Immune System Historical Background

Summary

This video delves into the historical background of the immune system, beginning with Thucydides' observations during the Peloponnesian War around 430 BC, where survivors of diseases like typhus or smallpox were immune to reinfection. It highlights Edward Jenner's pioneering vaccination against smallpox in the 1700s, leading to its global eradication in 1980. Louis Pasteur's germ theory and development of attenuated vaccines are also featured, along with Peter Gore and George Snell's discovery of histocompatibility antigens in 1936, which revolutionized organ transplantation. The video emphasizes the incremental progress and key discoveries that have shaped our understanding of immunity.

Takeaways

• 📜 The concept of immunity was first mentioned by Thucydides around 430 BC during the Peloponnesian War.
• 🤒 The war was followed by epidemics, likely typhus or smallpox, which killed approximately 25% of the population.
• 🛡 Thucydides observed that individuals who had recovered from the disease could care for the sick without contracting it again, indicating immunity.
• 👨‍⚕️ Rhazes, a 10th-century Persian physician, also noted the principle of immunity from re-infection after recovery.
• 💉 Edward Jenner, known as the father of immunology, developed the first vaccination using cowpox to protect against smallpox.
• 🌐 Smallpox was the first disease to be eradicated worldwide in 1980, following the widespread use of vaccination.
• 🥛 Louis Pasteur advanced immunology by developing the germ theory of diseases and inventing pasteurization techniques for milk and wine.
• 🐔 Pasteur discovered the concept of an attenuated vaccine while working with the cholera bacteria in chickens, leading to the development of vaccines.
• 🔬 Peter Gore and George Snell's discovery of histocompatibility antigens in 1936 was pivotal for understanding organ transplant rejection.
• 🔄 The immune system can view transplanted organs as foreign invaders, leading to tissue rejection unless closely matched to the recipient.
• 🧬 Observations and small steps in understanding the immune system have been fundamental in the development of immunology and its applications.

Q & A

Who is believed to have made the first written mention of the immune system?

Thucydides is believed to have made the first written mention of the immune system around 430 BC.

What major event in Greek history is associated with the first mention of the immune system?

The Peloponnesian War is associated with the first mention of the immune system in written works by Thucydides.

What diseases are thought to have been introduced to Greece during the Peloponnesian War?

It is believed that the Peloponnesian War brought either typhus or smallpox to Greece.

What percentage of the population is estimated to have died due to the diseases brought by the war?

About 25% of the population is estimated to have died due to the diseases introduced during the war.

What observation by Thucydides about disease survivors is significant in the context of the immune system?

Thucydides observed that people who had the disease and recovered could nurse the sick without risk of catching the disease again, indicating the concept of immunity.

Who is the 10th-century Persian physician that also noted the observation of immunity?

Razis, a 10th-century Persian physician, also noted the observation of immunity.

What significant contribution did Edward Jenner make to the field of immunology?

Edward Jenner made the first vaccination to protect from a dangerous disease, using cowpox to protect against smallpox, and is known as the father of immunology.

In what year was smallpox eradicated worldwide?

Smallpox was eradicated worldwide in 1980.

What is the connection between Louis Pasteur's work on bacteria and the development of vaccines?

Louis Pasteur discovered that an old, less virulent culture of bacteria could be used to prevent serious disease, marking the first use of an attenuated vaccine.

What discovery by Peter Gore and George Snell advanced the field of transplantation?

Peter Gore and George Snell discovered the histocompatibility antigens and their role in transplantation, particularly in preventing transplant tissue rejection.

How does the immune system respond when a foreign organ is transplanted into a person?

When an organ is transplanted, the immune system may see it as a foreign invader and attack it, leading to the destruction of the tissue by macrophages and natural killer cells.

What is necessary for a transplanted organ to have a higher chance of survival?

For a transplanted organ to survive, it must be as closely matched to the recipient as possible to minimize the risk of tissue rejection.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Early Observations of Immunity

This paragraph delves into the historical background of the immune system, starting with its first recorded mention by Thucydides around 430 BC during the Peloponnesian War. It describes the observation that individuals who had recovered from a disease were immune to subsequent infections, a phenomenon also noted by the 10th-century Persian physician, Razis. The paragraph then transitions to Edward Jenner's pioneering work in the late 1700s, who, inspired by these early observations, developed the first vaccination against smallpox, a disease that was eventually eradicated worldwide in 1980.

🧬 Advancements in Immunology and Vaccination

The second paragraph highlights the significant contributions of Louis Pasteur to the field of immunology. Pasteur is credited with developing the germ theory of diseases and inventing pasteurization techniques for milk and wine to prevent infectious diseases. His work with the cholera bacteria in chickens led to the discovery of the first attenuated vaccine, demonstrating that a weakened strain of a pathogen could immunize against a disease. This discovery marked a major advancement in the understanding and application of vaccines.

🔬 Discoveries in Histocompatibility and Transplantation

The final paragraph discusses the groundbreaking work of Peter Gore and George Snell in 1936, who discovered the role of histocompatibility antigens in transplantation. Their research shed light on the immune system's role in recognizing and potentially attacking transplanted organs as foreign invaders. The discovery of tissue rejection mechanisms was pivotal for the field of organ transplantation, emphasizing the importance of close organ-recipient matching to ensure the survival of the transplanted organ.

Keywords

💡Immune System

The immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend the body against harmful pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites. In the video, the immune system's historical background is explored, starting with the first written mention by Thucydides, who noted that individuals who had recovered from a disease could care for the sick without contracting the disease again, indicating the concept of immunity.

💡Thucydides

Thucydides was an ancient Greek historian who is believed to have made the first written reference to the immune system around 430 BC. His observations during the Peloponnesian War noted the pattern of disease following war and the immunity of those who had recovered, which is a foundational concept in the understanding of the immune system.

