On the Mechanism of Immunologic Self Recognition

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Abstract
Summary: Experiments have been performed which indicate that the ability of the immune system to recognize self is an acquired property gained by contacting antigenic determinants of self tissues at some time during development. The experiments consisted first of removing the buccal component of the pituitary gland at a stage in development before the gland had differentiated (begun to produce adult type proteins) but after the gland had been determined (possessed the ability to self-differentiate) and then growing the organism and the gland apart from one another until the organism was immunologically mature and the gland was differentiated. The gland and organism were then brought together as graft and host. In a significant percentage of cases the animal rejected its own hypophysis. Control experiments excluded the possibility that the antigenicity of the graft had changed or that the animals had lost the ability to accept autografts.

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