Philip Showalter Hench

Philip Showalter Hench. He was an American physician and scientist whose groundbreaking work in rheumatology led to the first effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. For this discovery, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1950, which he shared with his colleagues Edward Kendall and Tadeus Reichstein. His research on adrenal cortex hormones revolutionized the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, marking a pivotal moment in 20th-century medicine.

Early life and education

Born in Pittsburgh, he was the son of Jacob Bixler Hench, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh. He received his early education in Pittsburgh before attending Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where he earned an A.B. degree in 1916. He then entered the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, graduating with an M.D. in 1920. Following his graduation, he completed an internship at Saint Francis Hospital in Pittsburgh and subsequently pursued further training as a fellow at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, beginning a lifelong association with that institution.

Medical career and research

He joined the staff of the Mayo Clinic in 1923, eventually becoming head of its Department of Rheumatology. His early clinical observations noted that the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis sometimes improved dramatically in patients who developed jaundice or became pregnant. This led him to hypothesize that the body produced an endogenous "anti-rheumatic substance" during these conditions. To investigate this, he collaborated closely with biochemist Edward Calvin Kendall of the Mayo Foundation, who was isolating compounds from the adrenal gland. Their partnership, supported by the resources of the Mayo Clinic and funding from the National Research Council, focused on identifying the mysterious compound.

Discovery of cortisone

The pivotal breakthrough came from the work of Edward Calvin Kendall, who had isolated several crystalline compounds from the adrenal cortex, labeled Compounds A through E. In 1948, with support from the Merck pharmaceutical company and building upon the earlier chemical research of Tadeus Reichstein in Switzerland, Kendall produced a small amount of Compound E, later named cortisone. In September 1948, at the Mayo Clinic, they administered it to a patient with severe rheumatoid arthritis. The results were astonishing, with the patient showing remarkable improvement in mobility and reduction in inflammation within days. This clinical trial, presented at a meeting of the American Rheumatism Association, demonstrated the potent anti-inflammatory effects of cortisone.

Nobel Prize and later years

In 1950, he, along with Edward Calvin Kendall and Tadeus Reichstein, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries relating to the hormones of the adrenal cortex, their structure and biological effects. Following this honor, he continued his work at the Mayo Clinic and served as a consultant to the United States Army during the Korean War. He retired from the Mayo Clinic in 1957 but remained active in medical societies, including the American College of Physicians. He passed away in 1965 while on vacation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Legacy and honors

His work established the field of clinical rheumatology and introduced the era of corticosteroid therapy, which has since been used to treat a vast array of conditions, including asthma, lupus, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Beyond the Nobel Prize, his honors included the Lasker Award and the Heberden Medal of the British Society for Rheumatology. The Mayo Clinic named a professorship and a research award in his honor. His pioneering collaboration between clinician and biochemist remains a model in translational medicine, profoundly impacting global healthcare.

Category:American Nobel laureates Category:American physicians Category:1896 births Category:1965 deaths