“Forefather” of immunology visits U of C
 By Rebecca Eras
When Dr. Rolf Zinkernagel visited the University of Calgary’s Faculty
of Medicine earlier this month, Dr. Paul Kubes, director of the Institute
of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, compared it to a physics student
meeting Albert Einstein.
“Much of Dr. Zinkernagel’s work forms the foundation for
immunology,” said
Kubes. “He’s created the springboard that allows us to advance
our own studies.”
Zinkernagel, a Nobel Prize winner working on emerging viral
diseases, gave a presentation in the Libin Lecture Theatre
on Feb. 12. The head of the Institute of Experimental Immunology
at the University of Zürich, Switzerland, he spoke about his work
on antiviral antibody responses.
The U of C was one of only three Canadian stops Zinkernagel
made before returning to Switzerland. His visit provided students
an opportunity to meet the man they’ve read about in their textbooks.
It also granted scientists an opportunity to question him about the projects
they’ve
been working on, so he could share his knowledge of possible applications
to the big picture.
“The opportunity to meet with a forefather in immunology during my
studies here at U of C only serves to strengthen my passion and resolve
for completing my degree at an institution of such high calibre,” said
student Lisa Nelson.
Zinkernagel earned the 1996 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine
with partner Dr. Peter Doherty for their breakthrough work
in understanding how our immune system distinguishes natural
cells from foreign ones, a process known as minor histocompatibility
complex (MHC) restriction.
Their groundbreaking work formed the basis of immunology by
discovering the mechanisms that allow the immune system to
recognize foreign material.
Zinkernagel’s presentation focused on
the nature of antibodies and why it’s so difficult to vaccinate for
some viruses and not others. He explained that viruses evolve and mutate,
thereby making it difficult to control their spread. For instance, the
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)—considered a new virus—inhibits
the body’s ability
to recognize the virus, so the body doesn’t have the capacity to
fight it. Our bodies are able to recognize other viruses and
have built up enough resistance to them to coexist.
|
