Bernard Beryl Brodie | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 7 August 1907 |
| Died | 28 February 1989 (aged 81) |
| Education | McGill University New York University |
| Known for | Studies of drug metabolism and drug therapy |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Award of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare- 1958 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research- 1967 National Medal of Science- 1968 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Pharmacology |
| Institutions | New York University 1935-1950 National Institutes of Health 1950-1970 Hoffmann-LaRoche Pennsylvania State University |
Bernard Beryl Brodie (7 August 1907 – 28 February 1989) was a founding scientist in the area of biochemical and neurochemicalpharmacology whose work in the 1940s and 1950s had great impact. He was a major figure in the fields of drug metabolism and drug therapy, studying how the absorption and interactions of drugs in the body. Brodie helped to found and lead the Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology at theNational Heart Institute inBethesda, Maryland, one of theNational Institutes of Health. He was a member of theUnited States National Academy of Sciences.[1]
Brodie was born in Liverpool, England on August 7, 1907, to a Jewish family, who emigrated to Ottawa, Canada in 1911. In 1926 he enlisted in theRoyal Canadian Corps of Signals, where he learnedboxing, winning a Canadian Army championship for his weight division.[1]
Brodie earned an undergraduate degree fromMcGill University, graduating in 1931. He received a Ph.D. in chemistry fromNew York University (NYU) in 1935. After graduation, he accepted a position in the Pharmacology Department at NYU, working with George B. Wallace. Brodie developed methods for measurement of drug metabolism, disposition, and response, which enabled him to generalize from experimental data to underlying principles and concepts. During World War II, Brodie played a key role at the Goldwater Research Service group at NYU, led byJames A. Shannon.[1]
In 1950, Brodie was recruited by Shannon to join theNational Heart Institute inBethesda, Maryland, one of theNational Institutes of Health. Brodie founded the pharmacology laboratory there, serving as head until he retired in 1970.[1] He continued to a teach pharmacology atPennsylvania State University and acted as a consultant toHoffmann-LaRoche laboratories inNutley, New Jersey.[2]
During World War II, Brodie and others in the Goldwater Research Service group at NYU were tasked byJames A. Shannon with developing an effective antimalarial therapy for use by allied troops. WithSidney Udenfriend, Brodie developed anassay that revealed the localization ofatabrine in liver, skeletal muscle, and plasma. This led to the development of therapeutic regimens involving a high initial loading dose followed by small doses to maintain effective atabrine levels in plasma. In addition to establishing the basis for the effective treatment ofmalaria, Brodie's pioneering work established that blood drug levels were important in guiding therapeutic dosages. In January, 1947, he published several papers, based on the atabrine work, that described general principles for the separation and accurate measurement of drugs and their metabolites.[1] His finding that drugs induced similar levels of response in humans and animals created a basis for the use of animal drug testing as a step towards determining whether they were suitable for humans.[3]
Together withJulius Axelrod, Brodie discovered how two popular headache remedies of the day were causing the illnessmethemoglobinemia, a non-lethal blood condition. They found thatacetanilide is metabolized to aniline, andphenacetin to p-phenetidin. Brodie and Axelrod identified another metabolite,paracetamol, as beneficial, and suggested that manufacturers use it instead. It was later marketed as theanalgesicTylenol.[4][5]
Brodie also did research on anesthetic and hypnotic drugs. He correlated the distribution and clinical characteristics ofthiopental, explaining Its rapid onset of action and its short duration as an anesthetic.[1] He discovered thatprocainamide was effective in the treatment of severe heart arrhythmia.[6] He also pioneered a drug therapy for gout.[2]
Brodie determined that specific drugs affected theneurotransmittersserotonin andnorepinephrine, which opened up the possibility of using anti-psychotic drugs to affect brain functioning and treat mental and emotional disorders.[3][7] His work also helps to minimize toxic effects and increase drug effectiveness through appropriate selection of dosages. He proposed an approach to the treatment ofschizophrenia, studying the transmission of nerve impulses in the brain.[8]
The biography,Apprentice to Genius by Robert Kanigel, describes Brodie's scientific career and the impact he had on a group of scientists who have gone on to make prize-winning breakthroughs in biomedical science.[9]
Brodie was elected to theNational Academy of Sciences in 1966 and held memberships in theAmerican Chemical Society, theAmerican Heart Association, theInternational Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and others.[3]
In 1967, Brodie received theAlbert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research for more than 30 years of work resulting in "extraordinary contributions to biochemical pharmacology."[8] He has had a "profound influence" on pharmacology and the treatment ofcardiovascular disease,emotional and behavioral disordersmental disorders,emotional disorders andcancer.[8]
He has also received the Department of Health, Education and Welfare's Distinguished Service Award (1958),[10] theNational Medal of Science, presented by PresidentLyndon B. Johnson (1968),[11] and the Golden Plate Award from theAmerican Academy of Achievement (1970).[12]
He was the author or co-author of more than 350 scientific publications.[2][10]
The Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism and Disposition was first given in his honor in 1978 by theAmerican Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.[13]The neuroscience department of theUniversity of Cagliari was named in his honour by a former student,Gian Luigi Gessa.[14]
Brodie died in 1989 inCharlottesville, Virginia at the age of 81.[2][15]
Bernard Brodie was a brother of polio researcherMaurice Brodie.[16]
