Biographical Memoirs Volume 89 (2007) / Chapter Skim
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HENRY G. KUNKEL
HENRY G. KUNKEL
Pages 224-241
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Photograph courtesy The Rockefeller University Archives.
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From the middle 1940s he was one of the world leaders in applying the fundamental scientific principles of immunology to clinical medicine, framing a field now termed clinical immunology. Early in his career he proposed that myeloma proteins could serve as models for normal immunoglobulins and antibodies.
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His work substantially impacted our understanding and subsequent treatment of chronic liver disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, primary immunodeficiency disorders, and lymphoproliferative diseases. In addition to his basic science and clinical contributions, he was one of the most sought after teachers and mentors for young scientists interested in the new field of immunology.
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He became an accomplished tennis player, and while at Princeton was elected captain of the varsity tennis team. His competitive ability served him well as he continued to hone his scientific skills.
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In studying liver disease Henry Kunkel observed disturbances in the patients' serum proteins and named his service at the Rockefeller University Hospital the Protein Metabolism Unit. His method for measuring serum proteins, such as gamma globulins, by turbidimetric flocculation, using zinc sulphate, was widely used clinically in the 1950s and 1960s.
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This finding, in conjunction with the observation that marked increases in gamma globulin were also seen in patients with multiple myeloma, led him to postulate that myeloma proteins made by malignant plasma cells were reflective of normal gamma globulin. He used simple immunochemical techniques, primarily the generation of antisera and antigenic analysis by Ouchterlony immunodiffusion, to demonstrate antigenic similarities between myeloma proteins and normal immunoglobulins.
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Henry Kunkel had a true knack when it came to recognizing the importance of identifying the right tools for specific scientific applications. His laboratory had the third Beckman Model E analytic ultracentrifuge comercially available and one of the earliest commercial preparative ultracentrifuges.
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He realized SLE as a distinct clinical and pathologic entity with no dominant liver manifestations. His laboratory demonstrated that SLE resulted from the mounting of an autoimmune response against nuclear constituents.
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Other immune complexes were also described. In particular, IgG-IgG complexes involving IgG rheumatoid factor were detected in high concentrations in synovial fluids of these patients, and he realized that these might play a significant role in complement activation and inflammation.
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Henry Kunkel had the foresight to identify and address the difficulties inherent in training clinical investigators. His thoughts on this topic first emerged formally in his 1962 presidential address for the American Society for Clinical Investigation, "The Training of Clinical Investigators," a topic
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In his 1975 presidential address to the members of the American Association of Immunologists he gave a strong plea for enhanced ethics, which exemplified Kunkel's concerns for the integrity of the scientific enterprise (Journal of Immunology, vol.
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Henry Kunkel received numerous awards and prizes, including the Lasker Award for Clinical Research. He was awarded honorary doctorate degrees from the University of Uppsala and from Harvard University during its 300th anniversary.
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Kunkel published by the Henry Kunkel Society in 2001.
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Wolf. Observations on the minor basic hemoglobin component in the blood of nor mal individuals and patients with thalassemia.
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Immunological studies concerning the nephritis of systemic lupus erythematosus.
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Evidence for recent duplica tions among certain gamma globulin heavy chain genes.
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240 BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIRS 1985 With L Mayer and D
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