Citation | Together with P.C. Doherty, Rolf Zinkernagel discovered that virus-specific cytotoxic T cells recognize a combination of major histocompatibility gene complex (MHC) class I plus viral antigen. This discovery explained the function and the polymorphism of transplantation antigens, It opened the way to the peptide revolution and the definition of T cell receptors. He later formally showed that T cell repertoire selection was mediated by the MHC in the thymus. During the past 20 years, with his group in Zurich, his work has helped establish the basic rules of immune responses relevant to host virus relationships and the development of vaccines. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1996. |