Work

Vincent du Vigneaud: following the sulfur trail to the discovery of the hormones of the posterior pituitary gland at Cornell Medical College

Year: 2015

Type: article

Abstract: In 1955, Vincent du Vigneaud (1901-1978), the chairman of the Department of Biochemistry at Cornell University Medical College, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his research on insulin and for the first synthesis of the posterior pituitary hormones-oxytocin and vasopressin. His tremendous contribution to organic chemistry, which began as an interest in sulfur-containing compounds, paved the way for a better understanding of the pituitary gland and for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic tools for diseases of the pituitary. His seminal research continues to impact neurologists, endocrinologists, and neurosurgeons, and enables them to treat patients who had no alternatives prior to du Vigneaud's breakthroughs in peptide structure and synthesis. The ability of neurosurgeons to aggressively operate on parasellar pathology was directly impacted and related to the ability to replace these hormones after surgery. The authors review the life and career of Vincent du Vigneaud, his groundbreaking discoveries, and his legacy of the understanding and treatment of the pituitary gland in health and disease.

Source: Journal of neurosurgery

DOI: 10.3171/2015.5.jns141952

Authors: Malte Ottenhausen, Imithri Bodhinayake, Matei A. Banu, Philip E. Stieg, Theodore H. Schwartz

Institutions: NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell University

Language: English

Topic: History of Science and Medicine

Subfield: History and Philosophy of Science

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: bronze

Funder: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign