abacavir 110–12, 114, 207 n.31
‘acquired tolerance’ 21
‘Agglutination of normal people’s blood’ (Landsteiner) 49
AIDS xiv, 91–3, 96–7, 108–9, 129, 158, 205 n.39
Amos, Bernard 56
ankylosing spondylitis 88–91, 97, 186
anthrax 26
antibodies 20, 31–4, 36–8, 51, 190 n.8
Asimov, Isaac 179
Askonas, Brigitte (Ita) 201 n.43
asthma 162
auto-immune diseases 158
azathioprine 59
Baamba tribe 86
bacteria 26, 36, 55, 58–9, 65–6, 100, 120, 161
mycoplasma 75
Beauchamp, Gary 138–9, 146, 149
Beecher, Henry 43
Beyond Paradise (Estée Lauder) 135
Billingham, Rupert ‘Bill’ 11–14, 16, 19, 21, 62, 79, 168–9
bipolar disorder 157
Bjorkman, Pamela 62–4, 66–8, 75–9, 94, 175, 198 n.16, 199 n.21, 202 n.58
Black Death 24
blood
red cells lack compatibility proteins 195 n.32
two types of test with white cells 57
umbilical cord 138
blood–brain barrier 151
bone-marrow transplantation 52, 60, 118, 122, 124, 176, 184, 195 n.33
Book of Perfumes, The (Rimmel) 135, 212 n.1
Borges, Jorge Luis 105, 206 n.15
Bound for Glory (Guthrie) 83
Boyse, Jeanette 137–8, 212 n.7
brains
cerebellum 159
Brent, Joanne 16
Brent, Leslie 11–16, 19, 21–2, 23, 37, 62, 79
Brewerton, Derrick 88–91, 96, 203–4 n.19/21
Brown, Gordon 85
Buddha 28
Burnet, Macfarlane
acquired tolerance in action theory 51
ambition to discover grand unified theory of immunology 122
changing perceptions of why transplants failed 42
importance of work 160
international meetings established 55
joint winner of Nobel Prize in 1960 16, 22
one of greatest thinkers in human biology 23
paper published in 1949 11, 149
and pregnancy 167
responsible for a scientific revolution 34–41
and Strominger 65
Canadian Gairdner award 202 n.58
cancer
and compatibility genes 116
and genetic variants 87
immune cells 119
individual cells 116
leukaemia 37, 39, 60, 87, 109, 119
lymphoma 115
myeloma 115
NK cells 120, 122, 124, 129, 131
transmissible 71
tumours in transplant experiments 18
YAC-1 tumour cells 120
Carrel, Alexis 7
Carter, Jimmy 84
Cartographers Guild 105
Catholic Church 46
cells
extra-villous trophoblast 168
Ceppellini, Ruggero 56
‘Chemistry of Vision’ (Wald) 152
childbirth 180
cholera 26
Clinton, Bill 186
Cohen, Leonard 117
compatibility genes
African diversity 113
and appropriate medicines 114–15
and cancer 116
classical/non-classical 159
distinguishing our own cells 135
immune/nervous systems 165
importance of differences in 83–98
influencing mate selection 148
and Medawar 21
and NK cell genes 131
no particular set perfect 181–2
protection against particular diseases 181
sensing possibilities 137, 139
and transplant patients 59–60, 70
Wedekind’s smelly T-shirt experiment 140–49, 156, 183–5
see also HLA
computers
codes 103
technology advances 106
Cooper, Max 40
Cosmas, Saint 6
Crick, Francis 10, 33, 38, 63, 153
Crohn, Kurt 12
cyclosporine 59
Damian, Saint 6
Danish National Serum Institute 32–3
Darvall, Denise 44
Darwin, Charles 25, 29, 35, 135, 178
dating agencies xvi, 185, 187 n.3
Dausset, Jean 53–4, 56, 58, 60, 63, 68, 87, 195 n.39
Davis, Mark 72–3, 200–201 n.42
Davis, Daniel (author’s own research) 164–5
de Bakker, Paul 92
Denisovans 113
diabetes
disease 24–5, 27–8, 97, 190 n.20
DNA
author’s personal analysis 183–6
double helix 10, 33, 63, 118, 153
epigenetic changes 101
mitochondrial 112
Neanderthal 185
sequencing of 104
and UV light 131
Doherty, Peter 62, 69–73, 76, 199 n.28
Doll, Richard 17
Donahoe, Patricia 62
double helix DNA 10, 33, 63, 118, 153
Dovercourt Reception Camp 13
epigenetic changes 101
Eskimos 113
eugenics 37
‘Experiments on plant hybrids’ (Mendel) 50
extra-villous trophoblast cells 168
Family Planning Association 19
Fenner, Frank 11, 28–9, 31, 35
Fleming, Alexander 100
