Alexandre Mikhailovich Besredka (29 March 1870 – 28 February 1940) was a Ukrainian-French

biologist A biologist is a scientist who conducts research in biology. Biologists are interested in studying life on Earth, whether it is an individual Cell (biology), cell, a multicellular organism, or a Community (ecology), community of Biological inter ...

and immunologist born in Odessa. In 1910 he became a citizen of France. He studied

biology Biology is the scientific study of life. It is a natural science with a broad scope but has several unifying themes that tie it together as a single, coherent field. For instance, all organisms are made up of cells that process hereditary i ...

in Odessa (1888–92), afterwards moving to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

, where he was an assistant to Ilya Ilyich Metchnikov (1845–1916) at the

Pasteur Institute The Pasteur Institute (french: Institut Pasteur) is a French non-profit private foundation dedicated to the study of biology, micro-organisms, diseases, and vaccines. It is named after Louis Pasteur, who invented pasteurization and vaccines ...

. He obtained his medical degree in 1897 with the thesis ''Abscès sous-phréniques''. In 1903 with

Amédée Borrel Amédée Marie Vincent Borrel (1 August 1867 – 14 September 1936) was a French physician and microbiologist born in Cazouls-lès-Béziers, Hérault. Biography Borrel studied natural sciences and medicine at the University of Montpellier, w ...

(1867–1936),

Félix Mesnil Félix Étienne Pierre Mesnil (Omonville-la-Petite, La Manche department, 12 December 1868 – 15 February 1938, Paris) was a French zoologist, biologist, botanist, mycologist and algologist. He was a student of Alfred Giard at the École Nor ...

(1868–1938),

Gabriel Bertrand Gabriel Bertrand (born 17 May 1867 in Paris, died 20 June 1962 in Paris) was a French pharmacologist, biochemist and bacteriologist. Bertrand introduced into biochemistry both the term “ oxidase” and the concept of trace elements. The lacc ...

(1867–1962), Camille Delezenne (1868–1932) and Auguste-Charles Marie (1864–1935), he co-founded the ''Bulletin de l'Institut Pasteur''. From 1905 to 1914 he was in charge of the laboratory at the Pasteur Institute.Alexandre Mikhailovich Besredka
at

Who Named It ''Whonamedit?'' is an online English-language dictionary of medical eponyms and the people associated with their identification. Though it is a dictionary, many eponyms and persons are presented in extensive articles with comprehensive bibliograp ...

In 1910, he attained the title of professor and for several years worked with Metchnikoff conducting experiments of

typhoid fever Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...

on chimpanzees. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he served as a medical officer at

Verdun Verdun (, , , ; official name before 1970 ''Verdun-sur-Meuse'') is a large city in the Meuse department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital ...

and

Bar-le-Duc Bar-le-Duc (), formerly known as Bar, is a Communes of France, commune in the Meuse (department), Meuse Departments of France, département, of which it is the capital. The department is in Grand Est in northeastern France. The lower, more moder ...

. From 1919, he focused on studies of

immunity Immunity may refer to: Medicine * Immunity (medical), resistance of an organism to infection or disease * ''Immunity'' (journal), a scientific journal published by Cell Press Biology * Immune system Engineering * Radiofrequence immunity desc ...

involving intestinal infections. Besredka specialised in research of

immunology Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see the ...

, cellular self-defense mechanisms and

phagocytosis Phagocytosis () is the process by which a cell uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle (≥ 0.5 μm), giving rise to an internal compartment called the phagosome. It is one type of endocytosis. A cell that performs phagocytosis is ...

. During his career at the Pasteur Institute, he made contributions in his work involving

antiviral Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do no ...

therapy, as well as in the development of vaccines against various infectious diseases. He is best known for his research of

anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a serious, potentially fatal allergic reaction and medical emergency that is rapid in onset and requires immediate medical attention regardless of use of emergency medication on site. It typically causes more than one of the foll ...

. His name is associated with "Besredka's method", a type of vaccination he proposed for avoiding anaphylactic shock in the usage of serotherapy (sometimes referred to as "Besredka's desensitization").

Selected writings

* ''Anaphylaxie et antianaphylaxie'' Paris, 1918; — Anaphylaxis and anti-anaphylaxis * ''Histoire d'une idée. L'oeuvre de Metschnikoff'' Paris, 1921.— On the work of Ilya Metchnikoff. * ''De la vaccination par voie buccale contre la dysenterie, la fièvre typhoide et le cholera''. Revue d'hygiène et de médecine préventive, 1927; 49: 445–463. * ''Le chic anaphylactique et le principe de la desensibilisation''. Paris, 1930. * ''Antivirusthérapie'' Paris, Masson, 1930; (translated into German).—Treatise on antivirus therapy.Who Named It
Bibliography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Besredka, Alexandre Physicians from Odesa 1870 births 1940 deaths French immunologists Serologists Naturalized citizens of France Ukrainian emigrants to France Emigrants from the Russian Empire to France