Leon Orris Jacobson

Leon Orris Jacobson , called "Jake Jacobson" (born December 16, 1911 in Sims , North Dakota ; † September 20, 1992 in Chicago , Illinois ) was an American physician , biologist and biochemist who, together with Eugene Goldwasser, was instrumental in the Discovery, isolation and structural analysis of the hormone erythropoietin was involved. In addition, he made significant contributions to chemotherapy and radiation therapy .

Life

Leon Orris Jacobson's ancestors immigrated to the United States from Norway . He himself spoke fluent Norwegian . Following the family tradition as a farmer in North Dakota, Jacobson first studied agricultural science at North Dakota State University . However, he had to break off his studies in 1932 due to a lack of financial means in the wake of the global economic crisis . Instead, he returned to his hometown and taught at a primary school for three years . Due to the bitter poverty in the time of the economic depression Jacobson was confronted with the most diverse illnesses of his students. This aroused in him an interest in medical research. So he returned to the University of Fargo , graduated there in 1935 with a bachelor's degree and moved to the Medical School of the University of Chicago .

After four years of medical school, Jacobson became a licensed physician, but stayed at the university and became a lecturer at the medical school in 1942 . Between 1945 and 1948 he worked there initially as an assistant professor and between 1948 and 1951 as an associate professor . During World War II , Jacobson was involved in clandestine activities at the Department of Toxicology at the University of Chicago, where he researched chemical warfare agents and their antidotes. In 1943, in collaboration with Clarence Lushbaugh , he discovered the chemotherapeutic possibilities of the mustard gas -like substance bis (2-chloroethyl) methylamine ("HN2"). Jacobson was also indirectly involved in the Manhattan project through his function as director for biological and medical research of the "Metallurgical Institute" . He studied the effects of ionizing radiation on blood formation .

In 1951 he was appointed senior professor at Argonne Cancer Research Hospital , which later became part of the University Hospitals in Chicago. The focus of his work there was research in the fields of protein chemistry, steroid - Biochemistry and Experimental and Clinical Hematology . In 1952, Eugene Goldwasser joined his working group, with whom Jacobson spent the next 40 years practically exclusively researching the humoral factor for the formation of red blood cells, the existence of which was experimentally predicted at the beginning of the century and which was finally named " erythropoietin " in 1948 gave. The first pure display of the hormone in 1977 was a great moment for both scientists .

In 1983 his first wife Elizabeth died, with whom he had children Eric and Judith. Jacobson was married to his second wife Elise until his death. He died of lung cancer in 1992 .

Honors and memberships

Jacobson has served on numerous scientific committees and advisory boards, including those of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) and the United States Army Environmental Command (USAEC). Although he in 1976 retired , he retired in 1981 from his final positions at the University of Chicago back. In 1965 he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences , 1967 to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and 1970 to the Institute of Medicine . He received honorary doctorates from North Dakota State University and Acadia University in Nova Scotia .

literature

• E. Goldwasser: Leon Orris Jacobson: December 16, 1911 - September 20, 1992. In: Biographical Memoirs - National Academy of Sciences . Volume 70, 1996, pp. 191-202. PMID 11619323 , digitized version (PDF; 151 kB)

Individual evidence

1. ^ American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Book of Members ( PDF ). Retrieved April 2, 2016