412:, writes that Davis shares many stories of dedicated scientists, brought together by "a small cluster of 'compatibility genes' which play a large role in how we react to disease, and are central to how our immune systems work." She notes that the book is as much about the people as the discoveries, but these are made worthwhile by the medical advances they keep producing, for example with possibilities for personalised medicine, as when people with one particular compatibility gene react adversely to an AIDS drug. She observes that all the same, he ends with the scientist's favourite refrain: "more research needed".
395:, writes that Davis "weaves a warm biographical thread through his tale of scientific discovery, revealing the drive and passion of those in the vanguard of research." The tale of the pioneers such as Medawar is "fairly familiar but Davis's readable narrative allows them to be seen afresh". She finds the account more challenging as it approaches more recent discoveries, but with "plenty of rewarding moments". Emily Banham, reviewing the book for
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311:. He explains what is known of the role of compatibility genes in the brain. He tells the story of how the variable genes of the immune system affect the success of pregnancy. Far from the baby's HLA proteins somehow being tolerated by the mother (unlike anyone else's), the strong reaction against the baby's antigens helps to drive proper development of the placenta, in particular the growth of
382:(perhaps), pregnancy, and brain function. Unsurprisingly, Forbes observes, this makes immunology, and its popularisation, "extremely difficult". Davis "sugars the pill" by choosing to go into the researchers' lives and struggles in great detail. Forbes notes that Davis does not mention that most of the genetic differences between humans and
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observes, few stories of scientific endeavour have never been told. "This is one of them. Ostensibly about a set of genes that we all have and need, this book is really about the men and women who discovered them and worked out what they do. It’s about brilliant insights and lucky guesses; the glory
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The book's context is the history of immunology, from the earliest questioning about why people become ill and why some may recover, to the 19th century pioneers who demonstrated that bacteria caused many diseases. In the 20th century where, slowly at first but at an accelerating pace, biologists
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that ensure efficient transfer (for instance of oxygen) between mother and baby. Davis concludes the book by telling a story of genetic compatibility between his wife and himself. He finds himself wondering whether all women should have found him exceptionally attractive, at least when he was
378:. Now its complexity is starting to be understood, one function at a time. One specialised area is the immune system, with its own ultra-variable set of proteins. They are not only complicated, but have many functions, in immunity,
268:. Alan Townsend found that killer T-cells destroyed cells that carried an HLA protein and small fragments of viral protein. Those small peptides were all the evidence the T-cells needed to decide that a cell was diseased.
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of being proved right and the paralysing fear of getting it wrong; the passion for cures and the lust for Nobels. It’s a search for the essence of scientific greatness by a scientist who is headed that way himself."
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In part 3, Davis describes the famous experiment that called for female partners to sniff boxes containing their male partners' T-shirts, which they had worn for two days. There was a slight association between
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came up with the concept of the missing self, a sign (by the absence of an HLA protein) that a cell was diseased, and should be killed by a natural killer cell.
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The book is in three parts. In part 1, Davis describes the history of research into biological compatibility, starting with the story of
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younger. He observes that on the contrary there is no hierarchy in HLA: some variants are good in one situation, and bad in another.
283:. Other variants protected against other diseases. Perhaps the polymorphisms in HLA, the many forms each HLA gene can take, are
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In part 2, Davis describes the nature of the genetic differences between people, like having the allele for
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are to do with the immune system and brain development: perhaps (he suggests) these are connected.
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in 1953, it seemed that medicine would instantly profit: but half a century went by before the
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in
America, both in 2014. An Italian translation was published by Bollati Boringhieri in
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has been well received by critics and scientists. Mark Viney, reviewing the book in the
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is a 2013 book about the discovery of the mechanism of compatibility in the human
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journal of immunology. Davis is a recognised expert for his research in the
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started to build an understanding of the genetic basis of variation and
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in the 1950s, and the way the body distinguishes self from not-self via
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to take place. The compatibility genes are named as three class I
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sexual selection for outbreeding, at least in the HLA system
328:(hardback) in 2013. Paperback editions were brought out by
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was decoded, and 98% of it seemed at first glance to be
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maintained by natural selection for competing factors
650:"The Compatibility Gene by Daniel M Davis – review"
301:finding the smell sexy and the two partners having
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201:Diagram showing the complementary activities of
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360:The science writer Peter Forbes, writing in
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434:. University of Manchester. Archived from
324:The book was first published in the UK by
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533:"Focus on Natural Killer Cells: Classics"
483:"Focus on Natural Killer Cells: Classics"
404:The biologist Rebecca Nesbit, reviewing
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507:"Fellow Professor Daniel Davis"
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98:. It describes the history of
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461:"Professor Daniel Davis"
148:University of Manchester
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254:human leucocyte antigen
238:Frank Macfarlane Burnet
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144:Imperial College London
781:2013 non-fiction books
406:The Compatibility Gene
349:The Compatibility Gene
277:ankylosing spondylitis
246:ABO blood group system
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140:Strathclyde University
87:The Compatibility Gene
23:The Compatibility Gene
786:Popular science books
289:personalised medicine
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579:"Compatibility Gene"
273:Huntington's disease
244:'s discovery of the
207:natural killer cells
164:natural killer cells
112:natural killer cells
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332:in Britain, and by
305:compatibility genes
222:history of medicine
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702:"New in paperback"
463:. Imperial College
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160:membrane nanotubes
69:Allen Lane/Penguin
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712:(7518): 308–314.
538:Nature Immunology
488:Nature Immunology
429:"Daniel M. Davis"
380:sexual attraction
250:organ transplants
203:cytotoxic T cells
177:natural selection
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326:Allen Lane
293:Klas Kärre
100:immunology
52:Immunology
680:The Times
585:1 October
392:The Times
344:Reception
340:in 2016.
303:different
116:pregnancy
66:Publisher
376:junk DNA
193:Contents
120:placenta
766:Website
748:5 March
714:Bibcode
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262:alleles
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372:genome
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162:, and
152:Nature
131:Author
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258:genes
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