Timeline of Discovery
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Key Insights from the Journey
Each milestone in Polly's journey contributed to our understanding of how immunity really works.
The Bar Question (1972)
While working as a bartender, Polly wondered: "How does our body know what to fight?" This simple question led to a revolution in immunology.
Matzinger's foundational question challenged the self/non-self paradigm by focusing on the functional purpose of immune recognition rather than just molecular identity.
The Theory Emerges (1994)
After years of research, Polly proposed that our immune system doesn't just look for "foreign" things - it looks for "dangerous" things.
The Danger Theory proposed that antigen-presenting cells are activated by danger signals from stressed or damaged tissues, providing crucial context for immune responses.
Modern Validation (2020s)
Today, scientists use computers and AI to prove that Polly was right. Her ideas now help doctors treat diseases better.
Systems biology and machine learning have validated Danger Theory predictions, leading to new therapeutic approaches targeting danger signal pathways in autoimmunity and cancer.
Clinical Impact Today
Doctors now understand that controlling "danger signals" can help treat diseases where the immune system attacks the body.
DAMP-targeting therapies and context-dependent immunomodulation represent the clinical translation of Danger Theory principles into precision medicine approaches.