.D.)

who work in laboratories as well as include
physicians who treat patients with immune system
disorders.

Some immunologists are physician-scientists who

combine laboratory research with patient care.
History of Immunology

“He who ignores history is doomed to repeat it.”

-George Santayana
Descriptive Early Period

Plagues & pandemics, esp. bubonic plague

(Pasteurella pestis) & smallpox.

Thucydides (5thC. B.C.): people who recovered –

immune.

Causes of disease unknown until 19th century.

Thought to be caused by poisons = “virus” (latin).
Early Attempts at Immunization
Mithradates VI (Anatolian King) took increasing
daily doses of poisons.

Immunisation against Smallpox:-

Chinese: dried matter from pustules inserted in
nostrils.
Turks: used variolation, hence Variola Virus.
Immunisation against Smallpox:

Early 18th century: Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

(wife of British Ambassador, Constantinople)
inoculated own children.
“The Royal Experiment”: George I pardoned 7
criminals: inoculated; 1 lay with smallpox victim
every night to end. All recovered. Repeated with
6 more criminals + 5 orphans.
Then 2 daughters of Prince & Princess
of Wales inoculated, hence became popular.
Immunization against Smallpox:

End of 18th century:

Edward Jenner
Inoculated 7 subjects with
cowpox. 2 challenged with
smallpox. All O.K.  
Cowpox = Vaccinia virus,
hence vaccination 
general term.
Edward Jenner inoculating James Phipps with cowpox
Immunisation against Smallpox: WHO Programme

1978: WHO
Programme
completed.

Smallpox completely eradicated worldwide.

19th century: Bacteria cause disease

Robert Koch & Louis Pasteur established bacteria

as cause of diseases.

Pasteur: Injected animals with live attenuated

microorganisms  immunity v. chicken cholera,
anthrax, rabies.
Ilya Ilich Metchnikoff
Year Recipient Country Research
1901 Emil von Behring Germany Serum antitoxins
1905 Robert Koch Germany Cellular immunity to tuberculosis
Role of phagocytosis (Metchnikoff)
Elie Metchnikoff Russia
1908 and
Paul Ehrlich Germany
antitoxins (Ehrlich) in immunity
1913 Charles Richet France Anaphylaxis
Complement-mediated
1919 Jules Border Belgium
bacteriolysis
1930 Karl Landsteiner United States Discovery of human blood groups
Development of yellow fever
1951 Max Theiler South Africa
vaccine
1957 Daniel Bovet Switzerland Antihistamines
F. Macfarlane
Australia Discovery of acquired
1960 Burnet
Great Britain immunological tolerance
Year Recipient Country Research
Rodney R. Porter Great Britain
1972 Chemical structure of antibodies
Gerald M. Edelman United States
Development of
1977 Rosalyn R. Yalow United States
radioimmunoassay
George Snell United States
1980 Jean Daussct France Major histocompatibility complex
Baruj Benacerraf United States
Cesar Milstein Great Britain
1984 Georges E. Köhler Germany Monoclonal antibody
Niels K. Jerne Denmark
Gene rearrangement in antibody
1987 Susumu Tonegawa Japan
Production
Year Recipient Country Research
E. Donnall Thomas United States
1991 Transplantation immunology
Joseph Murray United States
Role of major histocompatibility
Peter C. Doherty Australia
1996 complex in antigen recognition by
Rolf M. Zinkernagel Switzerland
T cells
Bruce Beutler United States Discoveries concerning the
Jules A. Hoffmann Luxembourg activation of innate immunity
2011
Ralph Marvin Discovery of the dendritic cell
Canada
Steinman and its role in adaptive immunity
Discovery that mature cells can
Sir John B. Gurdon England
2012 be reprogrammed to become
Shinya Yamanaka Japan
pluripotent
So, where we should be