ISSN 20790570, Advances in Gerontology, 2015, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 201–208. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2015. Published in Russian in Uspekhi Gerontologii, 2015, Vol. 28, No. 2, pp. 207–217. Elie Metchnikoff—The Founder of Longevity Science and a Founder of Modern Medicine: In Honor of the 170th Anniversary1 Ilia Stambler Department of Science, Technology and Society, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel email: [email protected] Abstract—The years 2015–2016 mark a double anniversary—the 170th anniversary of birth and the 100th anni versary of death—of one of the greatest Russian scientists, a person that may be considered a founding figure of modern immunology, aging, and longevity science—Elie Metchnikoff (May 15, 1845–July 15, 1916). At this time of rapid aging of the world population and the rapid development of technologies that may amelio rate degenerative aging processes, Metchnikoff’s pioneering contribution to the search for antiaging and healthspanextending means should be recalled and honored. Keywords: Elie Metchnikoff, medical history, aging and longevity research DOI: 10.1134/S2079057015040219 ELIE1 METCHNIKOFF—THE FOUNDER OF GERONTOLOGY The world is rapidly aging, threatening grave con sequences for the global society and economy, while the rapid development of biomedical science and technology stand as the first line of defense against the potential threat. These two everincreasing forces bring gerontology, which describes the challenges of aging while at the same time seeking means to address those challenges, to the center stage of the global sci entific, technological, and political discourse. At this time, it may be fit to honor the persons who stood at the origin of gerontological discourse, not just as a sci entific field but as a social and intellectual movement. One of the most deserving persons is Elie (Il’a Il’ich) Metchnikoff, whose 170th anniversary of birth was celebrated in 2015 and whose 100th anniversary of death will be marked in 2016. Metchnikoff may well be considered one of the earliest and most respectable authors of gerontology, and his teachings have formed the crux of a great part of the scientific discussions on aging and longevity, from their very beginning well into our time [30]. In fact, the renowned immunologist and microbiologist, vice director of the Pasteur Insti tute in Paris, and the Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine of 1908 for the discovery of phagocytosis (a major contribution to the cellular theory of immunity) may be well credited as “the father” of gerontology— the disciplinary term he coined. Both the terms “ger 1903 and may mark the beginning of these scientific ontology” (“the study of aging”) and “thanatology” fields [1, p. 242]. To the present day, his scientific rep (“the study of death”) were coined by him in the Etudes On the Nature of Man, which was published in utation has remained high around the world, particu larly in the Russianspeaking world. Yet, it may be safe 1 The article was translated by the authors. to assume that not many people, even in the geronto 201 202 ILIA STAMBLER logical community, remember well what Metchnikoff tivism, Darwinism, liberalism and pacifism, and a actually taught. In honor of Metchnikoff’s anniversary, profound optimistic belief in human progress and per this paper will attempt to renew the collective memory, fectibility. and some details of his life, that may bring up intriguing parallels with presentday discussions and events. IN SEARCH OF AN OPTIMISTIC WORLDVIEW The role of Metchnikoff in the formation of scien tific gerontology is sometimes underappreciated when Metchnikoff’s work illustrates the crucial impact of compared to his contribution to immunology. Yet, in society on science (no less than the converse influence fact, after battling for two decades for the acceptance of science on society). His life provides an illustration of his theory of phagocytosis (the German leader of for the social and economic conditions that may be microbiologists, Robert Koch, was its mighty oppo favorable or unfavorable for scientific pursuit and for nent) [32, 33], since the 1890s Metchnikoff concen the development of longevity science in particular. trated predominantly on mechanisms and counter As Metchnikoff repeatedly admitted, he was not measures of aging. One of Metchnikoffs earliest works always optimistic [5, 6, 12]. His conditions for a scien on aging was “La Dégénérescence Sénile” (The Senile tific career in the Russian Empire were not very favor Degeneration) published in Année biologique in Paris, able from the outset. Born in the village Ivanovka near in 1897 [23]. However, Metchnikoff traced the begin Kharkov, Ukraine, his mother, nee Emilia Nevacho ning of publicity of his