Emil R. Unanue

Born in cuba in 1934, Emil Unanue has been responsible for many of the key discoveries relating to antigen processinf by macrophages. For example, he first demonstrated that antigen processing was first necessary for T cells torecognize an antigen. He did this by fixing macrophages in paraformaldehyde at intervals after ingestion of antigen. Antigen could activate T cells when macrophages were fixed one hour after phagocytosis but not if fixed at the time of antigen exposure. He and his collegues also demonstrate that T cell activation also depended on the presence of IL-1 dervied from macrophages as well as on the presences of MHC class II molecules

Tizard Immunology 4th ed p 61