Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915) and His Contributions to the Foundation and Birth of Translational Medicine

Translational research and precision medicine are based on a profound knowledge of cellular and molecular mechanisms contributing to various physiologic processes and pathologic reactions in diverse organs. Whereas specific molecular interactions and mechanisms have been identified during the past 5 decades, the underlying principles were defined much earlier and originate from to the seminal observations made by outstanding researchers between 1850 and 1915. One of the most outstanding exponents of these scientists is Paul Ehrlich. His work resulted not only in the foundation and birth of modern hematology and immunology, but also led to the development of chemotherapy and specific targeted treatment concepts. In 2015, the Medical University of Vienna organized a memorial meeting, with the aim of honoring Paul Ehrlich's contributions to science, and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his death. The authors of the current review served as faculty members and dedicate this paper to Paul Ehrlich and his remarkable contributions to medicine. (C) 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel