[Department of Molecular Immunology--25 years]

Department of Molecular Immunology of Palladin Institute of Biochemistry was founded 25 years ago as the Laboratory of Immunochemistry uniting, at the beginning, a small group of scientists. In 1982 the Laboratory was transformed into the Department of Molecular Immunology. The first research was made on studding the biological effect and the mechanisms of action of phosphonates and bisphosphonates--phosphororganic analogues of inorganic pyrophosphate or closely related in structure molecules having P-C bond instead of P-O bond. As a result the immuno-modulatory activity of methylene-bis-phosphonic acid was discovered and a set of immuno-vector, immuno-toxin and anti-tumour constructs were designed. The researchers of the Department were the first in the USSR who started the biochemistry of activated lymphocytes, immunochemical analysis of peptides and proteins, implemented immunoenzyme methods and cytofluorimetry to study immunocompetent cells. In particular, monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were obtained and used to study the antigenic structure of neurotoxin apamin, cytochrome c, neurospecific proteins S-100 and 14-3-2, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, pertusis and diphtheria toxins, different antigens of Mycobacterium bovis and of fibrin(ogen) and its fragments and others. The new site of fibrin polymerization was localized. The novel information about the nature of polyreactive immunoglobulins and their influence on the development of the humoral immune response was obtained. A range of reagents for immunodiagnostic tests were developed as the outcome of this research work. The negative effect of small doses of radiation on natural immunity in people working during the cleaning of Chernobyl nuclear plant was first demonstrated by the researchers of the Department in co-operation with their colleagues from a couple of Kiev immunology laboratories. In particular the suppression of NK cells function and structure was shown.