THE JOURNEY OF THE PIONEERS OF IMMUNOLOGY FROM SMALLPOX TO COVID-19
In December 2019 a new virus emerged, one that caused a global
pandemic. Millions were infected. In the recesses of their fragile
bodies a battle raged: between the immune system and the virus. But what
is the immune system? What are its components? How do they work?
One way to understand this system, arguably the most complicated in
human physiology, is by walking in the footsteps of history, one
observation and experiment at a time - beginning with the first written
record of the concept of immunity in 430 BCE and travelling through the
ensuing centuries, which gave the world vaccines, organ transplantation,
novel therapies for cancer and now the understanding and tools to tackle
the pandemic virus.
An entertaining and accessible work of popular science, At the Edge of
Mysteries introduces the reader to a compelling cast of characters,
from Edward Jenner and Louis Pasteur to the Nobel laureates of the
modern day. This book glimpses into their lives and times - seeking
clues to their genius and celebrating their yearning for discovery - and
asks the question of what can be learned from the past in the age of
global pandemics.
'A unique historical perspective on how the field of immunology
developed, told in short stories that will both educate and entertain
and which can be read and understood by all. A captivating read' Paul
Murray, Professor of Molecular Pathology, Institute of Immunology and
Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham
'This book should be in every university library' Neville Punchard,
Professor Emeritus in Molecular Biosciences, University of East London
