Cell-Mediated Immunity in Virus Infections (Nobel Lecture)

摘要

Many key concepts concerning the nature of immunity have originated from the very practical need to control virus infections. This year, 1996, has been designated the "Year of the Vaccine" commemorating the 200th anniversary of Edward Jen-ner's vaccination of James Phipps with cowpox virus, and the subsequent challenge with smallpox virus. Insight into the nature of viruses, and how viruses interact with mammalian cells, has evolved since the turn of the century. Our concepts of immunity developed concurrently, beginning with Pasteur's treatment of Joseph Meissner with "aged" rabies virus. Antibody-mediated protection conferred by attenuated, live yellow-fever virus won the Nobel Prize for Max Theiler in 1951. Perhaps the most exciting area of immunology when I graduated from the University of Queensland Veterinary School in 1962 was the nature of virus neutralization, a topic that is still being resolved with the monoclonal antibody (mAb) technology originated by Georges Kohler and Cesar Milstein(Nobel Prize 1985). Crystallographic analysis of influenza virus neuraminidase-mAb complexes and variants of neuraminidase selected by mAbs led to the clear demonstration that Ig molecules normally bind to tertiary structure on proteins.