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Monday, November 19, 2018
Page #15
Texas History Minute 1970s and early 1980s, he began “Always hire working with lymphoma cells and people who do something useful noticed the unusual properties better than you do they had on the molecular level. In lymphoma cells, the cell itself . . . Life will be could receive chemical signals much more from other cells but could not interesting and you will be much produce chemicals or enzymes in Dr. Ken more successful, if response. In the process of Bridges you define success becoming cancerous, the cell had as actually getting lost the protein that allowed it to something done,” once wrote Dr. process outside instructions. Alfred Gilman. Gilman, a Dallas- Once a G protein was rebased researcher, employed many introduced into these cells, they students and scientists in his labs as could process these chemicals he researched the innermost and produce new chemicals in workings of cells in the body, work response. While this did not that led to the Nobel Prize. His change a cancer cell back into a research led to radically new healthy cell, scientists better understandings of how cells worked understood how cancer behaved and ultimately inspired other in the body. scientists to develop new techniques in medicine and important advances In other words, Gilman’s work in cancer research. identified how cancer cells changed on a molecular level and The future Nobel laureate was born how cancer cells and healthy cells Alfred Goodman Gilman in New interacted with each other. This Haven, Connecticut, in July 1941. proved an important His father was Dr. Alfred Zack breakthrough as researchers Gilman, a Yale University professor began researching new cancer and researcher who was respected treatments at the cellular and throughout the medical community genetic levels. Once they better for his important writings on the understood how cancer cells study of pharmacology and early formed, mutated, and spread, they studies of chemotherapy as a cancer began to find ways to more treatment. When he was young, the accurately target cancer cells with family moved to White Plains, New chemotherapy and radiation York, a suburb of New York City, therapy as well as developing where his father worked as a new surgical techniques. As professor at Columbia University. doctors and researchers applied these new ideas in the 1980s and As a young man, he inherited his 1990s, cancer survival rates father’s fascination with science. began to climb significantly. After graduating high school, he Further, scientists could also enrolled at Yale University. He develop better techniques and graduated with a bachelors degree medications for a variety of in biochemistry in 1962. He diseases since they better entered graduate school at Case understood how damaged cells Western Reserve University in worked. Ohio. He was reluctant at first to get a doctorate in pharmacology, The breakthrough was so the study of drugs, their effects, and important that Gilman and their interactions, as he wanted an biochemist Dr. Martin Robdell, identity somewhat separate from his was awarded the Nobel Prize for father. He was talked into it and Physiology or Medicine in 1994 was swept up by the research and for their discovery of the G new discoveries unfolding before protein and subsequent research him and obtained a medical degree into it. Gilman noted with some as well by 1969. humility, “You can expect to He worked briefly as a researcher have some good luck if you are for the National Institutes of working hard on a tractable Health. In 1971, Gilman took a problem and taking reasonable position as a pharmacology approaches. The trick is to professor at the University of recognize good luck when it Virginia School of Medicine where happens. . .” The research by he published articles on cellular Gilman and Robdell spurred chemicals. He was hired in 1981 to dramatic changes in medical become the chairman of the research. pharmacology department at the University of Texas Southwestern In 2004, he was promoted to dean Medical Center in Dallas. of the medical school and eventually rose to vice-president Gilman discovered what became by 2006. He retired in 2009. known as a “G protein,” which Gilman had long been thankful helps cells “communicate” with for the opportunity to learn from each other on a chemical level, a number of Nobel Prize winners helping a chemical message during his years in college and as received from one cell activate a a young researcher. In his later chemical reaction within the years, Gilman became an receiving cell in response, also outspoken advocate of science called a transducer. Through his education in Texas schools and research, scientists were able to condemned efforts to dilute better understand how cells teaching of evolution in public received information from each schools. For a scientist such as other, processed those messages, Gilman who had spent his career and acted in response. researching cells on the molecular level, evolution was obvious. In a series of experiments in the late And understanding evolution was
critical to research in modern medicine and genetics. Though he was able to help scientists answer many questions about cancer and other diseases, some cases were still beyond reach. Tragically, Gilman was one
such patient. He ultimately contracted pancreatic cancer and died in December 2015 at age 74. Dr. Bridges is a Texas native, writer, and history professor. He can be reached at drkenbridges@gmail.com.
