Robert Furchgott (1916-2009): A scientist with a mission.

Autor: Rubin, Ronald P.

Publication year: 2021

Journal of medical biography

issn:1758-1087 0967-7720

doi: 10.1177/0967772018825365

Abstract:

Robert Furchgott was first noted for research on drug-receptor theory, autonomic neuroeffector mechanisms, and vascular pharmacology/physiology. His studies on drug-receptor interactions provided important knowledge about the properties of drug receptors long before methodologies were developed to study them directly. However, Furchgott achieved an enduring legacy for recognizing the importance of endothelial cells for the relaxation of vascular smooth muscle. On the basis of his own experiments and those of others, he proposed that acetylcholine interacted with muscarinic receptors at the surface of endothelial cells to release a substance called endothelium relaxing factor. Endothelium relaxing factor was later identified as nitric oxide, a colorless, odorless gas. Furchgott’s discovery of an entirely new mechanism by which blood vessels dilate revolutionized studies on the physiology of the vascular system. His work also suggested new treatments for hypertension and heart disease, and was a key factor in the development of the anti-impotence drug sildenafil. In 1998, Robert Furchgott shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Ferid Murad and Louis Ignarro.

Language: eng

Rights:

Pmid: 30674218

Tags: United States; Muscle Relaxation/*physiology; History, 20th Century; Physiology/*history; History, 21st Century; endothelial cells; Endothelial Cells/*physiology; endothelium relaxing factor; Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/*physiology; Nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide/*physiology; Nobel Prize; smooth muscle drug receptors; vascular system

Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30674218/