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Research in the Department is highly focused on immunobiology and related areas like inflammation, stem cell differentiation and immunopathology. Immunology is the discipline of biology that examines the mechanisms of host defense against pathogenic agents. The study of the immune system offers a unique opportunity to analyze a complex multicomponent system consisting of molecules and cells that have documented physiologic relevance. Immunology has a strong foundation in biochemistry, molecular biology and cell biology.

The multidisciplinary aspect of immunology attracts investigators with a wide range of interests in both basic and clinical approaches. Some choose to do immunologic research because of their interest in understanding the basic processes of host defense. Others study immunology because it is an excellent model to examine basic principles of molecular biology and cell biology.

Immunology has a very long history at Washington University. From the time that the Medical School was founded in 1891, most of basic and applied immunology has centered in three Departments; the Departments of Pathology, Microbiology, and Medicine.

The first major figure in immunology was Leo Loeb. Loeb was the second Chairman of Pathology with a tenure from 1923 to 1938. With him starts the very close association of Pathology with Immunology at the School. Loeb was one of the first investigators to study the relationship between self and non-self by using tissue transplantation. He postulated the presence of genetic factors that controlled whether grafts were tolerated or rejected. Loeb used both inbred guinea pigs and the first inbred strains of mice. He was one of the most important figures in histocompatibility research prior to the definition of the MHC locus by Gorer in the late 1930s.

Immunology activities expanded greatly in the 1960s and 1970s. Microbiology hosted immunology until 1992. Two prominent heads of Microbiology were Herman Eisen and Joseph Davie. Eisen made his seminal and now classical studies on the affinities of antibodies and on affinity maturation examining the anti-hapten responses. Davie, who followed Eisen as Head of Microbiology, continued to examine the cellular response of B cells to haptens and made one of the first quantitative analysis of B cell responses.

Paul Lacy became head of Pathology in 1961 and developed the procedures for isolation of islets of Langerhans for use in transplantation as the treatment for diabetes. The basic principles of islet transplantation and the passenger leukocyte concept were developed by him in close association with Joe Davie. At about the same time, Donald Shreffler joined the faculty to become head of Genetics. Shreffler, with Jan Klein, made the classic observations on the genetics of H-2, the MHC gene locus of the mouse. He also described the association of complement protein with the H-2 gene locus.

In the 1960/1970s, immunology started to develop strongly in the Allergy and Rheumatology Divisions of the Department of Medicine. Charlie Parker headed the Allergy Division for many years and made extensive studies on the allergic and anaphylactic responses. John Atkinson made the first analysis of the complement regulatory proteins as a member and Chief of the Rheumatology Division.

Immunology had a major burst of activity starting in the late 1980s, both in the Department of Pathology and in the Department of Medicine. At the same time, Microbiology placed its major emphasis in molecular basis of microbial pathogenesis. With the increased activities in immunology in Pathology during the tenure of Emil Unanue as Head of Pathology, the School decided to move Immunology as part of Pathology in 1996. Today the Department of Pathology and Immunology is the Department that centers and integrates all immunology activities of the School.

Immunology research permeates into most disciplines and is considered one of the top life science groups at the University. Immunobiology activities at Washington University are represented by more than 50 laboratories in eight different Departments. The Department of Pathology and Immunology has the highest number of immunologists and serves to coordinate and center all the various activities, including the Graduate Program in Immunology offered through the Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences. The Department also coordinates all the teaching of immunology for both medical and graduate students. The other Departments with prominent immunology faculty include the Department of Medicine, particularly with the Division of Rheumatology; Pediatrics with its Immunology and Rheumatology Division; and Molecular Microbiology with an extensive program in pathogenesis that includes immunology.

The Medical School course for immunology is offered to the first year Medical School class every spring semester. There are additional opportunities for students interested in immunology to participate in discussions and reviews of current topics. Graduate courses include a general review course plus courses that center in specialized areas of immunology. Immunology also offers an extensive seminar series (every Monday at 4:00 pm from September through May) that includes visits and presentations from about a dozen scientists from outside the University. These scientists stay for a day or two, visiting the laboratories and spending time with the graduate students. Graduate students invite one scientist every year and coordinate their activities during the visit.

Immunology faculty and students participate in a work-in-progress seminar (given every Friday at 4:00 pm), where each of two trainees present their current research in each session. Students usually present once or twice a year. Presentations are informal and include discussions of the progress and new ideas on the research.

Immunology faculty participate in weekly evaluations of their own research programs in sessions that are restricted only to faculty.

The immunology research is extensive and includes the following areas: T cell biology, activation and signaling; antigen processing and presentation; roles of histocompatibility molecules; differentiation of T cells and their biological consequences and importance; cytokines, particularly interferons and TNF; activation and inhibitory molecules expressed by cells of the innate system; biology and differentiation of NK cells; macrophages and dendritic cell biology; microbial immunology, particularly of viruses and intracellular pathogenic bacteria; molecular virology; the immune response to tumors; autoimmunity, particularly as applied to diabetes, arthritis, lupus erythematosus and encephalomyelitis; characterization and biology of proteins of the complement system; the differentiation and biology of B cells, the structure of immunologically relevant molecules including MHC proteins, T cell receptors and molecules of the innate sytem; hematopoietic stem cell differentiation; the control of the local inflammatory response.

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