The Scientist
Date: November 25, 1996
Philippa Marrack
Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Jewish Center, Denver
"The MHC proteins are the most polymorphic proteins that exist in humans. They control graft rejection and respond to infection and autoimmunity. They have a huge effect on human health and disease," notes Marrack.
Since their discovery of the T-cell receptors 13 years ago, Marrack and Kappler have gone on to discover the reason why T cells do not react with host peptides in healthy individuals. "We discovered in 1987 that T cells don't react with peptides from their own host because they are killed off if they do," explains Marrack. But because that process is not entirely efficient, Marrack and Kappler are now working on why T cells do not always act the way they are expected to.
A reader of THE SCIENTIST, Marrack says: "Because of the way THE SCIENTIST is formatted, ...
