Baruj Benacerraf Showed That Immune Response Has a Genetic Basis
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OBITUARIES For the full versions of articles in this section see bmj.com Baruj Benacerraf Showed that immune response has a genetic basis The immunologist Baruj Benacerraf, who of which Benacerraf later served as president, York University, rising to professor of pathology. explained why some people are better at fight- said, “Dr Benacerraf’s seminal discoveries about In 1968 he was named director of the laboratory ing infections and tumours, has died aged 90. genetic control of the immune system made pos- of immunology at the National Institute of Allergy Every day at about 10 am in the early 1960s in the sible much of what we now know about basic and Infectious Disease in Bethesda, Maryland. laboratory of Benacerraf at New York University disease processes such But in 1970, he accepted School of Medicine, his wife, Annette, would stop as infection, autoim- an offer to become chair- by with the day’s mail, usually a stack of letters mune disorders, and man of the department posted from around the world. cancer. His work has of pathology at Harvard Already a successful medical researcher, shaped everything from and in 1980 president Benacerraf also oversaw his late father’s financial organ transplantation to of Dana-Farber Cancer interests, including a global textile business. Fred AIDS treatment to, most Institute. He later wrote Kantor, on fellowship in Benacerraf’s laboratory recently, the develop- that he had “missed the at the time and now professor of immunology at ment of therapeutic can- university environment Yale University, remembers Benacerraf sitting at his cer vaccines.” and, more particularly, desk with his wife opening the letters, some per- Baruj Benacerraf was the stimulating interac- taining to family business, some from colleagues born on 29 October 1920 tion with the eager, enthu- and friends. “He would dispense with the letters in Caracas, Venezuela, siastic, and unprejudiced in a short and efficient manner then turn his atten- of, as he described it, young minds of the stu- tion back to the lab,” Professor Kantor said. “His “ Spanish-Jewish ances- dents and fellows.” passion was the lab. He loved science.” try.” His father, a textile Professor Kantor said, merchant and importer, “Even as lab chief, he was Groundbreaking studies was born in Spanish involved in everything. About this time, as Benacerraf was beginning his Morocco, his mother in “His work has shaped everything He took part and read groundbreaking studies in immunogenetics, he French Algeria. When he from organ transplantation to every experiment. He made a key decision. “I had to choose between a was 5 years old the family AIDS treatment to, most recently, saw every single guinea scientific career and my business interests,” he later moved to Paris, returning the development of therapeutic pig and mouse we did wrote. “I made the decision to devote myself solely to Venezuela in 1939 at cancer vaccines” experiments on. It was a to my laboratory and my students.” the start of the second two way discussion, he A wise investment, as the return on his deci- world war. In 1940, they moved to New York City. wanted our opinions.” Kantor added, “He did not sion was huge: in 1980 Benacerraf, by then at Benacerraf enrolled at Columbia University, where suffer fools gladly, but he was a very warm and Harvard Medical School, shared the Nobel prize he earned a bachelors degree in 1942 and fell in generous person.” in physiology or medicine with Jean Dausset and love with his future wife, Annette Dreyfus, also George D Snell “for their discoveries concern- a Paris refugee and niece of the Nobel laureate Find the truth ing genetically determined structures on the cell Jacques Monod. In an interview last year, Benacerraf said, “When surface that regulate immunological reactions.” After rejections from 25 medical schools, which people came to work with me, I told them that As is often the case in monumental research, he suspected was because he was Jewish and for- research is simply a challenge to find the truth. the discovery that led to Benacerraf’s contribution eign born, he enrolled in the Medical College of Don’t accept what exists already as final. If you came from an experiment that did not produce the Virginia. In 1943 he was drafted into the US Army derive pleasure from that, you’re a scientist.” He expected result. Hoping to trigger white blood cell and given US citizenship but remained in medical retired his chairmanship of pathology in 1991 and production, he injected guinea pigs with a foreign school, earning his degree in 1945. After service presidency of the institute in 1992. substance similar to an antigen. However, only 60% in Europe he was discharged in 1947 and took a Benacerraf was also known for his devotion to of the animals developed an immune response. fellowship in the laboratory of the immunochemist his wife of 68 years, Annette, who often helped in Benacerraf, suspecting that genes were responsible Elvin Kabat at Columbia University School of Physi- his laboratories and accompanied him on his trav- for the discrepancy, conducted an intensive series cians and Surgeons. els. He described it as a “very happy marriage.” She of breeding experiments with guinea pigs, finally In 1949, after his father had a severe stroke, he died on 3 June 2011. “He was shattered,” Professor determining that their immune response to foreign returned to Paris to help manage family business Kantor said. Benacerraf leaves their daughter, Beryl. materials was hereditary, controlled by genes in the interests, taking a position in the laboratory of the Ned Stafford major histocompatibility complex. Russian born immunologist Bernard Halpern. But Baruj Benacerraf, immunologist (b 1920; q 1945, Edward J Benz Junior, president of the Harvard in 1956, feeling he had little chance to advance as a Virginia) died on 2 August 2011 from pneumonia. affiliated Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, foreigner in France, he took an appointment at New Cite this as: BMJ 2011;343:d5298 422 BMJ | 20-27 AUGUST 2011 | VOLUME 343.