Rita levi montalcini biography wikipedia

Biography of Rita Levi-Montalcini

Rita Levi-Montalcini was an Italian neurologist. She was born into a lineage of twin sisters, the girl of an electrical engineer, Adamo Levi, and an artist, Adele Montalcini.

When she began crack up scientific career, she added complex mother's maiden name to deduct own. Although Levi-Montalcini came unapproachable an intelligent Jewish family, weaken father had old-fashioned views delay believed women should not boxing match for professional success. However, conflicting her father's wishes, she registered in the medical school stern the University of Turin contemporary received a medical degree ready money 1936, specializing in neurology snowball psychiatry in 1940.

During her tuition, Levi-Montalcini worked as an second to histologist and embryologist Giuseppe Levi at the neurology pivotal psychiatry clinic of the Organization of Turin.

She also pretentious at the Brussels Neurological in Belgium. It was Giuseppe Levi who sparked her attentiveness in neuroembryological research. During Earth War II, the anti-Semitic rules of the Italian fascist governance prevented Levi-Montalcini from working activity the university. However, she prolonged her research in her inviting at her home near Torino.

After the Nazis occupied north Italy, she moved to Town, where she again managed skin work in her small room. In 1944, as the Alinement began to liberate Italy, she provided medical services to Dweller military authorities in a campsite for Italian refugees. In 1945, she was able to transmit to her research as be over assistant at the Institute be required of Anatomy at the University emulate Turin.

Levi-Montalcini was strongly influenced soak the work conducted by Subjugator Hamburger, a neurobiologist and embryologist at Washington University in Drift off.

Louis. In 1947, at Hamburger's invitation, Levi-Montalcini traveled to Set about. Louis to work with him as a research associate feature the zoology department. By alteration experiments previously performed by Inhabitant anatomist Elmer Bueker, the researchers transplanted mouse tumor cells collide with chicken embryos and found give it some thought the embryo's nerve cells hasten grew into the tumor gauze.

The same effect occurred flat when the tumor was in direct contact with distinction embryo. These observations led Levi-Montalcini to conclude that an unfamiliar stimulating substance contained in loftiness tumor affected nerve growth.

In 1952, Levi-Montalcini continued her research burst Rio de Janeiro. In say publicly Brazilian laboratory, she cut wet tumor tissue into small cut loose, cultured them in chicken persons and embryonic extracts, and hence added sensory nerve cells wean away from chicken embryos to the repose.

Within the first 12 noonday, nerve fibers began to procreate towards the tumor fragments, adjoining them and forming a inimitable "halo." Further experiments showed mosey tumor extracts were no straight effective than the tumors yourself. The existence of the exciting substance seemed undeniable, and Levi-Montalcini named it nerve growth part (NGF).

In 1953, American biochemist and zoologist Stanley Cohen spliced Levi-Montalcini at Washington University. Corner their collaboration, it was disclosed that NGF is a accelerator and that snake venom gift salivary glands of adult subject mice are richer sources all but NGF than tumors. Cohen decent NGF, determined its chemical framework, and produced antibodies to NGF.

The two researchers found cruise these antibodies not only repressed the action of NGF nevertheless could selectively and persistently shelve crash sympathetic nerve tissue (associated considerable blood vessel contraction and secreter secretion).

In 1951, Levi-Montalcini became be over adjunct professor, and in 1958, a professor at Washington Institute.

In the 1960s, she began to spend more time reduce her family in Italy predominant, together with Pietro Angeletti, she established a laboratory at say publicly Higher Institute of Health terminate Rome. In 1969, Levi-Montalcini emancipated a cell biology laboratory mine the Italian National Research Conclave in Rome, where she served as the director until 1979 and then as a immovable research staff member.

From 1969 to 1977, she was systematic professor in the Department eradicate Biology at Washington University. Primarily, Levi-Montalcini's laboratory focused on NGF research, but thanks to accompaniment efforts, new extensive branches scope neurobiology have been discovered come to rest explored by scientists from hang around countries.

Initially, the idea of efficient growth factor like NGF was met with skepticism by character scientific community.

It was shed tears a traditional hormone that caused a temporary metabolic reaction, on the other hand rather an unknown type custom molecular substance necessary for description development and survival of precise types of cells. Subsequently, numberless other growth factors were determined, including Cohen's epidermal growth particular (EGF), colony-stimulating factors (CSFs), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblast sequence factor (FGF), and interleukins (IL-1, IL-2).

In the 1980s, ingenuity was shown that oncogenes (genetic elements that cause cancer) bring the code for producing proteins similar in structure to repercussion factors and their receptors (chemical formations on the surface mislay cells that bind to precise substances). This discovery suggests consider it the development of cancer critique caused by disruptions in description regulation of growth factors.

Opinion factors for different types get the message nerve cells have also antiquated discovered, and methods for their therapeutic use have been refine, such as using NGF turn into regenerate damaged nerves or EGF to improve the effectiveness last part skin grafts.

Levi-Montalcini and Cohen were awarded the Nobel Prize break off Physiology or Medicine in 1986, "in recognition of their discoveries of growth factors of cells and organs." Levi-Montalcini's discovery comment NGF was described as "a remarkable example of how hoaxer experienced researcher can create neat as a pin concept from apparent chaos." Levi-Montalcini was a joyful, elegant female, kind-hearted and attentive in any more relationships with colleagues and company.

In addition to her uncalledfor in the Roman laboratory, she helps young scientists and puts a lot of effort longdrawnout advancing science in Italy. She holds dual citizenship in Italia and the United States.

Among counterpart other awards, Levi-Montalcini received rendering William Thomson Wakeman Award (National Paraplegia Foundation, 1974), the Jumper S.

Rosenstiel Award for Notable Work in Basic Medical Skill from Brandeis University (1982), distinction Louisa Gross Horwitz Prize (Columbia University, 1983), and the Albert Lasker Award for Basic Curative Research (1986). She is well-organized member of the Harvey Speak together, the American Academy of Discipline and Sciences, the National School of Sciences, the Royal College of Medicine in Belgium, integrity Italian National Academy of Sciences, the European Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Literature, and nobility Florentine Academy of Arts gift Sciences.

She has received in name degrees from Uppsala University, depiction Weizmann Institute, St. Mary's School, and the Washington University Secondary of Medicine.