aging and longevity research to vitz, was from a Jewish merchant family (daughter of his presentation on April 22, 1901, at the Manchester Lev Nevachovitz, a renowned Ukrainian writer who Literary and Philosophical Society, where he “laid out converted to Protestantism), and his father, Ilya a program of investigations aimed at unraveling the Ivanovich Metchnikoff, was a retired and impover problem of aging, the problem that had seemed almost ished Russian Imperial Guard officer (of Moldovan intractable” [4]. This was a direct continuation of his origin), who allegedly squandered most of Emilia’s immunological research, since he suggested the dowry on gambling. A scientific career may not have “devouring phagocytic cells” to be the major culprits been in the cards. Still, after his graduation at Kharkov of senescence. This apparently became the first truly University in 1864 (at the age of 19), his postgraduate scientific, empirically based theory of aging and lon studies of marine fauna embryology in Germany and gevity rooted in observations of dynamic cellular Italy became possible thanks to the 1600ruble schol behavior. From the scientific theory of aging, there arship procured on the recommendation of the Rus followed practical propositions for increasing healthy sian surgeon Nikolay Pirogov (1810–1881)—an longevity. Hence, Metchnikoff can be considered the exceptional opportunity for a talented person with “father” of the modern lifeextensionist intellectual such a disadvantaged background. After the study movement, searching for lifeprolonging means based abroad, he became a full professor of zoology (at the on the scientific method. Of course, theories of aging age of 25) in 1870 at Odessa University, Ukraine. He were proposed even before Metchnikoff, such as the stayed there until 1882, when he was forced to retire depletion of “vital heat” and “vital moisture” (Francis due to student riots and the reactionary policy of the Bacon, England, 1623), depletion of the “vital force” university authorities, following the assassination of (Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland, Germany, 1796), “tis Tsar Alexander II in March 1881. Due to the lack of sue mineralization” (Edouard Robin, France, 1858), funds, he almost accepted a position of a district ento “tissue differentiation” (August Weismann, Germany, mologist in Poltava, Ukraine. But thanks to a small 1882), production of “clinkers of metabolism” (Hugo inheritance of his second wife, Olga, he was able to Eisig, Germany, 1887), accumulation of “meta conduct independent research on comparative embry plasms” (Max Kassowitz, Austria, 1889), and some ology in Messina, Italy, where in 1882 he stumbled others [30]. However, the majority of earlier theories upon his most important discovery of phagocytosis, were rather speculative, if not outright scholastic. the “devouring” of invading objects by cells. As a result Metchnikoff’s was arguably the first truly scientific of the sojourn in Messina, he “transformed from a theory of aging and longevity based on meticulous his zoologist into a pathologist and bacteriologist” [6]. tological observations and on a model of dynamic After coming back to Ukraine, he struggled for two physiological behavior of living tissues. He summa years as an independent researcher in a laboratory he rized his work in The Etudes on the Nature of Man set up in his flat. That enterprise having failed, he (Etudes sur la Nature Humaine, first published in 1903) established a bacteriological station in Odessa to pro [1] and The Etudes of Optimism (Essais Optimistes, duce Pasteur’s vaccines against rabies, anthrax, etc. 1907) [2]—representing contemporary stateofthe However, the unending bureaucratic red tape, revi art scientific “biomaterialistic” methodologies for sions and persecutions by the district authorities, and life extension. (Both works were originally published the incessant ridicule by the press and by the local in French, in Paris, by Masson publishers, and trans medical associations made his work unbearable. In lated into Russian by Elie Metchnikoff himself and his 1887, he sought the patronage of Louis Pasteur, who wife Olga. Hereafter, unless otherwise specified, all of gladly placed at the Metchnikoff’s disposal a division the excerpts are in my translation.) The works were at the newly established Pasteur Institute, which grounded in uncompromising materialism and posi became Metchnikoff’s home to the end of his days. ADVANCES IN GERONTOLOGY Vol. 5 No. 4 2015 ELIE METCHNIKOFF—THE FOUNDER OF LONGEVITY SCIENCE 203 Metchnikoff’s personal life was also quite tempes press. He could not continue in the university either, tuous (he was married twice, though never had chil partly because of the political “fermentation” among dren). After his first wife, Ludmila Fedorovitz,