Video. 100 years ago, Gaston Ramon presented the diphtheria vaccine

It happened on April 28, 1924. On that day, exactly 100 years ago, Gaston Ramon, French veterinarian and biologist, presented the result of his research: the ancestor of the diphtheria vaccine. This discovery began in 1923, that year, Gaston Ramon worked in his laboratory at the Pasteur Institute in Marnes-la-Coquette on anatoxins, bacterial toxins treated with formalin and heat to make them lose their pathogenic power.

Throughout his experiments, a strange phenomenon unfolds. When a toxin and its antitoxin are in the same container, this creates a precipitate: this is flocculation, a measurable phenomenon which makes it possible to quantify the neutralization of a toxin by its antitoxin. The scientist then understands that inoculating a living being with an toxoid makes it immunized against the associated toxin.

A deadly disease

The discovery of the Pasteurian Ramon comes at the right time, in a France ravaged by a deadly disease: diphtheria. This disease is a serious condition that targets the throat, before potentially extending its grip to the central nervous system. It is distinguished by the formation of whitish “false membranes”, made up of dead cells, lodged at the back of the throat. Croup, nicknamed the “crow cry”, is another characteristic manifestation of this infection, referring to the sounds emitted by patients experiencing respiratory distress. In the middle of the 19th century, in France, diphtheria affected nearly 30,000 individuals annually and led to the death of half of the affected children.

On December 10, 1923, Emile Roux reported these discoveries to the Academy of Sciences. This doctor, bacteriologist and immunologist from Charente, discovered an antidiphtheria serum in 1888 thanks to horses; the substance can be produced and then extracted in large quantities and without trauma in these animals. This serum has saved the lives of many children but is not completely effective because the disease is extremely contagious.

The discovery revealed

In 1924, after bringing its research to light, Canada decided to administer the toxoid on a large scale and made it available to the population, becoming the first country in the world to use this treatment. Also in 1924, Gaston Ramon continued his research, introduced the concept of adjuvants, substances which strengthen the immune response when combined with treatment, and developed the first combined vaccines. This allows simultaneous immunization against diphtheria and tetanus, resulting in the ancestor of the DTP vaccine. The 1920s also saw the emergence of vaccines against tuberculosis (1921), diphtheria (1923), tetanus and whooping cough (1926), marking major advances against these deadly diseases.