Immunology is the science of biological warfare between the defenses of our immune systems and offensive pathogenic microbes and cancers. Over the course of his scientific career, Eckhard R. Podack made several seminal discoveries that elucidated key aspects of this warfare at a molecular level. When Eckhard joined the complement laboratory of Müller-Eberhard in 1974, he was fascinated by two questions: (1) what is the molecular mechanism by which complement kills invasive bacteria? and (2) which one of the complement components is the killer molecule? Eckhard’s quest to answer these questions would lead to the discovery C9 and later, two additional pore-forming killer molecules of the immune system. Here is a brief account of how he discovered poly-C9, the pore-forming protein of complement in blood and interstitial fluids: Perforin-1, expressed by natural killer cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes; and Perforin-2 (MPEG1), expressed by all cell types examined to date. All the three killing systems are crucial for our survival and health.
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机译：免疫学是在我们的免疫系统的防御与攻击性病原微生物和癌症之间进行生物战的科学。在他的科学生涯中，Eckhard R. Podack取得了几项开创性的发现，这些发现从分子层面阐明了这场战争的关键方面。 1974年，埃克哈德（Eckhard）加入穆勒-埃伯哈德（Müller-Eberhard）补体实验室时，他着迷了两个问题：（1）补体杀死入侵性细菌的分子机制是什么？ （2）杀伤分子是补体成分之一？埃克哈德（Eckhard）寻求回答这些问题的方法将导致发现C9以及后来的免疫系统中另外两个成孔的杀伤分子。这是他如何发现poly-C9的简要说明，poly-C9是血液和间质液中补体的造孔蛋白：Perforin-1，由自然杀伤细胞和细胞毒性T淋巴细胞表达；和Perforin-2（MPEG1），由迄今为止检查过的所有细胞类型表示。这三个杀戮系统对我们的生存和健康至关重要。
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