Sir Peter Lachmann, global authority on immunology dedicated to fighting ‘bad science’ – obituary
He advanced our understanding of the body’s immune system, was an authority on bees, and was noted for his bracing admonishments
Sir Peter Lachmann in 2003
Credit: Eric TRAVERS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
Professor Peter Lachmann, who has died aged 89, was Sheila Joan Smith Professor of Immunology at Cambridge University and made huge contributions to scientific understanding of the “complement system” which contributes to the process by which the body eliminates harmful cells and triggers the production of immune cells known as cytokines.
Lachmann published more than 450 research papers elucidating the complex pathways of the complement system and investigating the immunology of diseases such as measles, systemic lupus erythematosus (a chronic autoimmune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain), mechanisms in tumour immunology and allergy to insect stings caused by