The discovery of Immunoglobulin E in 1966–1967 shifted the scientific consensus regarding the mechanics of allergic reactions. By identifying this specific antibody class, researchers established a direct link between IgE and the release of histamine from mast cells. This breakthrough provided a fundamental biological explanation for how the human immune system triggers hypersensitivity responses.
Academic Foundation
Born in Tokyo in 1925, Kimishige Ishizaka pursued his medical education at the University of Tokyo. He completed his medical qualifications and received his PhD from the institution in 1948. While initially intending to practice as a physician, a university summer course diverted his career path toward the study of immunology. He subsequently joined the Japanese National Institute of Health, where he led the immunoserology division from 1953 until 1962, a period that included a research fellowship at Caltech between 1957 and 1959.
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In 1962, Ishizaka and his wife, Teruko Ishizaka, relocated to Denver, Colorado, after being recruited by Sam Bukantz for roles at the Children's Asthma Research Institute and Hospital. Ishizaka held positions at the University of Colorado Medical School, advancing to associate professor by 1965. It was during this tenure that the couple isolated IgE, transforming the field of allergology. In 1970, he transitioned to Johns Hopkins University, serving as the O'Neill Professor of Medicine and Microbiology.
Institutional Leadership and Later Career
Ishizaka held the presidency of the Collegium International Allergologicum from 1982 to 1986. By 1990, he became the president of the La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology in California. Following his retirement from active research in 1996, he returned to Japan. He served as the honorary director of the Institute of Immunology at Yamagata University until his death on 6 July 2018 in Yamagata.
Scientific Recognition
The scale of his contribution was marked by numerous international honors. In 1973, he received the Canada Gairdner International Award, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, and the Asahi Prize. The following year, the government of Japan awarded him the Imperial Prize of the Japan Academy and the Order of Culture, naming him a Person of Cultural Merit. In 2000, he was recognized with the Japan Prize. He maintained memberships in the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Fast facts
- Born: 1925, Tokyo, Japan
- Died: 2018, Yamagata, Japan
- Field: Immunology and allergology
- Key Discovery: Immunoglobulin E (IgE)
- Alma Mater: University of Tokyo
- Major Award: Japan Prize (2000)
- Citizenship: Japan
- Languages: English, Japanese
Questions readers ask
What was Kimishige Ishizaka's primary medical contribution?
He is credited with the 1966–1967 discovery of Immunoglobulin E (IgE), which revealed how the immune system triggers histamine release during allergic reactions.
Did he work alone on his research?
No, he frequently collaborated with his wife, Teruko Ishizaka, who was his partner in the research that identified the IgE antibody class.
Achievements
- Order of Culture — 1974
- Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize — 1973
- Asahi Prize — 1973
- Japan Prize — 2000
- Imperial Prize of Japan Academy — 1974
- Held posts at Johns Hopkins University, Kyoto University and University of Colorado Denver
- Fields: immunology, medicine and allergology
