Gordon MacPherson explained

Dr George Gordon MacPherson was Reader in Experimental Pathology, Turnbull Fellow, Tutor in Medicine, and Senior Tutor at Oriel College, Oxford. He held a Bachelor's degree (B.M.), Master's degree (M.A.) and a doctorate (D.Phil.). His research interests were in Cell Biology, Pathology, and Immunology. Medically qualified, he researched in the field of cellular immunology at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford.

He is recognized for his "pioneering work"^[1] on the modulation of the adaptive immune response by sub-populations of antigen-presenting dendritic cells, including a sub-population of dendritic cells which presents self-antigens derived from apoptotic gastrointestinal epithelial cells and helps maintain self-tolerance.^[2] This contrasts with the role of other dendritic cells in presenting pathogen-derived antigens in order to activate specific anti-pathogen T-cell and B-cell responses.

He died on 14 November 2021.

Publications

As at December 2021, his ten most cited research publications are:

• Huang . Fang-Ping . Platt . Nicholas . Wykes . Michelle . Major . James R. . Powell . Timothy J. . Jenkins . Christopher D. . MacPherson . G. Gordon . A Discrete Subpopulation of Dendritic Cells Transports Apoptotic Intestinal Epithelial Cells to T Cell Areas of Mesenteric Lymph Nodes . Journal of Experimental Medicine . 7 February 2000 . 191 . 3 . 435–444 . 10.1084/jem.191.3.435 . 10662789 . 2195813 . Cited 766 times.
• MacPherson . GG . Warrell . MJ . White . NJ . Looareesuwan . S . Warrell . DA . Human cerebral malaria. A quantitative ultrastructural analysis of parasitized erythrocyte sequestration . The American Journal of Pathology . June 1985 . 119 . 3 . 385–401 . 3893148 . 1888001 . Cited 706 times.
• Damoiseaux . JG . Döpp . EA . Calame . W . Chao . D . MacPherson . GG . Dijkstra . CD . Rat macrophage lysosomal membrane antigen recognized by monoclonal antibody ED1 . Immunology . September 1994 . 83 . 1 . 140–7 . 7821959 . 1415006 . Cited 482 times.
• Wykes . M . Pombo . A . Jenkins . C . MacPherson . GG . Dendritic cells interact directly with naive B lymphocytes to transfer antigen and initiate class switching in a primary T-dependent response . Journal of Immunology . 1 August 1998 . 161 . 3 . 1313–9 . 9686593 . Cited 360 times.
• Hume . D A . Robinson . A P . MacPherson . G G . Gordon . S . The mononuclear phagocyte system of the mouse defined by immunohistochemical localization of antigen F4/80. Relationship between macrophages, Langerhans cells, reticular cells, and dendritic cells in lymphoid and hematopoietic organs. . Journal of Experimental Medicine . 1 November 1983 . 158 . 5 . 1522–1536 . 10.1084/jem.158.5.1522 . 6355361 . 2187139 . Cited 297 times.
• Liu . L M . MacPherson . G G . Antigen acquisition by dendritic cells: intestinal dendritic cells acquire antigen administered orally and can prime naive T cells in vivo. . Journal of Experimental Medicine . 1 May 1993 . 177 . 5 . 1299–1307 . 10.1084/jem.177.5.1299 . 8478609 . 2191013 . Cited 264 times.
• Pugh . CW . MacPherson . GG . Steer . HW . Characterization of nonlymphoid cells derived from rat peripheral lymph . Journal of Experimental Medicine . 1 June 1983 . 157 . 6 . 1758–1779 . 10.1084/jem.157.6.1758 . 6854208 . 2187049 . Cited 263 times.
• MacPherson . GG . Jenkins . CD . Stein . MJ . Edwards . C . Endotoxin-mediated dendritic cell release from the intestine. Characterization of released dendritic cells and TNF dependence . Journal of Immunology . 1 February 1995 . 154 . 3 . 1317–22 . 7822800 . Cited 207 times.
• Huang . Fang-Ping . Farquhar . Christine F. . Mabbott . Neil A. . Bruce . Moira E. . MacPherson . G. Gordon . Migrating intestinal dendritic cells transport PrPSc from the gut . Journal of General Virology . 1 January 2002 . 83 . 1 . 267–271 . 10.1099/0022-1317-83-1-267 . 11752724 . free . Cited 168 times.
• Mabbott . Neil A. . MacPherson . G. Gordon . Prions and their lethal journey to the brain . Nature Reviews Microbiology . March 2006 . 4 . 3 . 201–211 . 10.1038/nrmicro1346 . 16462753 . 23126939 . Cited 160 times.

Notes and References

1. Iwasaki . Akiko . Mucosal Dendritic Cells . Annual Review of Immunology . 1 April 2007 . 25 . 1 . 381–418 . 10.1146/annurev.immunol.25.022106.141634 . 17378762 .
2. Huang . Fang-Ping . Platt . Nicholas . Wykes . Michelle . Major . James R. . Powell . Timothy J. . Jenkins . Christopher D. . MacPherson . G. Gordon . A Discrete Subpopulation of Dendritic Cells Transports Apoptotic Intestinal Epithelial Cells to T Cell Areas of Mesenteric Lymph Nodes . Journal of Experimental Medicine . 7 February 2000 . 191 . 3 . 435–444 . 10.1084/jem.191.3.435 . 10662789 . 2195813 .