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Dr. Moses Judah Folkman (February 24, 1933 – 14 January 2008) was an American medical scientist best known for his research on angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, that is to say, he discovered that tumours generate tiny blood vessels to nourish themselves. Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1129 - Formal approval of the Order of the Templar at the Council of Troyes. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the A scientist, in the broadest sense refers to any person that engages in a systematic activity to acquire Knowledge or an individual that engages in such practices Angiogenesis is a physiological process involving the growth of new Blood vessels from pre-existing vessels Vasculogenesis is the process of Blood vessel formation occurring by a De novo production of endothelial cells. His work founded a branch of cancer research called 'anti-angiogenesis therapy'. Angiogenesis is a physiological process involving the growth of new Blood vessels from pre-existing vessels

Contents

Early life

Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Cleveland is a City in the US state of Ohio and the County seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state Folkman graduated Ohio State University in 1953, and then Harvard Medical School[1] in 1957. The Ohio State University ( OSU) is a Coeducational public Research university in the state of Ohio. Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Harvard Medical School ( HMS) is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University and currently the #1 medical school in America as ranked by U Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) While still a student at Harvard Medical School, he developed one of the first pacemakers[2]. After his graduation, he did his surgical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he rose to the rank of chief resident in surgery. Massachusetts General Hospital ( Mass General or MGH) is a Teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and a Biomedical research During this time, Folkman worked on liver cancer and atrio-pacemakers.

Between 1960 and 1962, Folkman served in the United States Navy, as a Lieutenant, where he studied blood vessel growth. He worked at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. The National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda Maryland, United States, also known as the Bethesda Naval Hospital, is considered the flagship of the During his service in the U. S. Navy, Folkman created an implantable device for timed drug-release, and donated it patent-free to the World Population Council. It is now known as Norplant. Norplant is a form of Birth control developed by the Population Council that was first approved in 1983 in Finland, where it was manufactured [3]

Work on angiogenesis

In 1971, he published an article in the New England Journal of Medicine, stating that all cancer tumors were angiogenesis-dependent. The New England Journal of Medicine ( N Engl J Med or NEJM) is an English-language Peer-reviewed Medical journal published Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled See also Cancer A tumor or tumour is the name for a swelling or lesion formed by an abnormal growth of cells (termed neoplastic He postulated that if a tumour could be stopped from growing its own blood supply, it would wither and die. Though his hypothesis was disregarded by most experts in the field at first, Folkman continued his research.

After more than a decade, his theory became widely accepted. He was considered the leading expert and founder of the angiogenesis field, which now offers many potentials in medicine, including reversing blindness caused by macular degeneration[4]. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Macular degeneration is a medical condition usually of older adults which results in a loss of vision in the center of the visual field (the Macula) because He trained numerous leaders in medicine and biomedical engineering, including Donald Ingber and Robert Langer. This article is about the professor at MIT for the Australian cricketer see Rob Langer

Dr. Folkman pioneered the use of interferon in cancer therapy, healing hemangiomas, growths that often threaten the life of infants. Interferons ( IFN s are natural Proteins produced by the cells of the Immune system of most Vertebrates in response to challenges by foreign agents His research has led to the development of progressively more potent compounds, such as angiostatin, endostatin and vasculostatin, which have successfully halted the growth of tumors in laboratory mice[5].

In 2000, a pharmaceutical company has sued Dr. Folkman, contending that he and Children's Hospital in Boston stole the credit for developing a promising drug that cuts off the blood supply to tumors[6][7], and he countersued to defend his reputation[8].

Death

Dr. Folkman died in Denver[9] of a heart attack[10]. At the time of his death, Dr. Folkman was Professor of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School and was also director of the Vascular Biology Program at Children's Hospital Boston[11]. Harvard Medical School ( HMS) is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University and currently the #1 medical school in America as ranked by U Children's Hospital Boston is a Children's hospital located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area of Boston, Massachusetts.

He is survived by this wife, Paula, and two daughters. [12]

Awards

His work at Massachusetts General Hospital, earned him the Boylston Medical Prize, Soma Weiss Award and the Borden Undergraduate Award in Medicine. Massachusetts General Hospital ( Mass General or MGH) is a Teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and a Biomedical research

2006 Jacobson Innovation Award from the American College of Surgeons in honor of living surgeons who have been innovators of a new development or technique in any field of surgery. The American College of Surgeons is an educational association of Surgeons created in 1913 [1] In 2005, Dr. Folkman was invited to be the main speaker at the "Presidential Science Symposium" at the "ASCO Annual Meeting 2005". The "ASCO Annual Meetings" are the most influential clinical oncology meetings worldwide. In 2003, "The Angiogenesis Foundation" awarded Dr. Folkman a "Distinguished Achievement Award".

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.hno.harvard.edu/multimedia/folkman.html Harvard Medical School
  2. ^ http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/fol0bio-1 Judah Folkman Biography, Foundations for Cancer Therapy
  3. ^ http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/fol0bio-1 Judah Folkman Biography, Foundations for Cancer Therapy
  4. ^ http://www.childrenshospital.org/research/Site2029/mainpageS2029P53sublevel41.html
  5. ^ http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_23/b3936016.htm| title=Inside Judah Folkman's Lab
  6. ^ http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9500E0D6153CF932A35755C0A9669C8B63 Drugmaker Sues a Cancer Researcher
  7. ^ http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/073003100750036726 Biotechnology Law Report Patent Litigation
  8. ^ http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1083754 Judah Folkman counter-sued Abbott in the legal battle over kringle 5
  9. ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/us/16folkman.html Judah Folkman, Researcher, Died at 74 on January 15,2008
  10. ^ http://www.newsweek.com/id/94735
  11. ^ http://www.childrenshospital.org/cfapps/research/data_admin/Site336/mainpageS336P0.html Folkman Laboratory
  12. ^ http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2008/01/16/judah_folkman_cancers_innovative_enemy_dies_at_74/
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