Discoverer of Immunocal®
Educated at the University of Turin and the University of Genoa in his native Italy, Gustavo Bounous’ distinguished career in medical research began as a Research Fellow in surgery at the Indiana Medical Center, Indianapolis. In 1963, he moved to Canada and commenced an academic career that led him to become Professor of Surgery, firstly at the University of Sherbrooke (1973-1985), then at McGill University (1985-1993).
Dr. Bounous was awarded the 1965 medal of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He pioneered the use of elemental diets in the prophylaxis and treatment of intestinal lesions associated with shock, intestinal ischemia, radiation, cancer chemotherapy and Crohn’s disease.
In 1968, he was named Career Investigator of the Medical Research Council, an award that was reconfirmed until 1993, the year of his retirement from McGill University. In 1978, Dr. Bounous initiated a novel research program to search for a dietary protein source that would boost the immune system, in conjunction with a colleague from the McGill University Faculty of Medicine. Studies led to the discovery of an undenatured serum milk concentrate that sustains normal glutathione levels and promotes immune enhancing activity. Subsequent identification of the active ingredients present in this protein mixture, brought on in 1993, the production of a high-quality bioactive material given the name and trademark Immunocal®.
Co-Discoverer
of Immunocal®
Patricia Kongshavn received her Honors Degree in Natural Sciences as a Major Scholar at Cambridge University, and completed her doctorate in Immunology at McGill University after immigrating to Canada. She subsequently joined the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University and held appointments in the Departments of Physiology and Medicine, becoming Full Professor in 1986. Her research was funded by independent grants to her from the Medical Research Council of Canada, the National Cancer Institute of Canada and the National Institutes of Health in the United States.
Her main research was concerned with increasing basic knowledge of the immune system, with a focus on cellular immunology, host/parasite interactions and the genetics of natural resistance.
In the mid-1970’s she began collaboration initiated by Dr Gustavo Bounous to research the influence of various dietary proteins on immune responsiveness. They published their first paper on this research in 1978 and continued their collaboration until 1989, during which period they co-authored 14 papers. This work led to the discovery of an undenatured whey protein concentrate that regulated glutathione levels and promoted immune enhancing activity. This led ultimately to the production of a high quality bioactive nutraceutical: IMMUNOCAL®.
Dr. Kongshavn retired from McGill to relocate to the West in 1990.