Gertrude Belle Elion

Cecelia M Brown, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

(1918 1999) American chemist who developed a novel approach to the treatment of diseases in which antimetabolites are used as drugs.

Introductory article

Elion, born and educated in New York City, graduated summa cum laude in 1937 from Hunter College. The death of a beloved grandfather from cancer stimulated Elion to become a medical scientist. She obtained an MS in chemistry from New York University in 1941 but did not acquire a laboratory position until World War II forced the hiring of women. First employed in a food laboratory and then at Johnson & Johnson, Elion found her niche in George Hitchings laboratory at Burroughs Wellcome in 1944. She spent the next 40 years synthesizing purine analogues for the treatment of an array of diseases. In 1950 Elion experienced her rst success, the discovery of 6-mercaptopurine, an inhibitor of leukaemia cell multiplication. Many more benecial compounds followed including: azathioprine (Imuran), which enables successful kidney transplantation; allopurinol, used in the treatment of cancer and gout; and acyclovir, an eective agent against herpes. In total, Elion is credited with 45 patents. Elion retired in 1983 but her legacy continued at Burroughs Wellcome with the synthesis of azidothymidine (AZT), a critical drug in the treatment of AIDS. During her retirement Elion remained active, serving as a research professor at Duke University and as an adviser to the World Health Organization and to the National Cancer Advisory Board.

In 1988 elion shared the Noble Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Hitchings and Sir James Black from the University of London. Elion also received many other accolades including 25 honorary doctorates, the National Medal of Science, and election into the National Academy of Sciences. Additionally, in 1991 she became the rst woman inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. To Elion, however, the greatest distinction was the knowledge that her work helped improve the health and well-being of many people.

Further Reading
Altman LK (1999) Gertrude Elion, drug developer, dies at 81. The New York Times February 23, p. A21. Ambrose SA, Dunkle KL, Lazarus BB, Nair I and Harkus DA (eds) (1997) Journeys of Women in Science and Engineering: No Universal Constants. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Elion GB (1993) The quest for a cure. Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology 33: 123. Shearer BF and Shearer BS (eds) (1997) Notable Women in the Physical Sciences: A Biographical Dictionary. Westport, Ct: Greenwood Press. Simmons J (1996) The Scientic 100: A Ranking of the Most Inuential Scientists, Past and Present. Secaucus, NJ: Carol Publishing Group.

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LIFE SCIENCES / & 2001 Nature Publishing Group / www.els.net