💡Peloponnesian War

The Peloponnesian War was a conflict in ancient Greece that is mentioned in the script as a time when infections, such as typhus or smallpox, spread among the population. This historical event is significant in the context of the immune system as it is tied to the early observations of disease patterns and immunity.

💡Razis

Razis, a 10th-century Persian physician, is mentioned for his similar observations to Thucydides regarding immunity. His work is an example of how the understanding of the immune system was developing across different cultures and time periods.

💡Edward Jenner

Edward Jenner is known as the father of immunology. His work with cowpox and smallpox is highlighted in the video as the first vaccination, demonstrating the concept of using a weakened form of a disease to confer immunity against a more severe disease.

💡Vaccination

Vaccination is the process of introducing a weakened or inactivated pathogen to stimulate the body's immune system to develop immunity without causing the disease. The video describes Jenner's smallpox vaccination as the first use of this technique, which has since become a cornerstone of modern medicine.

💡Smallpox

Smallpox is a deadly infectious disease that was eradicated worldwide in 1980, largely due to the success of vaccination campaigns. The video script discusses its historical significance and Jenner's pivotal role in developing the first vaccine against it.

💡Louis Pasteur

Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist who contributed significantly to the field of immunology. He developed the germ theory of diseases and invented pasteurization techniques, which are mentioned in the video as important advancements in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.

💡Attenuated Vaccine

An attenuated vaccine is a type of vaccine that contains a live, but weakened form of the pathogen. The video describes Pasteur's work with an old culture of cholera that was less virulent, which he realized could be used to prevent serious disease, marking the first use of an attenuated vaccine.

💡Peter Gore and George Snell

Peter Gore and George Snell are mentioned in the video for their discovery of histocompatibility antigens and their role in transplantation. Their work advanced the understanding of how the immune system recognizes and reacts to foreign tissues, which is crucial for successful organ transplants.

💡Transplantation

Transplantation is the medical procedure of moving an organ from one body to another. The video discusses the importance of histocompatibility antigens in preventing the immune system from rejecting transplanted organs, illustrating the immune system's role in both defense and potential complications in medical procedures.

Highlights

The first mention of the immune system was by Thucydides around 430 BC during the Peloponnesian War.

Infections like typhus or smallpox followed the war, killing about 25% of the population.

Thucydides observed that people who had recovered from the disease could nurse the sick without getting reinfected.

Razis, a 10th century Persian physician, also noted the immunity after infection.

Edward Jenner, in the late 1700s, used past observations to develop the first vaccination for smallpox.

Jenner is known as the father of immunology for his work on the smallpox vaccine.

Smallpox was eradicated worldwide in 1980.

Louis Pasteur further advanced immunology with the germ theory of diseases and pasteurization techniques.

Pasteur discovered that an attenuated vaccine could be used to prevent serious disease.

Peter Gore and George Snell's discovery of histocompatibility antigens revolutionized organ transplantation.

Tissue rejection is a major challenge in organ transplantation, which Gore and Snell's work helped address.

For a transplanted organ to survive, it must be closely matched to the recipient to avoid immune system attack.

Small steps and observations were the foundation for understanding the immune system and its functions.

The video concludes with a summary of the historical background of the immune system.

Transcripts

this video is on the historical

background of the immune system

it is believed that the first mention of

the immune system was in written works

by thucydides around 430 bc

this was a time of war for greece and

infections typically follow war into the

population

this was the case during the

peloponnesian war through

paleo-pathological studies it is

believed the war brought either typhus

or smallpox to the region with about 25

of the population dying

thucydides noted that people who had the

disease and recovered could nurse those

who are currently sick without risk of

catching the disease again

this observation of once infected leads

to no further infections was also noted

by razis a 10th century persian

physician

in the late 1700s edward jenner used

these past observations during an

outbreak of smallpox in england he knew

that those that had a cow pox infection

did not get smallpox he took some of the

infected material from a cow pox pustule

and inoculated it into a young boy

after a few weeks when the boy recovered

from the cow pox jenner exposed the boy

routinely to smallpox material and the

boy never developed the disease

this was the first vaccination to

protect from a dangerous disease

jenner is known as the father of

immunology smallpox was eradicated

worldwide in 1980.

almost a century later louis pasteur

pushed the field of immunology further

pasteur developed the germ theory of

diseases and invented the techniques to

pasteurize both milk and wine thus

preventing infectious diseases from

being passed by drinking milk and wine

he was working on bacteria that causes

cholera in chickens which is deadly he

started cultures of the cholera and was

able to keep the bacteria sample active

for over a year before going on vacation

he told his assistant to inject some of

the chickens with a fresh batch of

cholera the assistant forgot and went on

vacation himself when the assistant came

back a month later he realized his

oversight and injected the chickens with

a month-old sample of cholera

the chickens got sick but did not die

when the air was discovered pasture

injected the chickens with a fresh

culture and none of the chickens got

sick pasteur realized the old culture

was not as virulent as a fresh culture

and the old culture could be used to

prevent serious disease this was the

first use of an attenuated vaccine

perhaps the next big discovery came

around 1936 by peter gore in england he

and his colleague george snell

discovered the histocompatibility

antigens and their role in

transplantation most notably in

transplant tissue rejection when an

organ is transplanted into someone the

immune system can see the organ as a

foreign invader and will attack it the

tissue will be destroyed by the

macrophages and the natural killer cells

for a transplanted organ to survive it

must be as closely matched to the

recipient of the organ as possible

when there is a mismatch the

transplanted organ will fail gore and

snell's work advanced the field of

transplantation remarkably

small steps and observation were the

basis for learning about the immune

system and its function

this concludes the video on the

historical background of the immune

system

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