Albert Coons

Albert Hewett Coons (June 28, 1912

– September 30, 1978) was an Albert Hewett Coons
American physician, pathologist, and
immunologist. He was the first person
to conceptualize and develop
immunofluorescent techniques for
labeling antibodies in the early 1940s.

Early years
Coons was born in Gloversville, New Born June 28, 1912
York, on June 28, 1912, the son of Gloversville, New York, U.S.
Albert Selmser and Marion (née Died September 30, 1978 (aged 66)
Hewett) Coons. His father was the Brookline, Massachusetts
president of a glove-manufacturing Alma mater Williams College (BS)
company, and his grandfather, Eugene Harvard Medical School (M.D.)
Coons, was a physician. He was Awards
Lasker Award (1959)
educated in Gloversville public
Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize (1961)
schools, graduated with a B.S. from
Gairdner Foundation International Award (1962)
Williams College (Williamstown,
Scientific career
Massachusetts) in 1933, and received
his M.D. degree from Harvard Fields Physician, internist, educator, author, immunologist,
[1] pathologist
Medical School in 1937. Thereafter,
Albert pursued residency training in Institutions Harvard University
internal medicine at Massachusetts
General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. During the final years of his house-officership, Coons joined
the Thorndike Memorial Laboratory and was given a fellowship position in bacteriology and
immunology.[2] In that capacity, he came under the professional influence of Hans Zinsser, a pioneering
and dynamic immunologist and microbiologist.

Coons took a vacation trip to Berlin, Germany, in 1939, where he had a scientific epiphany. Having
discussed with colleagues the immunological nature of the "Aschoff nodule" (an intracardiac,
endomyocardial collection of myocytes and inflammatory cells) in rheumatic fever, Albert mulled over
the nature of the antigens and antibodies that were involved in its formation. He later wrote: "In strange
cities, visitors have many hours alone. It struck me that this theory [of immunological hypersensitivity as
the etiology of the Aschoff nodule] had never been tested and indeed could not be tested without the
demonstration of antibody or antigen, preferably both, in the local lesions. I considered that it might be
easier to find the antigen than the antibody... The notion of labeling an antibody molecule with a visible
label was perfectly obvious in such a context."[1] When Coons shared these thoughts with German
scientific colleagues, they were highly skeptical that such a task could be accomplished. Knowledge of
antibody structure was rudimentary, a method for attaching a fluorescent molecule to antibodies did not
exist, and even the very synthesis of such chemical tags was in its scientific infancy. Nonetheless,
undeterred, Albert returned to Boston to tackle the project.[2]

Military service
In 1942, Coons's research was interrupted by a call to serve in the Medical Corps of the United States
Army during World War II. He shipped out to the southwest Pacific Theater with the 105th General U.S.
Army Hospital, as its chief laboratory officer. The 105th saw action in New Guinea, the Solomon Islands,
and the Philippines. Coons was discharged from the Army at the end of 1945 with the rank of Major
(O4).[2] He was awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal and the World War II Victory Medal.

Asiatic-Pacific World War II Victory

Campaign Medal Medal ribbon
ribbon

Career
Returning to Harvard Medical School, Coons continued his work on immunohistochemistry, in
collaboration with Louis Fieser—an organic chemist—and his colleagues. Before the war, they had been
successful in coupling anthracene isocyanate—a fluorophore—to antipneumococcus antibodies. The
resulting product retained its immunological function, and was capable of agglutinating pneumococcal
bacteria.[3] In addition, the organisms were brightly fluorescent and could be seen easily with a
microscope that was fitted with an excitational ultraviolet light source. This basic laboratory paradigm
was later applied to many antigens and antibodies,[4][5][6][7][8] launching the clinical disciplines of
diagnostic immunofluorescence microscopy for bacteriology and immunology, immunocytology, and
immunohistochemistry in anatomic pathology.[9] These methods are widely used today, globally, in
clinical medicine and cell biology.

