 |
Gertrude Belle ElionAmerican biochemist and pharmacologist.
Date of Birth: 23.01.1918
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Gertrude Belle Elion
Gertrude Belle Elion was an American biochemist and pharmacologist. She began working in her field during World War II when many job opportunities opened up for women that were previously considered "male" professions. In the laboratory of the pharmaceutical company Burroughs-Wellcome (now GlaxoSmithKline), Gertrude started as an assistant to the brilliant chemist and researcher George H. Hitchings. Together, they embarked on developing drugs for previously incurable diseases.
Early Life and Education
Gertrude Belle Elion was born in 1918 in New York City to Lithuanian-Polish immigrants. Her father was a dentist, and after finishing high school, Gertrude attended Hunter College, where she studied chemistry. She then pursued further education at New York University and earned her master's degree in chemistry in 1941. To fund her university studies, Gertrude worked in a chemical laboratory and also taught chemistry.
Scientific Career
Gertrude started her career during World War II when there were numerous job opportunities for women. She joined the laboratory of Burroughs-Wellcome as an assistant to George H. Hitchings, and together, they worked on developing drugs for previously incurable diseases. At the age of 15, Gertrude's grandfather passed away from cancer, which led her to promise herself that she would invent a cure for the disease. Alongside Hitchings, Elion worked on creating a drug that could inhibit the growth of bacteria or tumor cells. She also conducted research on purines, the building blocks of DNA, and synthesized nucleic acids.
During this period, Gertrude had to make a difficult choice between continuing her work in the laboratory or pursuing her doctoral dissertation, which she had already started. She chose practical work and never completed her Ph.D. However, later on, when her work was recognized, she received honorary doctorates from prestigious institutions.
The method developed by Elion and Hitchings revolutionized the field of purine and pyrimidine chemistry. They also developed drugs called "purine antimetabolites," two of which successfully cured leukemia in rodents. During this time, Gertrude dedicated herself to her work, often forgetting about weekends, holidays, and vacations. Together with Hitchings, she invented other well-known drugs, such as acyclovir (Zovirax) for herpes treatment, the antimalarial drug pyrimethamine, trimethoprim, and several others.
Elion became the author of mercaptopurine, a long-awaited drug for leukemia. Although it did not become a panacea, it did achieve positive results. She also played a significant role in the invention of the immunostimulating agent azidothymidine, which became a drug for treating AIDS. In 1988, Gertrude B. Elion, along with George H. Hitchings and Scottish pharmacologist Sir James Black, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking contributions.
Personal Life and Legacy
Gertrude Elion was so devoted to her work in the laboratory that she never married. She did not have children, but her numerous nieces and nephews adored their aunt. In addition to her laboratory experiments, Elion lectured, was a member of several scientific societies, and worked closely with medical students interested in scientific research. She was also involved with the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society.
Gertrude Belle Elion passed away on February 21, 1999, in North Carolina at the age of 81. In 1991, she became the first woman to be inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and she received various awards, including the National Medal of Science in the United States.
