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Edward KendallNobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 1950, jointly with Philip Hench and Thaddeus Reichstein
Date of Birth: 08.03.1886
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Edward Kendall
Edward Calvin Kendall was an American chemist and the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1950.
Early Life and Education
Edward Kendall was born into the Kendall family to George Stanley Kendall, a dentist, and Eva Frances Kendall (Abbott). He was the third of eight children. Kendall attended local schools and then transferred to Stamford High School. It was here that he developed an interest in chemistry, as well as electricity, technology, and mathematics.
In 1904, Kendall enrolled at Columbia University, where he studied chemistry and conducted scientific research under the guidance of Sherman. In 1908, he obtained his bachelor's degree and spent the summer working as an assistant in the biochemical laboratory at Columbia University. He then entered the graduate program at the university.
Research and Discoveries
During his scientific work, Kendall studied amylase, an enzyme synthesized and secreted by the pancreas that breaks down starch into monosaccharides in the small intestine. He discovered that the amount of monosaccharides produced from a given amount of starch under the action of amylase depends on the concentration of salts in the intestines. He published his findings in the "Journal of the American Chemical Society." In 1910, Kendall obtained his doctoral degree from Columbia University.
After completing his studies, Kendall began working as a research chemist at the pharmaceutical company Park-Davis and Company in Detroit. His task was to isolate the thyroid hormone from its extracts. However, when he learned that another chemist would also be working on the same project, Kendall resigned from the company after five months and accepted an offer to establish a chemical laboratory at St. Luke's Hospital in New York. There, he continued his work on isolating hormones from thyroid extracts.
Kendall and his colleagues from St. Luke's Hospital also discovered glutathione, a molecule involved in oxygen transport in many oxidative-reductive reactions. They found that glutathione consists of a tripeptide composed of the amino acids glutamine, glycine, and cysteine.
In 1921, Kendall became a professor of biochemistry at the Mayo Clinic and focused on isolating and identifying adrenal hormones. The cells of the adrenal cortex, which produce and secrete corticosteroid hormones, are regulated by the pituitary gland, specifically by the adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Kendall discovered and named several active forms of adrenal cortex hormones, including cortisone and hydrocortisone, which play critical roles in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism.
In the early 1940s, Kendall and his team studied 30 out of the 38 steps involved in the biosynthesis of cortisone. With the help of scientist Lewis Sarett, they synthesized cortisone in small quantities in 1945. A few years later, they developed a more efficient synthesis method, enabling the mass production of cortisone.
In recognition of his groundbreaking work on the hormones of the adrenal cortex, their structure, and biological effects, Kendall, along with Philip Hench and Tadeusz Reichstein, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1950.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1950, Kendall retired from the Mayo Clinic and became a professor emeritus at Princeton University, where he continued his research. Throughout his career, Kendall received numerous awards and honors, including the John Scott Medal of Philadelphia (1921), the Charles Frederick Chandler Medal from Columbia University (1925), the Lasker Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1949), the Passano Award in Medicine from the Passano Foundation (1950), and the Kober Medal from the Association of American Physicians (1952).
Edward Kendall passed away in 1972. His contributions to the field of biochemistry and his groundbreaking work on hormone research continue to have a significant impact on medical science.
