04/10/2011 Dr. Ricard Pujol reflects on the Nobel Prize in Medicine 2011 04/10/2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine 2011 recognize key contributions that have revolutionized immunology over the last 15 years It's a truism that science advances with each change of paradigm, but it's true, and this year's honorees have been key players in a very significant change in the conception of the functioning of the immune system. Until a few years ago the only pillar on which rested the body of knowledge of immunology was the clonal selection hypothesis that the Nobel laureate Macfarlane Burnet proposed in 1955. One of his corollaries is that the immune response can recognize with exquisite specificity the components themselves from strangers. To an infection the immune system produces in a period of 5-7 days specific antibodies and lymphocytes that can kill or neutralize the infectious agent when things go well, and also, in general, the host is protected against subsequent infection by the same agent. This concept, is true, was recognized since antiquity. Immunologists spent most of the twentieth century to decipher the mechanisms by which this specific immune response is made and through it have been generated vaccines we use in the present days.But if the immune response that is organized according to the clonal selection explains why an infection leaves lasting protection, does not explain why we do not continually got infected by the germs in the environment. All the experts know that for a patient is more dangerous the lack of granulocytes than lymphocytes, in fact, since the beginning of immunology was known to have some ability to react immediately to the infections without having to wait for the antibody response and specific lymphocytes and knew some of its elements such as granulocytes and complement. The paradigm shift that the laureates this year have contributed decisively to lead has been to show that elements of innate immunity are able to recognize infectious agents with a remarkable degree of specificity, respond to them quickly and appropriate and recruit mechanisms of the specific response acquired after guiding them toward a more effective type of response (type of antibody and lymphocyte).Ricard Pujol Borrelland Immunology group at HUVH and VHIR Nobel Prize in Medicine 2011 recognize key contributions that have revolutionized immunology over the last 15 years It's a truism that science advances with each change of paradigm, but it's true, and this year's honorees have been key players in a very significant change in the conception of the functioning of the immune system. Until a few years ago the only pillar on which rested the body of knowledge of immunology was the clonal selection hypothesis that the Nobel laureate Macfarlane Burnet proposed in 1955. One of his corollaries is that the immune response can recognize with exquisite specificity the components themselves from strangers. To an infection the immune system produces in a period of 5-7 days specific antibodies and lymphocytes that can kill or neutralize the infectious agent when things go well, and also, in general, the host is protected against subsequent infection by the same agent. This concept, is true, was recognized since antiquity. Immunologists spent most of the twentieth century to decipher the mechanisms by which this specific immune response is made and through it have been generated vaccines we use in the present days.But if the immune response that is organized according to the clonal selection explains why an infection leaves lasting protection, does not explain why we do not continually got infected by the germs in the environment. All the experts know that for a patient is more dangerous the lack of granulocytes than lymphocytes, in fact, since the beginning of immunology was known to have some ability to react immediately to the infections without having to wait for the antibody response and specific lymphocytes and knew some of its elements such as granulocytes and complement. The paradigm shift that the laureates this year have contributed decisively to lead has been to show that elements of innate immunity are able to recognize infectious agents with a remarkable degree of specificity, respond to them quickly and appropriate and recruit mechanisms of the specific response acquired after guiding them toward a more effective type of response (type of antibody and lymphocyte).Ricard Pujol Borrelland Immunology group at HUVH and VHIR Twitter LinkedIn Facebook Whatsapp
