Michael Sela ( he, מיכאל סלע; Mieczysław Salomonowicz; 2 March 1924 – 27 May 2022) was an Israeli immunologist of

Polish Jewish The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lon ...

origin. He was the W. Garfield Weston Professor of Immunology at the

Weizmann Institute of Science The Weizmann Institute of Science ( he, מכון ויצמן למדע ''Machon Vaitzman LeMada'') is a public research university in Rehovot, Israel, established in 1934, 14 years before the State of Israel. It differs from other Israeli unive ...

in Rehovot. He was a president of the

Early life and academic career

Michael Sela was born as Mieczysław Salomonowicz in

Tomaszów Mazowiecki Tomaszów Mazowiecki (, yi, טאָמעשעוו or ''Tomashuv'') is a city in central Poland with 60,529 inhabitants (2021). The fourth most populous city in the Łódź Voivodeship and the second with free public transport. In Tomaszów Mazowi ...

, Poland, on 2 March 1924. In 1935 when he was 11 years old he and his family moved to

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

. In 1941 when he was 17 years old he and his family immigrated to Mandatory Palestine. He studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (M.Sc., Chemistry, 1946; Ph.D., 1954). Sela was professor in the Weizmann Institute's Immunology Department. He was also a president of the

, from 1975 to 1985.

Research

Sela is known for his research in

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 ...

, particularly for research on synthetic

antigen In immunology, an antigen (Ag) is a molecule or molecular structure or any foreign particulate matter or a pollen grain that can bind to a specific antibody or T-cell receptor. The presence of antigens in the body may trigger an immune respons ...

molecule A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioche ...

s that trigger the

immune system The immune system is a network of biological processes that protects an organism from diseases. It detects and responds to a wide variety of pathogens, from viruses to parasitic worms, as well as cancer cells and objects such as wood splint ...

to attack. This work of Sela has led to the discovery of the genetic control of the immune response, as well as to the design of

vaccine A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified.

s based on synthetic molecules. He was among the first who introduced the use of linear and branched synthetic polypeptides as antigens, and this brought about a better understanding of immunological phenomena. For several decades, Sela was interested in the possibility of fighting the autoimmune disease, experimental allergic

encephalomyelitis Encephalomyelitis is inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Various types of encephalomyelitis include: * '' Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis'' or ''postinfectious encephalomyelitis'', a demyelinating disease of the brain and spinal cord, ...

(EAE) with synthetic analogs of the molecules in the

myelin sheath Myelin is a lipid-rich material that surrounds nerve cell axons (the nervous system's "wires") to insulate them and increase the rate at which electrical impulses (called action potentials) are passed along the axon. The myelinated axon can be l ...

of the brain which are capable of provoking the disease. He is probably best known as the co-developer (with

Ruth Arnon Ruth Arnon (Hebrew: רות ארנון �ut aʁ'non born in Tel Aviv on June 1, 1933) is an Israeli biochemist and codeveloper of the multiple sclerosis drug Copaxone. She is currently the Paul Ehrlich Professor of Immunology at the Weizmann Ins ...

and Dvora Teitelbaum) of the multiple sclerosis drug

copaxone Glatiramer acetate (also known as Copolymer 1, Cop-1), sold under the brand name Copaxone among others, is an immunomodulator medication used to treat multiple sclerosis. Glatiramer acetate is approved in the United States to reduce the frequency ...

Awards and honours

Sela received numerous major national and international awards: * The Israel Prize in Life Sciences (1959) * Germany's

Otto Warburg Medal The Otto Warburg Medal is awarded annually by the German Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (German: ''Gesellschaft für Biochemie und Molekularbiologie'' or ''GBM'') to honour scientists who have contributed important work in the field ...

(1968) * The

Rothschild Prize Yad Hanadiv (The Rothschild Foundation) is a Rothschild family philanthropic foundation in Israel. Goals and objectives Yad Hanadiv defines its mission as: Dedicated to creating resources for advancing Israel as a healthy, vibrant, democratic s ...

(1968) *Member of the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

(1971) * Germany's

Emil von Behring Emil von Behring (; Emil Adolf von Behring), born Emil Adolf Behring (15 March 1854 – 31 March 1917), was a German physiologist who received the 1901 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the first one awarded in that field, for his discovery ...

Prize (1973) *Member of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States (1976) * Canada's

Gairdner Foundation International Award The Canada Gairdner International Award is given annually by the Gairdner Foundation at a special dinner to five individuals for outstanding discoveries or contributions to medical science. Receipt of the Gairdner is traditionally considered a ...

(1980) * France's Institut de la Vie Prize (1984) * Germany's Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit Award (1986) * France's Officier de l'Ordre de la

Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

(1987) * Member (Hon. causa) of The Romanian Academy ( Academia Română), (1991). * UNESCO's Albert Einstein Golden Medal (1995) *Member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

(1995) * Interbrew-Baillet Latour Health Prize of Belgium (1997) * The

Wolf Prize in Medicine The Wolf Prize in Medicine is awarded annually by the Wolf Foundation in Israel. It is one of the six Wolf Prizes established by the Foundation and awarded since 1978; the others are in Agriculture, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Arts. The ...

(1998), along with

, for "their major discoveries in the field of immunology".The Wolf Prize in Medicine

References

External links

The Wolf Prize in Medicine in 1998 (detail)

The Interbrew-Baillet Latour Health Prize of Belgium in 1997
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sela, Michael 1924 births 2022 deaths Hebrew University of Jerusalem alumni Jews in Mandatory Palestine Israeli Jews Israeli people of Polish-Jewish descent Polish emigrants to Mandatory Palestine People from Tomaszów Mazowiecki Israeli immunologists Wolf Prize in Medicine laureates Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Members of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts Weizmann Institute of Science faculty Israel Prize in life sciences recipients Presidents of Weizmann Institute of Science Members of the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities Officiers of the Légion d'honneur Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences Foreign Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences Presidents of universities in Israel Members of the American Philosophical Society

Early life and academic career

Research

Awards and honours

See also

References

External links