Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
2
On the History
of Immunophysiology:
First Steps and Main Trends
E.A. Korneva
Research Institute for Experimental Medicine, Russian Academy
of Medical Sciences, Saint Petersburg, Russia
2.1 Introduction
The history of the development of immunophysiology may be divided into several
stages. The earliest one, which spans the end of the nineteenth century and the first
half of the twentieth century, is the period during which the first facts were discov-
ered and the question was raised as to whether the central nervous system (CNS)
can influence immune activity. The second stage was characterized by the accumula-
tion of phenomena and evidence proving the existence of CNS influence on immune
function, with special interest in the possibility that conditioned reflexes may mod-
ulate immune reactions (1949-1958). The third stage saw further development of
immunophysiology and its foundation as a specific, defined scientific field. This
developmental stage is best characterized by the broad term
neuroimmune biology
. At
present, activity in this field centers on intense analysis of the mechanisms of neural-
immune interactions, using sophisticated methodologies that include molecular-
biological and genetic analyses.
2.2 Early Investigations
The first investigations—and indeed, the very idea—of possible involvement of the
nervous system in the function of the immune system are associated with the Russian
physiologists Savchenko, London, and Metalnikov
[1-3]
. The nonaccidental nature
of this association follows from the traditions of the Russian physiological and thera-
peutic way of thinking, deeply influenced by the concept of
neurism
based on the
works of Sechenov, Pavlov, Bekhterev, and Botkin. The scientific foundation cre-
ated by these eminent scholars and the corresponding viewpoints had a direct impact
