Charles Heidelberger

Charles Heidelberger (born  December 23, 1920 in New York City , †  January 18, 1983 in Pasadena, California ) was an American chemist and cancer researcher . From 1948 to 1976 he was Professor of Oncology at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and from 1976 until his death as Professor of Biochemistry and Pathology at the University of Southern California .

In his research, he focused in particular on the mechanisms of chemical-induced cancer development and the development of active ingredients for cancer treatment. His achievements, for which he received various science prizes and was accepted into the National Academy of Sciences in 1978 , included the development of the substance 5-fluorouracil , which is used to the present day for the chemotherapy of tumors .

Life

Charles Heidelberger was born in New York City in 1920 as the son of the immunologist Michael Heidelberger and studied chemistry at Harvard University from 1937 , where he obtained an SB degree in 1942 and an MS degree in 1944 , and in organic with Louis Frederick Fieser in 1946 Chemistry with Work I. Some derivatives of p, p'-diaminodiphenyl sulfone. II. The synthesis and antimalarial activity of some naphthoquinones. III. A preliminary study of the mechanism of the peroxide alkylation of quinones doctorate . He then moved to the University of California, Berkeley as a post-doctoral student , where he worked in the working group of the later Nobel laureate Melvin Calvin, in particular with the synthesis , metabolism and application of compounds with radioactively labeled carbon atoms .

In 1948 he became an assistant professor of oncology at the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison , where he was promoted to associate professor in 1952 and professor in 1958, and in 1960 a lifelong professorship from the American Cancer Society . He also became the assistant director of basic research at the Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center of the university's medical school in 1973 . In 1976 he moved to the University of Southern California , where he was professor of biochemistry and pathology and the position of director of basic research at the USC Comprehensive Cancer Center , both of which he held until his death.

Charles Heidelberger was first married from 1943 and second from 1975 and was the father of a son and two daughters. His hobbies included music , especially the violin and trumpet , as well as sailing and photography . During his student days he was a member of the Harvard Symphony Orchestra and later in life he played in several jazz bands . He died in 1983 at the age of 62 years in Pasadena as a result of cancer of the paranasal sinuses .

Scientific work

Charles Heidelberger, who published more than 350 scientific publications , devoted himself in the course of his career to various aspects of basic research on the causes of cancer development. He investigated the carcinogenic effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the mechanisms of cancer induction by chemicals in cells , in particular the effects of carcinogens on nucleic acids . He also established various cell culture techniques relevant to cancer research and the mouse cell line 10T1 / 2.

In the field of clinical oncology, he was interested in the development of active ingredients for the treatment of cancer. Among other things, he synthesized the substance 5-fluorouracil , which is still used for chemotherapy of certain tumors , and investigated the biochemical basis of its effect. For this reason he is considered a pioneer in the introduction of antimetabolites for use as cytostatics . In later years he also worked on developing methods for predicting a patient's individual response to chemotherapy.

From 1959 to 1962, 1965 to 1967, and 1975 to 1978 he served on the board of directors of the American Association for Cancer Research .

Awards

Charles Heidelberger was accepted into the National Academy of Sciences in 1978 and three years later was made a Distinguished Professor at the University of Southern California . He and his father are among the few father-son couples who both belonged to the National Academy of Sciences during their lifetime.

In addition, he received the Langer-Teplitz Award of the Ann Langer Cancer Research Foundation in 1958 , the Lucy Wortham James Award of the James Ewing Society in 1969, the Clowes Memorial Award of the American Association for Cancer Research in 1970 , the American Cancer Society National Award in 1974 , and in 1976 the Lila Gruber Award from the American Academy of Dermatology , in 1978 the Papanicolaou Award from the Papanicolaou Institute, and in 1982 the C. Chester Stock Award from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the first-ever $ 100,000 Athayde International Cancer Prize of the International Union against Cancer .

In memory of Charles Heidelberger wearing Charles Heidelberger Symposium on Cancer Research , one every one to two years of this international symposium on cancer research, and that of the International Society of Gastroenterological Carcinogenesis conferred Charles Heidelberger Award his name.

Works (selection)

• Isotopic Carbon: Techniques in its Measurement and Chemical Manipulation. New York 1949, London 1960 (as co-author)
• Charles Heidelberger et al .: Fluorinated Pyrimidines, A New Class of Tumor-Inhibitory Compounds. In: Nature. Volume 179, Issue 4561, March 30, 1957, pp. 663-666
• Fluorinated Pyrimidines and their Nucleosides. New York, Chichester and Brisbane 1983 (as co-author)

literature

• Peter Brookes: Obituary: Charles Heidelberger, 1920–1983: Research on Cancer Chemotherapy. In: Nature . Volume 303, issue 5912 of May 5, 1983, p. 22, ISSN  0028-0836
• Elizabeth C. Miller, James A. Miller: Obituary: Charles Heidelberger. 1920-1983. In: Cancer Research. 43/1983. American Association for Cancer Research, pp. 2382, ISSN  0008-5472
• Carlton H. Nadolney: Charles Heidelberger (1920-1983). In: In Vitro. 19/1983. Tissue Culture Association, pp. 145/146, ISSN  0073-5655
• Peter Brookes: Charles Heidelberger, 1920–1983. An appreciation. In: Carcinogenesis. 4/1983. Oxford University Press, pp. I / ii, ISSN  0143-3334
• Elizabeth C. Miller, James A. Miller: Charles Heidelberger. December 23, 1920 – January 18, 1983. In: Biographical Memoirs. Volume 58. National Academy of Sciences, Washington DC 1989, ISBN 0-309-03938-X , pp. 258–302 (with picture and selected bibliography)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ biographical data, publications and Academic pedigree of Charles Heidelberger at academictree.org, accessed on February 9, 2018th