50 Years of Radioimmunoassay

Abstract

The invention of radioimmunoassay techniques by Rosalyn Yalow and Solomon Berson 50 years ago opened new horizons for many branches of medicine and life sciences. Their first paper, describing quantitative immunoassay of plasma insulin in human subjects and overwhelming the then used analytical methods by several orders of magnitude in terms of sensitivity and accuracy, was published in an issue of Nature that appeared on 21st November 1959. The spectrum of applications of RIA methodology spread promptly into many areas – such as analysis of hormones, drugs, vitamins, serum proteins, diagnostic markers, viruses and bacteria. For the development of RIA of peptide hormones, Rosalyn Yalow was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1977.