The Antibody Molecule

The Antibody Molecule follows the extraordinary journey of the medics and scientists who shaped the course of medical advances in the field of immunology. One of the oldest of the medical sciences, immunology has a history that has seen chemists, physicists and biologists alike seeking to unravel the most complex system in the human body outside the brain. This book charts its intriguing history, from the genetic basis of antibody diversity, through the understanding of the mechanism by which the immune system's first line of defence works, to breakthroughs in crystallography and the exploitation of immunoglobulins as therapeutic platforms to treat cancer, inflammation and allergy. Tracing the developments in immunology in chronological order, Professor Anthony R. Rees presents the historical contexts of the periods in rich detail, bringing them to life with quotes and illustrations. This fascinating book examines the literature of the time, turning points, and controversies. A must read for immunologists an

Anthony Rees is currently Principle at Rees Consulting AB, Uppsala, Sweden. He was lecturer in Molecular Biophysics and Student of Christ Church from 1980 to 1990 at the University of Oxford. From 1990-1997 he was Professor and Head of the School of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath where he is an Emeritus Professor and holds an Honorary Doctor of Science. In 1989 he was a scientific cofounder with Graham Richards of Oxford Molecular, which became one of the earliest UK biotechnology companies to be listed on the London Stock Exchange. He has been visiting Professor at the Universities of Montpellier and Lund, scientific director of the French company Synt:em, CEO of the Swedish company MIP Technologies and Chairman of the Board of the antibody technology company, F-star. He is a member of the American Association for the History of Science and has published more than 120 scientific papers, a number of books and is an inventor on more than 30 patents.