Former section caput and noted idiosyncratic altered people of immunology research
Unanue
Emil Raphael Unanue, MD, an internationally renowned immunologist astatine Washington University School of Medicine successful St. Louis, died Dec. 16, 2022, surrounded by household successful St. Louis aft a two-year conflict with glioblastoma. He was 88.
Head of the Department of Pathology & Immunology astatine the School of Medicine from 1985 to 2006, Unanue built the section into a preeminent probe powerhouse successful immunology, and did truthful portion making large discoveries astir the immune strategy that transformed the field.
“Emil Unanue was an bonzer idiosyncratic whose enactment reached good beyond his ain tract of immunobiology and impacted galore different biologic fields, including compartment biology, microbiology, neurobiology and genetics,” said Richard J. Cote, MD, the Edward Mallinckrodt Professor and caput of the Department of Pathology & Immunology. “We person mislaid a titan of subject whose breadth and extent and knowing of beingness volition beryllium intolerable to replace. Although helium is gone, his passionateness for excellence and find volition proceed to stimulate america to beryllium the champion scientists that we tin be.”
The Paul and Ellen Lacy Professor of Pathology & Immunology, Unanue is well-known for his enactment to recognize however the immune strategy identifies overseas macromolecule fragments, oregon antigens — a archetypal measurement successful mounting an immune effect — and however the immune system’s T cells respond. T cells, cardinal components of the body’s effect to infectious diseases and cancer, tin beryllium harmful erstwhile misdirected against the body’s ain tissues and tin pb to autoimmune conditions. Unanue’s enactment opened the doorway for probe into therapies for autoimmune diseases specified arsenic Type 1 diabetes, aggregate sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, which are caused by misdirected immune responses.
In the 1980s, Unanue’s probe squad discovered a captious constituent of however T cells admit overseas invaders. Scientists antecedently had thought that the T cells were recognizing the shapes of intact pathogens, but Unanue showed that they were identifying parts of pathogens portion interacting with different radical of immune cells called antigen-presenting cells.
These cells prime up antigens and chop them into fragments, oregon peptides. Unanue and Paul Allen, PhD, present a Washington University emeritus prof of pathology & immunology, discovered that antigen-presenting cells hindrance these peptides to a peculiar radical of molecules known arsenic the large histocompatibility complex.
Through his years of invaluable contributions arsenic a researcher, Unanue spurred captious findings that person moved medicine person to being capable to amended the body’s defenses against diseases portion preventing misdirected immune attacks connected the body’s mean components.
“As engaged and profoundly palmy arsenic helium was arsenic a researcher, teaching and mentoring were besides profoundly important to him,” said longtime workfellow Robert D. Schreiber, PhD, the Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Distinguished Professor and manager of the Bursky Center for Human immunology and Immunotherapy Programs astatine Washington University. “Through the Graduate Program successful Immunology that helium created astatine the university, helium helped populate academia and manufacture with galore of the astir respected scientists successful the field. His interaction can’t beryllium overstated.”
Unanue has been recognized connected galore stages implicit his career. His honors see the Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award; the Canada Gairdner International Award, Canada’s highest grant successful science; the Robert Koch Gold Medal Award successful Germany; the Sanofi-Institut Pasteur Award; and the Gerold and Kayla Grodsky Basic Research Scientist Award from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He besides received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Association of Immunologists and was an elected subordinate of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Medicine.
A autochthonal of Havana, Cuba, Unanue graduated from the University of Havana School of Medicine successful 1960, a twelvemonth aft Fidel Castro overthrew the Cuban government. Wanting to beryllium the designer of his ain life, helium near Cuba for the United States that year, earlier Castro imposed question restrictions connected residents.
He went connected to implicit an internship successful pathology astatine Presbyterian University Hospital successful Pittsburgh; a pathology probe fellowship astatine Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation successful La Jolla, Calif., with the renowned immunopathologist Frank Dixon; and past an immunology probe fellowship astatine the National Institute for Medical Research successful London, wherever helium worked with famed immunologist Brigitte Askonas.
Unanue returned to Scripps and past was recruited by eventual Nobel laureate Baruj Benacerraf to Harvard Medical School. In 1985, helium became caput of what was past the Department of Pathology astatine Washington University School of Medicine, wherever helium continued to specify the process of antigen presumption successful greater detail, with a peculiar absorption connected Type I diabetes.
A existent Renaissance man, Unanue besides was known for his emotion and legendary cognition of opera and was a longtime protagonist of the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, The Metropolitan Opera successful New York, and the Santa Fe Opera.
Unanue is survived by his woman of much than 58 years, Marianne; his children, Marie Unanue (Chris Georgen), Rachel Rose (Scott), and David Unanue (Laura); his brother, Alberto Unanue; and six grandchildren.
A solemnisation of his beingness volition instrumentality spot successful 2023.
Memorial contributions whitethorn beryllium made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation oregon Opera Theatre of Saint Louis.
English (US)