Professor Gideon Lack
Middle School Sackville Lecture, Tuesday 9 November 2010

Sevenoaks School was honoured to welcome the eminent and distinguished immunologist, Professor Gideon Lack, who shared his expertise in childhood allergies with Year 10 and 11 pupils. Professor Lack began by looking at the traditional approach to allergies; avoidance of those food types that are known to cause an extreme immune response in sufferers. He noted how the incidence of nut allergies in particular appears to be growing, a product in part of the ingestion of nut oils, during infancy, via the skin as first contact, rather than as food. Professor Lack then explored the scientific background to allergic reactions, especially the role of Antibodies in responding to Antigens. Using the metaphor of war and peace, Professor Lack showed how the human body is an invisible battleground between antigens and the immune system. This fascinating talk concluded with an examination of cutting-edge research about how oral ingestion of nuts among infants can bring about tolerance and thus avoid allergic reactions. Studies are ongoing in this area involving groups of infants in different countries. Professor Lack kindly responded to a range of questions from year 10 and 11 pupils, and joined several of them for lunch with the Head after the talk.

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