George Cotzias
Encyclopedia
George C. Cotzias was a Greek-American scientist who together with his coworkers developed L-Dopa treatment, currently the most commonly used treatment for Parkinson's disease
.
"George Cotzias was one of the great figures in American medical science." -- Lewis Thomas
, Author, Lives of a Cell.
In the 1950s, Arvid Carlsson demonstrated that dopamine
was a neurotransmitter
in the brain
and not just a precursor for norepinephrine
, as had been previously believed. He developed a method for measuring the amount of dopamine in brain tissues and found that dopamine
levels in the basal ganglia
, a brain area important for movement, were particularly high. He then showed that giving animals the drug reserpine
caused a decrease in dopamine levels and a loss of movement control. These effects were similar to the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Arvid Carlsson subsequently won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
in 2000 along with co-recipients Eric Kandel and Paul Greengard
.
Subsequently, other physicians treated human Parkinson's patients with l-Dopa ( the metabolic precursor for dopamine) and found it to alleviate some of the symptoms in the early stages of Parkinson's. Unlike dopamine, L-Dopa passes the blood brain barrier. This produced transient benefit after injection of L-dopa. However, because of the severe toxicity associated with the injection, L-Dopa was not of practical value as a treatment. At this point, George C. Cotzias (1918–1977) made the critical observation that converted the transient response into a successful, large scale treatment. By starting with very small doses of DOPA, given orally every two hours under continued observation, and gradually increasing the dose he was able to stabilize patients on large enough doses to cause a dramatic remission of their symptoms The first study reporting improvements in patients with Parkinson's disease resulting from treatment with L-dopa was published in 1968. The result was soon confirmed by other investigators and has now become the standard treatment for Parkinsonian symptoms.
Dr Cotzias is the winner of the 1969 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research
.
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
.
"George Cotzias was one of the great figures in American medical science." -- Lewis Thomas
Lewis Thomas
Lewis Thomas was a physician, poet, etymologist, essayist, administrator, educator, policy advisor, and researcher.Thomas was born in Flushing, New York and attended Princeton University and Harvard Medical School...
, Author, Lives of a Cell.
In the 1950s, Arvid Carlsson demonstrated that dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
was a neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitter
Neurotransmitters are endogenous chemicals that transmit signals from a neuron to a target cell across a synapse. Neurotransmitters are packaged into synaptic vesicles clustered beneath the membrane on the presynaptic side of a synapse, and are released into the synaptic cleft, where they bind to...
in the brain
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
and not just a precursor for norepinephrine
Norepinephrine
Norepinephrine is the US name for noradrenaline , a catecholamine with multiple roles including as a hormone and a neurotransmitter...
, as had been previously believed. He developed a method for measuring the amount of dopamine in brain tissues and found that dopamine
Dopamine
Dopamine is a catecholamine neurotransmitter present in a wide variety of animals, including both vertebrates and invertebrates. In the brain, this substituted phenethylamine functions as a neurotransmitter, activating the five known types of dopamine receptors—D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5—and their...
levels in the basal ganglia
Basal ganglia
The basal ganglia are a group of nuclei of varied origin in the brains of vertebrates that act as a cohesive functional unit. They are situated at the base of the forebrain and are strongly connected with the cerebral cortex, thalamus and other brain areas...
, a brain area important for movement, were particularly high. He then showed that giving animals the drug reserpine
Reserpine
Reserpine is an indole alkaloid antipsychotic and antihypertensive drug that has been used for the control of high blood pressure and for the relief of psychotic symptoms, although because of the development of better drugs for these purposes and because of its numerous side-effects, it is rarely...
caused a decrease in dopamine levels and a loss of movement control. These effects were similar to the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Arvid Carlsson subsequently won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine administered by the Nobel Foundation, is awarded once a year for outstanding discoveries in the field of life science and medicine. It is one of five Nobel Prizes established in 1895 by Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in his will...
in 2000 along with co-recipients Eric Kandel and Paul Greengard
Paul Greengard
Paul Greengard is an American neuroscientist best known for his work on the molecular and cellular function of neurons. In 2000, Greengard, Arvid Carlsson and Eric Kandel were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their discoveries concerning signal transduction in the nervous...
.
Subsequently, other physicians treated human Parkinson's patients with l-Dopa ( the metabolic precursor for dopamine) and found it to alleviate some of the symptoms in the early stages of Parkinson's. Unlike dopamine, L-Dopa passes the blood brain barrier. This produced transient benefit after injection of L-dopa. However, because of the severe toxicity associated with the injection, L-Dopa was not of practical value as a treatment. At this point, George C. Cotzias (1918–1977) made the critical observation that converted the transient response into a successful, large scale treatment. By starting with very small doses of DOPA, given orally every two hours under continued observation, and gradually increasing the dose he was able to stabilize patients on large enough doses to cause a dramatic remission of their symptoms The first study reporting improvements in patients with Parkinson's disease resulting from treatment with L-dopa was published in 1968. The result was soon confirmed by other investigators and has now become the standard treatment for Parkinsonian symptoms.
Dr Cotzias is the winner of the 1969 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research
Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research
Lasker~DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award is awarded by the Lasker Foundation for the understanding, diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and cure of disease. The award was renamed in 2008 in honor of Michael E. DeBakey...
.