Many scientists spent time as fellows in Coons's Harvard laboratory. They, in turn, further developed the
technique of immunohistology, as applied to electron microscopy and light microscopy. Coons progressed
through the academic ranks at Harvard Medical School, and in 1953 was appointed Career Investigator
for the American Heart Association. He completed additional work on in vitro and in vivo antibody
production and the condition of immunological "tolerance".[10][11] In recognition of his achievements,
Coons was given the prestigious Albert Lasker Award in Basic Research in 1959.[12] Coons was admitted
as a member of the National Academy of Sciences in 1962. In 1970, he was given a named Harvard
University Chair in the Department of Bacteriology and Immunology, and later, in the Department of
Pathology. He was president of the American Association of Immunologists (1960–1961) and a councillor
and president of the Histochemistry Society, and was given several other awards and international
honorary academic degrees.[2] These included the Paul Ehrlich Award in 1961, the Passano Award in
1962, the Gairdner Foundation Annual Award in 1963, the Emil von Behringer Prize in 1966, and
honorary Sc.D. degrees from Williams College, Yale University, and Emory University.[13] Despite those
accolades, Coons remained a modest, affable, and quiet person who was devoted to his work, family,
friends, and students.

Personal life
Coons died of coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure in September, 1978, in Brookline,
Massachusetts. He is buried in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Coons was survived by his wife, Phyllis (née
Watts) [1917-2002], a writer for the Boston Globe newspaper;[14] his son, Albert H., Jr. (1957–2003),[15]
a Boston attorney; and four daughters: Elizabeth, a medical editor; Susan, an educator; Hilary, a clinical
psychologist; and Wendy, a social worker.[16]

References
1. McDevitt, H. O. Albert Hewett Coons (http://books.nap.edu/html/biomems/acoons.html),
Biographical memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences.
2. Karnovsky MJ: Obituary-- Dedication to Albert H. Coons, 1912-1978. J Histochem
Cytochem 1979; 22: 1117-1118.
3. Coons AH, Creech HJ, Jones RN: Immunological properties of an antibody containing a
fluorescent group. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 1941; 47: 200-202.
4. Coons AH, Kaplan MH: Localization of antigen in tissue cells; improvements in a method for
the detection of antigen by means of fluorescent antibody. J Exp Med 1950; 91: 1-13.
5. Coons AH, Snyder JC: Localization of antigen in tissue cells; antigens of rickettsiae and
mumps virus. J Exp Med 1950; 91: 31-38.
6. Coons AH: Fluorescent antibodies as histochemical tools. Fed Proc 1951; 10: 558-559.
7. Coons AH: Fluorescent antibody methods. Gen Cytochem Methods 1958; 1: 399-422.
8. Coons AH: The diagnostic application of fluorescent antibodies. Schweiz Z Pathol Bakteriol
1959; 22: 700-723.
9. Anonymous: A tell-tale glow. LIFE Magazine, Feb. 18, 1966; pp. 66-67.
10. Coons AH: Some reactions of lymphoid tissues to stimulation by antigens. Harvey Lect
1957-59; 53: 113-129.
11. Sercarz EE, Coons AH: The absence of antibody-producing cells during unresponsiveness
to BSA in the mouse. J Immunol 1963; 90: 478-491.
12. Albert Lasker Basic Research Award, 1959: Albert Coons.
(http://www.laskerfoundation.org/awards/1959_b_description.htm), Accessed 7-25-2010.
13. "Biographical Memoirs Home" (http://www.nap.edu/readingroom.php?book=biomems&page
=acoons.html).
14. "PHYLLIS COONS, WAS A GLOBE REPORTER FOR 55 YEARS; AT 84 - The Boston
Globe (Boston, MA) | HighBeam Research" (https://web.archive.org/web/20140610065243/
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7710983.html). 10 June 2014. Archived from the original
(http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-7710983.html) on 2014-06-10. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
15. "In Memorium, Spring 2004 UVA Lawyer" (http://www.law.virginia.edu/html/alumni/uvalawye
r/sp04/memoriam.htm).
16. National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir (http://www.nasonline.org/publications/b
iographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/coons-albert-h.pdf) nasonline.org

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