A new Landmark Perspective in Science marks the 50th anniversary of Robert C. Gallo, MD, and colleagues’ discovery of a human T-cell growth factor later named interleukin-2 (IL-2), a breakthrough that helped transform virology, immunology and cancer medicine.
The discovery made it possible to grow and maintain human T cells in culture, enabling research that led to the discovery of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2, the first human retroviruses, and contributing to the discovery and characterization of HIV and the development of the HIV blood test. IL-2 also became foundational to advances in cancer immunotherapy, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy and CAR-T cell therapy.
Written by Rafi Ahmed, PhD, and Steven A. Rosenberg, MD, PhD, the Science Landmark Perspective traces the far-reaching impact of the 1976 discovery and underscores the importance of sustained investment in fundamental research whose ultimate applications may not be apparent when the work begins.
The Global Virus Network, which Dr. Gallo co-founded, reflects on the discovery’s continuing scientific legacy and the role of international collaboration and basic science in enabling breakthroughs across disciplines and generations.
