Maximiliano Ruiz Castañeda, Mexican biomedical scientist (Acambay, Mexico State 05 December 1896 – Ciudad de Mexico 01 October 1992)
With H. Zinsser & H. Mooser identified murine typhus (Rickettsia typhi) in 1930
With C. Carrillo Cardenas. A new approach to treatment of brucellosis. Am. J. Med. Sci. 226(5):504-8, 1953
METHODS/TECHNIQUES
Proposed the differential stain for the detection of rickettsiae and chlamydial elementary bodies in tissue samples
A new stain for rickettsia bodies. J. Infect. Dis. 47(5):416-7, 1930
With H. Zinsser. Method of obtaining large amounts of Rickettsia prowazeki by x-ray radiation of rats. Exper. Biol. Med. 29(7), 1932
Perfected a vaccine for exanthematic typhus known as Castañeda vaccine (1938)
With R. Silva. A rapid bedside diagnostic test in typhus (1940)
Developed Ruiz Castañeda medium
With R. Tovar & R. Velez. Studies on brucellosis in Mexico. Comparative study of various diagnostic tests and classification of the isolate bacteria. J. Infect. Dis. 70:97-102, 1942
Selective agglutination, a possible substitute for the absorptive test in the classification of Brucella, Salmonella or their antisera (1942)
Developed bivalent vaccine for typhus (1944)
A serum agglutination technique in slides (1945)
Developed Castañeda rapid slide agglutination test for brucellosis
A practical method for routine blood culture in brucellosis. Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. Med. 64:114-5, 1947
Developed surface fixation method, forerunner of immunoblot
Surface fixation. A new method of detecting certain immunological reactions. Proc. Exp. Biol. Med. 73(1):46-9, 1950
Improved apparatus for the isolation of Brucella and Salmonella by hemoculture. Bull. World Health Organ. 14(4):795-6, 1956
With M.A. de los Corvera & J. Olarte. A new medium for the isolation of Brucella and Salmonella by blood culture. Bull. World Health Organ. 14(4):797, 1956
An improved outfit for the isolation of Brucella, Salmonella, etc by blood culture (1957)
Rapid method for investigating the concentration of urea in the blood. Rev. Med. Hosp. Gen. 28(5): 369-71, 1965
Simplification of methods for the study of beta hemolytic Streptococcus in faryngeal exudates. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. 33(2):481-5, 1976
With Y. Naranjo. Rapid test for diagnosis of syphilis by means of the surface fixation method using as antigens VDRL and Treponema pallidum (strain Nichols). Arch. Invest. Mex. 9(4):559-64, 1978
A simple test for detection of specific and unspecific immunological reactions in cancer. Arch. Invest. Mex. 11(1):83-93, 1980
With A. Lopez Merino & F. Ruiz-Reyes. Rapid test for the diagnosis of onchocercosis. Bol. Med. Hosp. Inf. Mexico 39(4):265-7, 1982
Discovered an autovaccine procedure for allergies
Papers in top journals
With H. Zinsser. Active and passive immunization in typhus fever. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 20 (1):9-11, 1934
Bivalent typhus vaccine of high immunizing value. Science 96(2491):304, 1942
HONORS
Honorary Fellow, American Society of Immunology (1944)
Visiting Professor, Tulane University (1945-6)
Fellow, New York Academy of Sciences (1955)
Medicine & Physiology Nobel Prize nominee (1965)
EPONYMY
Castañeda bottle for culture of Brucella
Ruiz Castañeda biphasic blood culture
Zinsser-Ruiz Castañeda method
Ruiz Castañeda reaction for typhoid (similar to Huddleson reaction)
Ruiz Castañeda reaction for brucellosis
Ruiz Castañeda staining for Rickettsiae (1930)