Emil von Behring was a pioneering German physician and scientist whose work profoundly influenced medicine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His contributions to immunology, particularly his development of serum therapies, marked a significant advancement in the fight against infectious diseases. His groundbreaking scientific endeavors laid foundational principles for modern medical treatments.
From Humble Beginnings to Medical Innovation
Born on March 15, 1854, in Hansdorf, West Prussia (now Ławice, Poland), Emil von Behring came from a modest family of 13 children. Despite financial challenges, his academic talent was recognized, allowing him to attend Gymnasium (high school) with support from a local minister. His path to medicine began when a friend, a military doctor, helped him secure a scholarship to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Akademie in Berlin in 1874, a military medical college. This provided tuition-free education, obligating him to serve as a military doctor for several years after graduation.
Behring received his medical degree in 1878 and was licensed in 1880, subsequently serving in the Army Medical Corps for a decade. During his military service in places like Wohlau and Posen, Poland, he began to explore research into septic diseases and the effects of iodoform. He proposed in 1882 that iodoform did not kill microbes but rather neutralized the poisons they released, a concept that moved him towards the idea of antitoxic action. In 1888, he became an assistant at the Institute of Hygiene in Berlin, working under the renowned bacteriologist Robert Koch, a collaboration that shaped his approach to immunology.
The Diphtheria Breakthrough
Diphtheria, caused by the bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheriae, was a devastating disease in the late 19th century, particularly among children, often referred to as the “strangling angel of children” due to its high mortality. The disease led to the formation of a thick, gray membrane in the throat, which could obstruct breathing and cause suffocation. Behring’s work focused on developing a treatment for this deadly infection.
Working at Robert Koch’s Institute for Infectious Diseases in Berlin, Behring collaborated with Japanese scientist Shibasaburo Kitasato. In 1890, they published their findings on immunity in animals to diphtheria and tetanus, demonstrating that animals injected with weakened forms of these bacteria would produce substances in their blood that neutralized the toxins. They termed these protective substances “antitoxins.”
The revolutionary aspect of their discovery was showing that transferring serum containing these antitoxins from immunized animals to non-immunized animals conferred protection against the disease. Behring, along with Paul Ehrlich, then developed the diphtheria antitoxin for human use, with the first successful applications in 1894 after optimizing production and standardization methods. This serum therapy involved injecting an animal, typically a horse, with small, repeated doses of the toxin until a high concentration of antitoxin built up in its blood; the resulting concentrated preparation was then used as an antiserum. This innovation led to a significant reduction in diphtheria mortality rates, with some reports showing a drop from 48% to 13% in Berlin children’s hospitals.
Shaping Modern Immunology and Global Health
The impact of Emil von Behring’s discoveries extended far beyond the immediate treatment of diphtheria, laying fundamental groundwork for the entire field of immunology. His work on serum therapy established the principle of passive immunization, where protective agents (antitoxins, later understood as antibodies) are transferred from an immune individual or animal to a susceptible one to provide immediate, though temporary, protection. This concept revolutionized the approach to infectious diseases and inspired further research into how the immune system defends the body.
Behring also applied his principles to tetanus, another deadly bacterial disease, developing a successful tetanus vaccine that proved significant during World War I. His contributions earned him widespread recognition, culminating in him being awarded the first Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1901 for his work on serum therapy, particularly against diphtheria. This accolade solidified his place in medical history. In 1904, he founded Behringwerke in Marburg, a company dedicated to the manufacture of antitoxins and vaccines, cementing his legacy in public health and vaccine development.