Spontaneous regression: a hidden treasure buried in time

Spontaneous tumor regression is a phenomenon that has been observed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Although the term spontaneous implies 'without apparent cause', a review of case reports over the last several hundred years demonstrates that regression generally coincides with acute infections. Observations of this non-specific effect led to the emergence of active cancer immunotherapies by the 1700s. By the 1890s, William Coley refined this approach with a bacterial vaccine which, when administered properly, could induce complete regression of extensive metastatic disease. Unfortunately, after Coley's death, his vaccine and technique fell into obscurity. Modern approaches to treatment have reduced the occurrence of spontaneous regressions. Aseptic techniques and antibiotics significantly reduce postoperative infections, while chemotherapy and radiation impair immune activation even when an infection does occur. More than a century after its inception, Coley's vaccine and aggressive approach to treatment may still be one of most effective immunotherapies for cancer.

[Philippe Maupas : hepatitis B vaccine discoverer]

Philippe Maupas Day 8th February 1981, an official ceremony with all the Profession, the Tours Faculty of Pharmacy was called Philippe Maupas, Hepatitis B vaccine discoverer - Galien Prize 1981. This communication presents the man, the scientist and the teacher. Born on 30th June 1939 in Toulon (south of France), married and the father of two children, Ph. Maupas was a man of action and an humanist. Full of enthusiasm, always available, passionate about his work, he never hesitated to brave the odds if he felt it would be of use to the community. With a pluridisciplinary training - Veterinary Doctor (1965), Pharmacist (1970), Science Doctor (1970) and Physician Doctor (1976) - he was Professor of Microbiology and Dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy of Tours. His scientific career fully illustrates his thirst for knowledge and his unflagging struggle against infectious diseases. Ph. Maupas approached his research work in a relaxed, imaginative frame of mind. Always passionate about his work and fired by spirit of Louis Pasteur, he was moved by a preoccupation of efficacy and a will of prevention in Public Health. He carried out research into both animal and human infectious diseases as well as anthropozoonosis. Ph. Maupas's most remarkable discoveries concerned the hepatitis B virus: he produced the first vaccine against hepatitis B and applied it to the prevention in man of this disease (1976); he confirmed the aetiological link between the hepatitis B and primary liver cancer.

Immunotherapy historical perspective

OBJECTIVE

To review early history of specific immunotherapy, particularly the contribution of Robert A. Cooke.

DATA SOURCES

Review of literature.

CONCLUSIONS

Cooke was an important investigator developing the basic method of immunotherapy as it is practiced today. His contributions to the field of allergy are staggering. They include the elucidation of blocking antibodies, passive transfers, dosage techniques, testing techniques, and more. It is our hope this consensus conference will lead to more national and international collaborative efforts focusing on different subtopics of allergen immunotherapy. We intend to bring cutting edge information, discussions, and consensus agreements for our own members, for other physicians, and for the public at large.

Tumour necrosis factor and cancer treatment: a historical review and perspectives

At the end of 19th century William Coley, a New York surgeon, was the first to describe necrosis of the tumour induced by bacterial toxins. In 1975, a protein responsible for the induction of this process was identified and called tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). The application of recombinant DNA methodology has resulted in the production of large quantities of highly purified recombinant human TNF-alpha for both preclinical and clinical studies. Although TNF-alpha is still viewed by most investigators as a selective antitumor agent, its pleiotropic activities are admirably illustrated by numerous newly discovered functions of TNF-alpha in the host defenses, inflammation, pathogenesis, regulation of gene expression and differentiation. This literature survey discusses the discovery of TNF-alpha and its potential applications to antitumour therapy.

The history of the development of vaccines for the treatment of lymphoma

Exploitation of the immune system is an attractive strategy for developing selective lymphoma therapies. In the past several decades, increased knowledge of tumor immunology has granted investigators the tools to formulate a variety of lymphoma-specific vaccines. Vaccines targeting the tumor-specific immunoglobulin (idiotype) of B-cell lymphomas were the first to be developed, owing to successful active vaccination studies in animal models and clinical studies of passive anti-idiotype monoclonal antibodies. In initial clinical trials, patient-specific idiotype vaccines have been found to induce anti-idiotype immune responses that correlate with improved disease-free and overall survival and the reduction of the level of detectable residual disease. More recent strategies for improving the potency and practicality of idiotype vaccines are utilization of dendritic cells, recombinant idiotype proteins, and DNA vaccination. Custom-made vaccines utilizing whole autologous tumor cells are also being developed. Given the exciting results of these early lymphoma vaccine studies and the accelerated pace of immunologic research, it is hoped that vaccines will someday expand the armamentarium of effective lymphoma therapies.

The hybridoma revolution: an offshoot of basic research

In this narrative, I describe how my interest in the nature and origin of antibody diversity led me to tackle the problem by using somatic cell genetic techniques. The first hybridoma (an immortal antibody-secreting cell line derived by fusion of a short-lived lymphocyte and a myeloma cell line) was an offshoot of this approach. Although not intended for such purposes, it soon became obvious that this invention had widespread potential in basic research and industry. Indeed, the technique opened new inroads into the study of complex biological substances and became the method of choice to define new differentiation markers. Hybridomas also allowed us to dissect the immune response to a simple antigen and to demonstrate the critical role of somatic mutations in the generation of high affinity antibodies. Now, monoclonal antibodies can be derived and manipulated in vitro, leading to important new developments in therapeutic applications. BioEssays 1999;21:966-973.

[Journey(s) to Santos]

The article intends to shed some light on the creation of the Manguinbos laboratory by recounting an episode which predates it: the journey to Santos taken in 1899 by Oswaldo Cruz, a young physician about to become a national hero and the Brazilian symbol of science. Destined to confirm the arrival of the infamous bubonic plague in Brazil for the first time, this journey was a milestone in justifying construction of a factory to produce anti-plague serum in Rio de Janeiro--the future Instituto Soroterapico Federal, inaugurated in 1900 and later embryo of the Manguinbos laboratory. Four different narratives of this journey reveal different processes of creating the world', each arriving at its own interpretation of the same journey.

Rational interleukin-2 therapy

The administration of cytokines that augment the function of the immune system can be accomplished safely and without toxicity, provided a rational approach is used. Such a therapeutic method should be based upon the principles of pharmacology and the structure-activity relationships of the cytokine-receptor interaction. Thus, the therapeutic index should be determined, and the goal should be to augment the function of the immune system in a variety of clinical situations, not necessarily focused on eradicating a particular disease process such as metastatic cancer that may or may not be influenced by the immune system.

The treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in this century: from spas to monoclonal antibodies

In this paper I review the advances in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis that have taken place in this century. From spas to monoclonal antibodies for the manipulation of the immune system, we have come a long way in just one hundred years. However, although research is being pursued in many promising directions, the discovery of a truly effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is still being awaited.