Bacteriologist, born of Jewish family in Strzelin, SW Poland. After studying at Leipzig, he carried out research at Berlin, becoming a pioneer in haematology, immunology, and chemotherapy. In 1910 he discovered a cure for syphilis (Salvarsan), and propounded the side-chain theory in immunology. He shared the 1908 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine.
Paul Ehrlich (March 14, 1854 – August 20, 1915) was a German scientist who won the 1908 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Ehrlich predicted autoimmunity and called it "horror autotoxicus".
Biography
Paul Ehrlich was born into a Jewish family on 14 March 1854 in Strehlen (Silesia).
Ehrlich spent two years in Egypt, recovering from tuberculosis.
These works inspired his famous side-chain theory (Seitenkettentheorie) from 1897. In 1896 Ehrlich became the director of the newly founded Institute of Serum Research and Examination (Institut für Serumforschung und Serumprüfung) in Steglitz (Berlin). Here Ehrlich researched chemotherapy and infectious diseases. In 1904 Ehrlich became honorary professor of the University of Göttingen.
Paul Ehrlich received the Nobel Prize for Medicine together with Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov in 1908.
He died of a stroke in 1915 aged 61.
Magic Bullet
His life is depicted in the movie The Magic Bullet, which focused on Salvarsan® (arsphenamine, "compound 606"), his cure for syphilis.
The "magic bullet" concept comes from the experience of 19th century German chemists with selectively staining tissues for histological examination, and in particular, selectively staining bacteria (Ehrlich was an exceptionally gifted histological chemist, and invented the precursor technique to Gram staining bacteria). Ehrlich figured that if a compound could be made that selectively targeted a disease causing organism, then a toxin for that organism could be delivered along with the agent of selectivity.
A problem with the use of the magic bullet concept as it emerged from its histological roots is that people confused the dye with the agent of tissue selectivity and antibiotic activity.
The concept of a "magic bullet" was fully realized with the invention of monoclonal antibodies.
References and further reading
Nobel Museum: Biography of Paul Ehrlich Paul Ehrlich, pharmaceutical achiever Paul Ehrlich's publications (ordered chronologically, as full-text PDF) Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Laureates (1901-1925)|
1901: Behring | 1902: Ross | 1903: Finsen | 1904: Pavlov | 1905: Koch | 1906: Golgi, Ramón y Cajal | 1907: Laveran | 1908: Mechnikov, Ehrlich | 1909: Kocher | 1910: Kossel | 1911: Gullstrand | 1912: Carrel | 1913: Bárány | 1919: Bordet | 1920: Krogh | 1922: Hill, Meyerhof | 1923: Banting, Macleod | 1924: Einthoven |
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