Frankenstein (Shelley) 6
freemartin calves 14
Friend, Stephen 101
functional architecture of the visual cortex 153
Gedankenexperiments 9
genes
compatibility see compatibility genes
description 63
human 165
IL28B 130
MHC xiii
rare 108
genetics xi, 36, 51, 99, 107, 109, 112–13, 142
Glasgow Royal Infirmary 7
Gould, Stephen Jay 20
gout 90
graft rejection 23
graft-v-host disease 60
Guarani tribe 113
Guthrie, Jo 84
Guthrie, Nora 83
GWAS (genome-wide associations studies) 92, 101
Hamilton, Bill 142–3, 213 n.25
Hansen’s disease see leprosy
Hartwell, Leland 41
Hawking, Stephen 29
heart transplantation 43
hepatitis B 59
hepatitis C 130
Herberman, Ronald 120–21, 209 n.7, 209 n.13
Hinduism 46
Hippocrates 24
HIV xiv, 91–6, 99, 108, 110, 114, 131, 148, 165
HIV Controllers study 92-3, 96–7, 99, 108, 204 n.37
HLA (human leukocyte antigens) A*02 57–8, 62
class I 57
description 57–8, 60, 195 n.35, 196 n.52
discovery of 132
diversity 113
genes 87–8, 97–8, 113–14, 145–9
and hepatitis C 130
HLA-B*27 89–91, 97, 113, 186, 205 n.44
HLA-B*57 93–4, 96, 99, 110–114, 205 n.40
and leukaemia 87
proteins see proteins
and sugar molecules 65–7, 198 n.18
types 185
see also compatibility genes
Hobbes, Thomas 21
Hodgkin’s lymphoma 87
Hubel, David 151–5, 165–6, 215 n.12
human genome 93–4, 101, 135, 165, 205 n.41
human leukocyte antigens see HLA
humanized mice 129
Hunt, Tim 41
Huntington’s disease 84, 98, 100, 203 n.8
Huntington’s Disease Society of America 84–5
Huxley, Thomas 178
immune system
B cells 40
blood groups 47
and the brain 157
and cancer 119
and compatibility genes 135
genes 139, 167, 176, 179, 180–81
and HLA-G 174
in the liver 59
and Medawar 42
and the nervous system 165
recognizing/destroying non-self substances 23
T cells see T cells
uterine immune cells 181
inbreeding 118
influenza
hemagglutinin 64
viruses 64
InnatePharma 129
International HIV Controllers
Study, see HIV Controllers
Study
irreversible coma see brains, brain death
Islam 46
Jerne, Niels 32–4, 41, 191 n.28/31
Jerne, Tjek 33
Judaism 46
Kaingang tribe 113
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm 120
Kaufman, Jim 64
Keystone symposia 163
kidney transplants 43–4, 52, 58–9, 126, 193 n.5
Kiessling, Rolf 117, 120–21, 123–4, 209 n.6/7
Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptors (KIR) 128–30
Kindertransport programme 12
Kristallnacht 12
Kupfer, Abraham (Avi) 162–4, 217 n.39
Kupfer, Hannah 162
Landsteiner, Karl 47–53, 66, 194 n.19
Lauder, Estée 135
Lederberg, Josh 36
leukaemia 37, 39, 60, 87, 109, 119
Lipscomb, William 64
Lives of the Cell (Thomas) 137
Ljunggren, Hans-Gustaf 125
Loke, Yung Wai (Charlie) 169–70, 172, 177, 218 n.7
Long Term Non-Progressors 92
Ly49 receptor 126–8, 210–11 n.33
lymphocytes 39
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV) 69–70
lymphoma 115
MAC 53, 56, 58, 63, see also HLA, A*02
Marsh, Steve 184
Medawar, Jean 15–16, 19–21, 30
Medawar, Peter
base in war-torn London 28
and BBC Radio lectures 1959 104
and Brewerton 89
and Burnet 31, 34, 37–40, 42–3, 55
discoveries 137
experiments in transplantation 135
hypothetical genes/infections example 160
and immune reaction against alien tissues 47, 62
a mother’s immune system 175
paradox remains unsolved 181
and Strominger’s work 65
and Terasaki’s work 58
transplantation tolerance work 7–22, 23
undisputed leader of Billingham/Brent 79
Medical Research Council 7, 20
membrane nanotubes 165
menstrual synchronization 138
Merwe, Anton van der 163
MHC proteins 71–3, 125–7, 146, 155–6, 158–60, 201–2 n.55
micromanipulators 36
‘missing self’ hypothesis 125–6, 172
Mitchison, Avrion 20, 189 n.47
mitochondrial DNA 112
Moffett, Ashley 169–75, 177, 218 n.14
molecular biology 100
