Giulio Cantoni
Encyclopedia
Giulio Leonardo Cantoni was the director of the United States
' National Institutes of Health
's Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology
, later renamed the Laboratory of General and Comparative Biochemistry
.
and got a medical degree from the University of Milan
in 1938. Shortly after the fascists
abolished the parliament, and introduced anti-Semitic
laws. Cantoni, who was Jewish fled with his family first to England
. While Cantoni was on board a ship heading for America
, World War II
broke out, and as an Italian citizen he was interned in England and later in Canada
. Eventually he was released and allowed to go to the United States
in July 1941.
's medical school, where he worked until he became an assistant professor of pharmacology
at Long Island College of Medicine in 1945. In 1948 he moved to the American Cancer Society
, and after two years he moved again to Western Reserve University. In 1954 He started the National Institutes of Health's Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology at the National Institute of Mental Health, where he remained as the director until his retirement in 1994. In 1983 he joined the United States Academy of Sciences.
using S-adenosylmethionine.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
' National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
's Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
, later renamed the Laboratory of General and Comparative Biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
.
Early life
Cantoni grew up in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and got a medical degree from the University of Milan
University of Milan
The University of Milan is a higher education institution in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe, with about 62,801 students, a teaching and research staff of 2,455 and a non-teaching staff of 2,200....
in 1938. Shortly after the fascists
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
abolished the parliament, and introduced anti-Semitic
Anti-Semitism
Antisemitism is suspicion of, hatred toward, or discrimination against Jews for reasons connected to their Jewish heritage. According to a 2005 U.S...
laws. Cantoni, who was Jewish fled with his family first to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. While Cantoni was on board a ship heading for America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
broke out, and as an Italian citizen he was interned in England and later in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Eventually he was released and allowed to go to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in July 1941.
Scientific career
Cantoni got a job at University of MichiganUniversity of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
's medical school, where he worked until he became an assistant professor of pharmacology
Pharmacology
Pharmacology is the branch of medicine and biology concerned with the study of drug action. More specifically, it is the study of the interactions that occur between a living organism and chemicals that affect normal or abnormal biochemical function...
at Long Island College of Medicine in 1945. In 1948 he moved to the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
, and after two years he moved again to Western Reserve University. In 1954 He started the National Institutes of Health's Laboratory of Cellular Pharmacology at the National Institute of Mental Health, where he remained as the director until his retirement in 1994. In 1983 he joined the United States Academy of Sciences.
Research
Cantoni discovered the biological mechanism of methylationMethylation
In the chemical sciences, methylation denotes the addition of a methyl group to a substrate or the substitution of an atom or group by a methyl group. Methylation is a form of alkylation with, to be specific, a methyl group, rather than a larger carbon chain, replacing a hydrogen atom...
using S-adenosylmethionine.