Notable Innovators
William Bradley Coley
January 12, 1862
to April 16, 1936,
William Bradley Coley: The Father of Immunotherapy
One of the earliest contributors to the field of immunotherapy, bone surgeon and Yale graduate William Bradley Coley simply put saved many lives. His greatest invention was that of Coley’s toxin, the mixed bacterial vaccine consisting of Streptococcus pyogenes and Serratia marcescens. This 19th century treatment for cancer was not perfect but was large progress at the time. Coley research began with his hopes of stimulating the body’s resisting powers. This goal was finally achieved in 1893 when Coley noticed that his patients that the tumors of his patients that were treated with Coley’s vaccine experienced their tumors shrinking. Coley innovation was embraced by other groundshakers of his time such as the famous Mayo brothers of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Today, Coley’s ideas are still being worked on and his experiment are still being learned from. In 1953, his daughter, Helen Coley Nauts established the Cancer Research Institute and the thriving nonprofit currently offers research grants around the world and funds a variety of immunotherapy trials.
Lloyd John Old: The founder of Cancer Immunology
Lloyd John Old was the director of the Ludwig Institute for cancer research and held many leadership positions in the field of cancer research. He is known around the world as a trailblazer in precision immunology for his work involving the tuberculosis vaccine. His research paved the path to prevent growing tumors using non-specific resistance. In addition, Old identified the p53 protein, a critical molecule in the origin of cancer- present at more than half of all cancers. His clinical achievements are also vast; Old was one of the first to utilize monoclonal antibodies in clinical trials. Some of the other antibodies Old developed are currently being used by clinics all over. The many awards that Old won, pay tribute to his scientific brilliance. Loyd passed away in 2011 but his eternal legacy will continue to spark the burning passions of researcher worldwide to build upon his major discoveries.
September 23, 1933 to November 28, 2011
Lloyd John Old
Steven Rosenberg
August 2, 1940
Steven Rosenberg
Dr. Rosenberg was the first to show that immunotherapy could harness the body’s own immune system to kill cancer cells. He has been at the center of efforts to advance this fast-emerging field to the point where today, immunotherapy and related techniques are offering hope to more people with a range of cancers. One of the most promising approaches being tested today is CAR T-Cell therapy, a technique where cells are extracted from the patient’s blood, genetically engineered to grow a super-charged cancer fighting receptor on its surface, activated and multiplied a million times over, then reinfused into the patient. Dr. Rosenberg’s group was the first to publish the successful treatment of a patient with advanced lymphoma.
James Patrick Allison
James Patrick Allison, last year’s Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, is an American immunologist at the University of Texas at Austin. Back in 1977, his immunology journey began when he discovered that with the addition of certain proteins, the immune system could prevent new cancer cells. At UC Berkeley, Allison discovered a blocking a protein on T cells that acts as a brake on their activation, freeing the T cells to attack cancer. He developed an antibody to block the checkpoint protein CTLA-4 and demonstrate the success of the approach in experimental models. His work led to the development of the first immune checkpoint inhibitor drug, Ipilimumab. His drug, known commercially as Yervoy, became the first to extend the survival of patients with late-stage melanoma. Follow-up studies show 20 percent of those treated live for at least three years with many living for 10 years and beyond, unprecedented results.
James Patrick Allison
August 7, 1948