myeloma 115
National Institute of Medical Research 9, 19
National Institutes of Health (NIH) 65
Nazis 12
neuronal synapses 164
Neuroscience 2011 congress 161, 216 n.30
Nigeria 86
NK Cell Workshop (Detroit 1984) 125
NK (Natural Killer) cells 120–27, 129–32, 164, 169, 171–9, 209 n.7, 211 n.40/43
receptor 126
NK-cell congress (St. Petersburg, Florida, 1992) 173
NK-cell research community 172–3
Nobel Prizes
Benacerraff/Dausett/Snell 199 n.24
candidates a closely guarded secret 197 n.4
Einstein 29
Hartwell/Hunt/Nurse 41
Hubel and Wiesel 152
Kärre becomes committee chair 117, 127, 211 n.34
Koch 27
Medawar and Burnet 16–17, 22, 31, 34, 37
Pauling 32
Tonegawa 38
van Rood left out of 58
Wald 152
Wiley a candidate 62
Zinkernagel and Doherty 72
North American Indians 113
Nurse, Paul 41
On the Origin of Species (Darwin) 35, 135
One Lambda 91
organ transplantation xiii, 52
Payne, Rose 53–5, 60, 68, 87, 148
peptides 74–6, 78, 95–8, 111, 145, 164
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Süskind) 140
Phenomenon of Man, The (Teilhard de Chardin) 17
Pink Floyd 150
Pius XII, Pope 46
placentas 168, 171–2, 176, 181, 221 n.42
population-specific vaccines 114–15
progesterone hormone 173
proteins
in cells 165
compatibility genes 151, 155–6
and the ’flu virus 64
HLA 68–9, 71–3, 75–9, 92–6, 145, 175, 199 n.24
HLA-C 169
KIR (Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptors) 128–30
Ly49 receptor 126–8, 210–11 n.33
MHC 71–2, 123, 125, 129, 211 n.36
and narcolepsy 158
peptides 74–6, 78, 95–8, 111, 145, 164
receptor in NK cells 126
structure 78
Protestantism 46
Ragon, Terry 93
receptor in NK cells 126
Rimmel, Eugene 135
Rituximab 115
Robinson, Doug xiv
Roche 102
schizophrenia 157
Secret of Scent, The (Turin) 135, 212 n.2
selectionist theory 33
self-marker hypothesis 29
sexual attractiveness 185
Shatz, Carla 150–52, 154–6, 158–62, 214 n.1
Shelley, Mary 6
skin grafts 7–11, 14, 23, 31, 42, 58
smallpox 29
smelly T-shirt experiment (Wedekind) 140–49, 156, 183–5
Snell, George 117–18, 199 n.24
Snow, C. P. 20
Social Audit 21
Spanish Inquisition 24
Starry Messenger, The (Galileo) 76
Strominger, Jack 62–8, 75–6, 79, 94, 164, 175, 198 n.18, 201 n.52, 202 n.58
Sturmabteilung 12
Süskind, Patrick 140
Swedish navy 123
T cells
and cancer 119
explanation of 40
Zinkernagel and Doherty’s work 69–70
Talmage, David 35
Teilhard de Chardin, Pièrre 17
Terasaki, Paul 58, 88, 90, 96, 197 n.60
The Wall (Pink Floyd) 150
Tonegawa, Susumu 38
Townsend, Alain 73–6, 92, 201 n.46
transplantation
bone-marrow 52, 60, 118, 122, 124, 176, 184, 195 n.33
and Burnet 29
on cattle twins 14
compatibility genes 52, 70, 135
and Gorer 17
hypothetical genes/infections example 160
incompatibility 71
and NK cells 122
and pregnancy 167
and proteins 117
stem cells for 138
why it often failed 42
trophoblast cells 168–9, 173–7
tumours see cancer
Turkey 46
umbilical cord blood 138
vaccines 99
van Rood, Jon 53–4, 56, 58, 60, 68, 87, 140, 197 n.55
Viagra 100
villi 168
Vioxx 106
viruses
and compatibility genes 116
hepatitis B 59
HIV xiv
and HLA 98
influenza 64
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV) 69–70
and NK cells 120
Wald, George 152
Wallace, Alfred Russel 35
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute 36–7, 69
Waorani people 113
Watson, James D. 10, 33–4, 38, 42, 63, 204 n.36
Wiley, Don 62–6, 68, 75–7, 79–80, 94, 175
Woods Hole, Cape Cod 64
Woody Guthrie Folk Festival 84
World Health Organization (WHO) 56–7
X-ray crystallography 66–8, 79
Y chromosome 112
Y-shaped maze experiments 139, 146, 149
YAC-1 tumour cells 120
Yamazaki, Kunio 139
Yokoyama, Lynn 126
Zinkernagel, Rolf 68–73, 75–6, 79, 99, 199 n.27/28, 202 n.58