Akira Endo (biochemist)
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Akira Endo (biochemist)
is a Japanese biochemist whose research into the relationship between fungi and cholesterol biosynthesis led to the development of statin drugs, which are some of the best-selling pharmaceuticals in history. He received the Japan Prize in 2006,The Science and Technology Foundation of JapanJapan Prize official release, accessed 21 June 2006 the Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award in 2008, the Canada Gairdner International Award in 2017. Early life and education Endo was born on a farm in Northern Japan and had an interest in fungi already at a young age, being an admirer of Alexander Fleming. He obtained a BA at Tohoku University (Faculty of Agriculture) in Sendai in 1957 and a PhD in biochemistry at the same university in 1966. Career From 1957 to 1978 he worked as a research fellow at chemical company Sankyo Co.; initially he worked on fungal enzymes for processing fruit juice. Successful discoveries in this field gained him the credit to move to New York Ci ...
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Higashiyuri, Akita
was a town located in Yuri District, Akita Prefecture, Japan. In 2003, the town had an estimated population of 4,536 and a density of 30.21 persons per km². The total area was 150.17 km². On March 22, 2005, Higashiyuri, along with the city of Honjō; and the towns of Chōkai, Iwaki, Nishime, Ōuchi, Yashima and Yuri (all from Yuri District), merged to create the city of Yurihonjō is a city located in Akita Prefecture, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 76,077 in 30,639 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Geography Yurihonjō is located in southwest corner of Akita Pr .... External links Yurihonjō official website Dissolved municipalities of Akita Prefecture Yurihonjō {{Akita-geo-stub ...
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Bachelor Of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years, depending on the country and institution. * Degree attainment typically takes four years in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Brunei, China, Egypt, Ghana, Greece, Georgia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States and Zambia. * Degree attainment typically takes three years in Albania, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Caribbean, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Switzerland, the Canadian province of ...
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consistently ranked first for research among medical schools by '' U.S. News & World Report''. Unlike most other leading medical schools, HMS does not operate in conjunction with a single hospital but is directly affiliated with several teaching hospitals in the Boston area. Affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes include Dana–Farber Cancer Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Children's Hospital, McLean Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, The Baker Center for Children and Families, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. History Harvard Medical School was founded on September 19, 1782, after President Joseph Willard presented a report with ...
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Warren Alpert Foundation Prize
The Warren Alpert Foundation Prize is awarded annually to scientist(s) whose scientific achievements have led to the prevention, cure or treatment of human diseases or disorders, and/or whose research constitutes a seminal scientific finding that holds great promise of ultimately changing our understanding of or ability to treat disease. The prize was established in 1987 by the late philanthropist and businessman Warren Alpert and the Warren Alpert Foundation. The Warren Alpert Prize is given internationally and since its inception, 10 winners have gone on to win Nobel Prizes. The prize is administered in concert with Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts and the Warren Alpert Foundation, located in Providence, Rhode Island. An annual symposium is held at Harvard Medical School each fall where the recipient(s) present their work. The prize currently includes $500,000, a citation and plaque. Warren Alpert Foundation Prize Recipients See also * List of biomedical science ...
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Pravastatin
Pravastatin, sold under the brand name Pravachol among others, is a statin medication, used for preventing cardiovascular disease in those at high risk and treating abnormal lipids. It should be used together with diet changes, exercise, and weight loss. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects include joint pain, diarrhea, nausea, headaches, and muscle pains. Serious side effects may include rhabdomyolysis, liver problems, and diabetes. Use during pregnancy may harm the baby. Like all statins, pravastatin works by inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme found in liver that plays a role in producing cholesterol. Pravastatin was patented in 1980 and approved for medical use in 1989. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. In 2020, it was the 34th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 17million prescriptions. Medical uses Pravastatin is primarily used for the treatment o ...
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Lovastatin
Lovastatin, sold under the brand name Mevacor among others, is a statin medication, to treat hypercholesterolemia, high blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Its use is recommended together with lifestyle changes. It is taken by mouth. Common side effects include diarrhea, constipation, headache, muscles pains, rash, and trouble sleeping. Serious side effects may include liver problems, rhabdomyolysis, muscle breakdown, and kidney failure. Use during pregnancy may harm the baby and use during breastfeeding is not recommended. It works by decreasing the liver's ability to produce cholesterol by blocking the enzyme HMG-CoA reductase. Lovastatin was patented in 1979 and approved for medical use in 1987. It is on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines, World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. It is available as a generic medication. In 2020, it was the 99th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 7mill ...
