Naren 4, 1942

Kews Release from the California Institute of Technology on Recent Work in
Tnmunology

It has been known for many years that the body is able to protect
itself arainst disease, an’ that artificial protection ageinat dlaensea by
vacoination or immunization can also be achieved, Until very recently
the mechaniem of this protection against disease hae not been understood
in any detail, During the past two years, however, Professor Linus Pauling
and Professor “an Campbell of the Caiifomia Institute of Teahnology,
with their collghorator Dr. David Preeaman, have not only obtained experimental
information which provides support of a detailed theory of the mechani an
of immunization, but have even succeeded in making in the laboratory substances,
called antibodies, which are responsible for protection against digease and
which hitherto have been made only in the animal body.

The picture which Frofessor Pauling and hia collaberatore have formed
as to the mechanism of protection against disease is the following one.
There are produced in the animal body certain large molecules, called serum
@lobulin, which are present in the blood stream. If a bacterium or virus
ie in the body at the point where these molecules are being forme’, the
molecules are eo changed ae to seeume structures complementary to thoes of
the bacterium or virus, and in thie way they acquire the property of combining
with the bacterium or virus. There changed protein molecules, called anti-
vodies, remain in the dlood stream after the original bacterium or virus
hag been digspored of. On later infection by bacteria or virus, theese anti-
bodies are able to combine with the invadere and te assist the body in

destroying then,
The procedure followed by the investigators at the California Institute
of Technology in manufeecturing antibodies in the laboratory was to unfold
normal protein molecules, the protein used being serum globulin, and then
cause the molecules to fold up again in the presence of the antigen, which
in thin way la able to lmpose on the protein molecules configurations
complementary to ite own, The antigen ie the substance which playa the role
of bacterium or virus in disease. The unfolding of the protein molecules
was accomplished with use of alkali or heat or some similar agent, which was
then removed slowly, permitting the molecule to refold. In presence of the
antigen they fold up in such a way an to acquire the facility of combining
with the antizen.

It was found that a protein solution which had been subjected to bhis
treatment had acquired the various characteristics of a natural blood serum
which would be obtained from an animal which had been immunized with the
same antigen. The investigators have prepared in this way antibodier againat
various simple chomical antigens, and also against pneumeecocus polysaccharide.

The California investizators have not yet carried their exporinents
far enough to find cut whether or not 16 will be possible to prepare in the
laboratory antibody solutions which oan be used in practice for protection
againet disease, but work along these lines is under way. These researches
thus open up the possibility of a new method for use in the fight against

disease,