Antibody Formation in Volunteers Following Injection of Pneumococci or Their Type-Specific Polysaccharides

Title:
Antibody Formation in Volunteers Following Injection of Pneumococci or Their Type-Specific Polysaccharides
Creator:
Heidelberger, Michael
MacLeod, Colin M. (Colin Munro), 1909-1972
Kaiser, Samuel J.
Robinson, Betty
Date:
March 1946
Description:
During World War II, Heidelberger became involved in an effort by military physicians to develop a pneumonia vaccine, consisting of a combination of purified polysaccharides of four specific pneumococcal types, for the immunization of troops. In this article, Heidelberger and one of his wartime collaborators, Colin MacLeod, along with two coauthors described improvements in their quantitative precipitin method for measuring the amount of type-specific anti-pneumococcal antibodies in human sera, measurements that revealed that an even smaller amount of the specific polysaccharide than used previously was sufficient for effective immunization. Additionally, the team provided data on various injection methods (subcutaneous vs. intracutaneous) and the duration of protection (antibody levels remained relatively constant for 5-8 months after injection).
Periodical:
Journal of Experimental Medicine
Publisher:
Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research
Rights:
Reproduced from the Journal of Experimental Medicine, 1946, 83, 303-320 by copyright permission of the Rockefeller University Press.
Genre:
Articles
Subject:
Pneumococcal Infections, Polysaccharides, and Antibodies
Format:
Text
Extent:
18 pages
Language:
English
Legacy Source Citation:
Periodical. Heidelberger, Michael, Colin M. MacLeod, Samuel J. Kaiser, and Betty Robinson. "Antibody Formation in Volunteers Following Injection of Pneumococci or Their Type-Specific Polysaccharides." Journal of Experimental Medicine 83, 4 (March 1946): 303-320. Article. 18 Images.. Journal of Experimental Medicine
Legacy ID:
DHBBCP
NLM ID:
101584940X33
Profiles Collection:
The Michael Heidelberger Papers
Shareable Link:
https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/101584940X33
Story Section:
Antigens and Antibodies: Heidelberger and The Rise of Quantitative Immunochemistry, 1928-1954