Milestones in Immunology

Domenico Ribatti was awarded his M.D. degree in October 1981, with full marks. In 1983, D.R. joined the Medical School as Assistant at the Institute of Human Anatomy, University of Bari. In 1984, he took the specialization in Allergology. In 1989, he spent one year in Geneva, working at the Department of Morphology (Prof. R. Montesano). In 2008, he received the honoris causa degree in Medicine and Pharmacy form the University of Timisoara (Romania). D.R. is author of 866 publications as reported in PUBmed and contributed to 50 chapters to books. Overall, his papers have been cited 51153 times. He has published many books with both Elsevier and Springe

1. Paul Ehrlich’s doctoral thesis: a milestone in the study of mast cells2. Miller’seminal studies on the role of thymus in immunity3. The contribution of Bruce Glick to the definition of the role played by the bursa of Fabricius in the development of the B cell lineage4. The fundamental contribution of Robert A. Good to the discovery of the crucial role of thymus in mammalian immunity5. Giulio Bizzozero and the discovery of platelets6. Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet and the clonal selection theory of antibody formation7. The embryonic origins of lymphatic vessels: an historical review8. The fundamental contribution of William Bate Hardy to shape the concept of mast cell heterogeneity9. The mast cell: an evolutionary perspective10. From the discovery of monoclonal antibodies to their therapeutic application: an historical reappraisal11. Max D. Cooper and the delineation of two lymphoid lineages in the adaptive immune system12. Edelman’s view on the discovery of antibodies13. Peter Brain Medawar and the discovery of acquired immunological tolerance14. The discovery of blood-thymus barrier