Louis Pillemer

Louis Pillemer (1908-1957) was an early investigator of the alternative complement pathway (a system of defense not dependent upon antibodies.)

He led a team at Western Reserve University which discovered properdin in 1954,, and this discovery received attention from the national press as a breakthorough in immunology.

In 1957, Robert Nelson challenged these findings, and claimed that Pillemer's results were due to laboratory errors. Pillemer's death soon after publications was ruled a suicide.

Nelson's view prevailed at the time, but further study in the 1960s largely led to a confirmation of much of Pillemer's work.