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Mevastatin
Mevastatin (compactin, ML-236B) is a hypolipidemic agent that belongs to the statins class. It was isolated from the mold ''Penicillium citrinum'' by Akira Endo in the 1970s, and he identified it as a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, i.e., a statin. Mevastatin might be considered the first statin drug; clinical trials on mevastatin were performed in the late 1970s in Japan, but it was never marketed. The first statin drug available to the general public was lovastatin. Mevastatin has since been derivatized to the compound pravastatin, which is a pharmaceutical used in the lowering of cholesterol and preventing cardiovascular disease. ''In vitro'', it has antiproliferative properties. A British group isolated the same compound from ''Penicillium brevicompactum'', named it ''compactin'', and published their results in 1976. The British group mentions antifungal properties with no mention of HMG-CoA reductase inhibition. High doses inhibit growth and proliferation of melanoma cells ...
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Penicillium Citrinum
''Penicillium citrinum'' is an anamorph, mesophilic fungus species of the genus of ''Penicillium'' which produces tanzawaic acid A-D, ACC, Mevastatin, Quinocitrinine A, Quinocitrinine B, and nephrotoxic citrinin. ''Penicillium citrinum'' is often found on moldy citrus fruits and occasionally it occurs in tropical spices and cereals. This Penicillium species also causes mortality for the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus. Because of its mesophilic character, ''Penicillium citrinum'' occurs worldwide. The first statin (''Mevastatin'') was 1970 isolated from this species. Further reading * * * * * * * * * Fatal Penicillium citrinum Pneumonia with Pericarditis in a Patient with Acute Leukemia* * * See also *List of Penicillium species This is a list of ''Penicillium'' species. The genus has over 300 species. Species A * '' Penicillium abidjanum'' * '' Penicillium adametzii'' * '' Penicillium adametzioides'' * '' Penicillium aeris'' * '' Penicillium aethiopic ...
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Citrinin
Citrinin is a mycotoxin which is often found in food. It is a secondary metabolite produced by fungi that contaminates long-stored food and it causes different toxic effects, like nephrotoxic, hepatotoxic and cytotoxic effects. Citrinin is mainly found in stored grains, but sometimes also in fruits and other plant products. History Citrinin was one of the many mycotoxins discovered by H. Raistrick and A.C. Hetherington in the 1930s. In 1941 H. Raistrick and G. Smith identified citrinin to have a broad antibacterial activity. After this discovery the interest in citrinin rose. However, in 1946 A.M. Ambrose and F. DeEds demonstrated that citrinin was toxic to mammals. As a result, the interest in citrinin decreased, but there still was a lot of research. In 1948 the chemical structure was found by W.B. Whalley and coworkers. Citrinin is a natural compound and it was first isolated from ''Penicillium citrinum'', but is also produced by other ''Penicillium'' species, such as the ''Mo ...
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Ergosterol
Ergosterol (ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol) is a sterol found in cell membranes of fungi and protozoa, serving many of the same functions that cholesterol serves in animal cells. Because many fungi and protozoa cannot survive without ergosterol, the enzymes that synthesize it have become important targets for drug discovery. In human nutrition, ergosterol is a provitamin form of vitamin D2; exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light causes a chemical reaction that produces vitamin D2. Role in fungi Ergosterol (ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol) is a sterol found in fungi, and named for ergot, the common name of members of the fungal genus '' Claviceps'' from which ergosterol was first isolated. Ergosterol is a component of yeast and other fungal cell membranes, serving many of the same functions that cholesterol serves in animal cells. Its specificity in higher fungi is thought to be related to the climatic instabilities (highly varying humidity and moisture conditions) encountered by these orga ...
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Albert Einstein College Of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine is a research-intensive medical school located in the Morris Park neighborhood of the Bronx in New York City. Founded in 1953, Einstein operates as an independent degree-granting institution as part of the integrated health care system, Montefiore Health System (Montefiore Medicine), which includes affiliates such as Jacobi Medical Center. Admission to Einstein is highly competitive, with one of the lowest acceptance rates among medical schools in the United States (3.3% in 2021). Einstein ranks 13th among top U.S. medical schools for graduate success in academic medicine and biomedical research (i.e., awards, publications, grants, and clinical trials), and its NIH funding per investigator consistently ranks among the highest in the nation (7th among US universities in 2019). Einstein offers a M.D. program, a Ph.D. program in the biomedical sciences and clinical investigation, and two Master of Science (M.S.) degrees. In 2021, the MD pro ...
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