Gnotobiotic mouse model's contribution to understanding host-pathogen interactions

This brief review is dedicated to the legacy of Prof. Jaroslav Šterzl and his colleagues, who laid the foundation for gnotobiology in the former Czechoslovakia 55 years. Prof. Sterzl became one of the founders of modern Czechoslovak immunology, which was characterized by work on a wide range of problems needing to be solved. While examining the mechanisms of innate immunity, he focused his studies on the induction of antibody production by immunocompetent cells involved in adaptive immune transmission while using the model of pig fetuses and germ-free piglets and characterizing immunoglobulins in the sera of these piglets. Although not fully appreciated to this day, his experimental proof of the hypothesis focused on the common precursor of cell-forming antibodies of different isotypes was later confirmed in experiments at the gene level. Prof. Sterzl's work represented a true milestone in the development of not solely Czechoslovak but also European and global immunology. He collaborated closely with the World Health Organization for many years, serving there as leader of the Reference Laboratory for Factors of Innate Immunity.