David Baltimore, Renato Dulbecco, and Howard Martin Temin awarded the 1975 Nobel Prize in Medicine
In 1975, Caltech President David Baltimore, former Caltech faculty member and Salk Institute researcher Renato Delbucco, and Caltech…
Stanford Medicine researchers isolated the genome of a virus that causes hepatitis B and a common form of liver cancer
In 1974, Stanford Medicine researchers isolated the genome of a virus that causes hepatitis B and a common…
Measles and mumps virus vaccine, live (M-M-Vax by Merck) was licensed
On Jul. 18, 1973, the measles and mumps virus vaccine, live (M-M-Vax by Merck) was licensed. Measles (rubeola)…
Five U.S. cancer scientists met with Russian scientists in Moscow to exchange information on cancer drugs
On Jun. 30, 1972, five U.S .cancer scientists met with Russian scientists in Moscow to exchange information on…
The US, the Soviet Union and 70 other nations signed an agreement banning biological warfare
On Apr. 10, 1972, the U.S., the Soviet Union and 70 other nations sign an agreement that restricted…
The Wistar Institute was designated a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center
In 1972, The Wistar Institute was designated a National Cancer Institute Cancer Center in basic researchﾗa distinction it…
Testing of donated blood for Hepatitis B surface antigen began
In 1971, the testing of donated blood for Hepatitis B surface antigen began. The hepatitis B virus was…
Paul Berg of Stanford University spliced the DNA of viruses into the first recombinant molecules
In 1971, Paul Berg of Stanford University spliced the DNA of viruses into the first recombinant molecules. Bergﾒs…
The first oncogene termed src was discovered
In 1970, the first oncogene termed src was discovered in a chicken retrovirus. Dr. G. Steve Martin at…
H3N2 viruses were first identified in swine
In 1970, influenza H3N2 viruses were first identified in swine during an influenza surveillance study in Taiwan. This…
Three rubella virus strains were licensed in the U.S.
In 1969, three rubella virus strains were licensed in the U.S.: HPV-77 strain grown in dog-kidney culture (Rubelogen…
Max Delbruck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine
In 1969, Max Delbruck of the California Institute of Technology was awarded the 1969 Nobel Prize in Physiology…
The CDC opened its first biological containment lab
In 1969, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opened its first permanent high-containment laboratory (HCL)…
A second live, further attenuated measles virus vaccine was licensed
On Nov. 26, 1968, a second live, further attenuated measles virus vaccine (Attenuvax by Merck, based on the…
The “Hong Kong” influenza pandemic resulted in roughly 34,000 deaths in the U.S.
The 1968 pandemic, also known as the Hong Kong flu, was caused by an influenza A (H3N2) virus…
Pandemic caused by an influenza A (H3N2) first noted in the U.S.
In 1968, a pandemic was caused by an influenza A (H3N2) virus comprised of two genes from an…
Mumps virus vaccine live (MumpsVax by Merck) was licensed
On Dec. 28, 1967, the mumps virus vaccine live (MumpsVax by Merck) was licensed. The vaccine was developed…
Study showed relationship between human and avian flu viruses
In 1967, Dr. H.G. Pereira and colleagues propose a relationship between human and avian flu viruses after a…
The rubella (measles) virus was attenuated by Paul Parkman and Harry Meyer, Jr
In 1965, the rubella virus was attenuated by a NIH research team lead by Paul Parkman and Harry…
A virus (the Epstein-Barr virus) was linked to human cancer (Burkitt lymphoma) for the first time
In 1964, a new herpesvirus, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), was discovered in cultured tumor cells derived from a Burkitt…
Live, further attenuated measles virus vaccine was licensed in the US
In 1964, live, further attenuated measles virus vaccine (Lirugen by Pitman Moore-Dow based on the Schwarz strain, derived…
The first live virus measles vaccine (Rubeovax by Merck) was licensed
On Mar. 21, 1963, the first live virus measles vaccine (Rubeovax by Merck) was licensed. Other live virus…
Inactivated measles vaccine were licensed in the US
In 1963, the first measles vaccines were licensed in 1963. Both vaccines were an inactivated (ﾓkilledﾔ) and a…
The FDA approved 5-FU as an anticancer drug
In 1962, Alfred Hershey and Martha Chase showed that only the DNA of a virus needs to enter…
The Laboratory of Viral Oncology was established
On Jan. 12, 1961, the Laboratory of Viral Oncology was established at the National Cancer Institute to investigate…
Life Science History | Polio | Vaccine | WHO
Oral polio vaccine, developed by Dr Albert Sabin, was licensed for use in the U.S.
In 1961, oral polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Albert Sabin, was licensed for use in the U.S. In…
Outbreak in South Africa raises possibility of wild birds as a possible reservoir for influenza A viruses
In 1961, influenza virus was first isolated from wild birds in South Africa, from common terns (Sterna hirundo),…
The first antiviral drug was developed at Yale
In 1959, William Prusoff of Yale University discovered idoxuridine, the first effective antiviral that fights herpes by interfering…
The “Asian” influenza pandemic resulted in an estimated 70,000 deaths in the U.S. alone
In Feb. 1957, a new influenza A (H2N2) virus emerged in East Asia, triggering a pandemic (‘Asian Flu’)….
New H2N2 flu virus emergedﾠto trigger a pandemic
In 1957, a new H2N2 flu virus emergedﾠto trigger a pandemic. There were about 1.1 million deaths globally,…