John Joseph Bittner
Encyclopedia
John Joseph Bittner was a geneticist
and cancer
biologist, who made many contributions on the genetics of breast cancer
research, which were of value, not only in cancer research, but also in a variety of other biological investigations.
, on February 25, 1904, the son of the late Martin and Minnie Bittner. As a young man he was so proficient in baseball, basketball, and track that he received offers of athletic scholarships at several schools. He chose to attend St. Stephen's College (now Bard College
) where he received a B.A.
degree in 1925, with honors in biology. He taught at Donaldson Preparatory School, Ilchester, Maryland
, for one year before beginning graduate work at the University of Michigan
. While there he received his M.S.
degree in 1929, and his Ph.D.
in 1930. His Ph.D. thesis was entitled "A Genetic Study of the Transplantation of Tumors Arising in Hybrid Mice."
His work on the genetics of breast cancer
in mice, begun during his graduate years at Michigan, was continued at the newly formed Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory at Bar Harbor, Maine
. The founding director of the lab was Clarence Cook Little, who had previously been the President of the University of Michigan. Thus, aware of Bittner’s research, Little offered him a position as a Research Associate at the Jackson Laboratory. In 1940 Bittner became the lab’s Assistant Director, where he remained until December 1942. After a fire at the Jackson Laboratory in 1947, Bittner was one of the main contributors of replacement mice because he still had the purebred mouse strains needed to continue their research.
In January 1943 he became the George Chase Christian Professor of Cancer Research and Director of the Division of Cancer Biology at the University of Minnesota
. He held this appointment until his death, of a heart attack, on December 14, 1961. In addition, Bittner was a consultant for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York for almost a decade prior to his death.
Bittner used two families of mice: in Family A, almost all the mice, across many generations, developed breast cancer; in Family B, cancer seldom occurred. He then took a number of newborn mice from Family A, away from their cancerous mothers, and set them to nurse with immune mothers in Family B. Next, Bittner took babies from the immune Family B and set them to nurse with cancerous mothers from Family A. The result was that the young mice switched their cancer tendencies. Three out of four mice, which came from healthy Family B, developed cancer and died of it, while those originally from Family A remained healthy. Bittner noted that something in mouse milk appeared to pass the disease along. In other words, nursing mice transmit this agent, or "Bittner virus," in their milk, which ultimately leads to tumors in their offspring.
In addition, Bittner felt that genetic and hormonal influences, along with the milk agent, contributed to the origin of cancer. In 1966, it was proven that Bittner’s "milk factor" was a virus that remained dormant during the early life of the young mouse but produced cancer when hormonal conditions were right in middle age. The Bittner virus is now known as the Mouse mammary tumor virus
(MMTV), a retrovirus
. (see Timeline of Discovery 1936 under Oncovirus
).
In 1947-48, Bittner was president of the American Association for Cancer Research
and was a member of their Board of Directors from 1945 to 1951. He also served on the Editorial Advisory Board of Cancer Research from 1941-1957.
Throughout his career, Bittner served on numerous committees dealing with cancer research. During the summer of 1947, he was a member of the Medical Teaching Mission to Austria, sponsored by the Unitarian Service Committee, of the World Health Organization to "promote international exchange of medical and scientific knowledge."
Bittner authored, or co-authored, over 240 papers on cancer research, and contributed chapters to several books. He lectured widely in this country and abroad and attended many national and international meetings.
Geneticist
A geneticist is a biologist who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a researcher or lecturer. Some geneticists perform experiments and analyze data to interpret the inheritance of skills. A geneticist is also a Consultant or...
and cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
biologist, who made many contributions on the genetics of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
research, which were of value, not only in cancer research, but also in a variety of other biological investigations.
Biography
Bittner was born in Meadville, PennsylvaniaMeadville, Pennsylvania
Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is generally considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State and is within 40 miles of Erie, Pennsylvania. It was the first permanent settlement in northwest Pennsylvania...
, on February 25, 1904, the son of the late Martin and Minnie Bittner. As a young man he was so proficient in baseball, basketball, and track that he received offers of athletic scholarships at several schools. He chose to attend St. Stephen's College (now Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
) where he received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in 1925, with honors in biology. He taught at Donaldson Preparatory School, Ilchester, Maryland
Ilchester, Maryland
Ilchester is an unincorporated community in Howard County, Maryland. It was named after the village of Ilchester in England.-History:Located about southeast of Ellicott City, Ilchester was settled by the Ellicott family in the late 18th century...
, for one year before beginning graduate work at the University of Michigan
University 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...
. While there he received his M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in 1929, and his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in 1930. His Ph.D. thesis was entitled "A Genetic Study of the Transplantation of Tumors Arising in Hybrid Mice."
His work on the genetics of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in mice, begun during his graduate years at Michigan, was continued at the newly formed Roscoe B. Jackson Memorial Laboratory at Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...
. The founding director of the lab was Clarence Cook Little, who had previously been the President of the University of Michigan. Thus, aware of Bittner’s research, Little offered him a position as a Research Associate at the Jackson Laboratory. In 1940 Bittner became the lab’s Assistant Director, where he remained until December 1942. After a fire at the Jackson Laboratory in 1947, Bittner was one of the main contributors of replacement mice because he still had the purebred mouse strains needed to continue their research.
In January 1943 he became the George Chase Christian Professor of Cancer Research and Director of the Division of Cancer Biology at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. He held this appointment until his death, of a heart attack, on December 14, 1961. In addition, Bittner was a consultant for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York for almost a decade prior to his death.
Cancer research
By far, the greatest impact of Bittner’s contributions to cancer research was the discovery in 1936, while working at the Jackson Lab, that a cancerous agent, which he called a "milk factor", could be transmitted by cancerous mothers to young mice while nursing.Bittner used two families of mice: in Family A, almost all the mice, across many generations, developed breast cancer; in Family B, cancer seldom occurred. He then took a number of newborn mice from Family A, away from their cancerous mothers, and set them to nurse with immune mothers in Family B. Next, Bittner took babies from the immune Family B and set them to nurse with cancerous mothers from Family A. The result was that the young mice switched their cancer tendencies. Three out of four mice, which came from healthy Family B, developed cancer and died of it, while those originally from Family A remained healthy. Bittner noted that something in mouse milk appeared to pass the disease along. In other words, nursing mice transmit this agent, or "Bittner virus," in their milk, which ultimately leads to tumors in their offspring.
In addition, Bittner felt that genetic and hormonal influences, along with the milk agent, contributed to the origin of cancer. In 1966, it was proven that Bittner’s "milk factor" was a virus that remained dormant during the early life of the young mouse but produced cancer when hormonal conditions were right in middle age. The Bittner virus is now known as the Mouse mammary tumor virus
Mouse mammary tumor virus
Mouse mammary tumor virus is a milk transmitted retrovirus like the HTL viruses, HI viruses and BLV. It belongs to the genus betaretroviruses. MMTV was formerly known as Bittner virus, and previously the 'milk factor' referring to the extra-chromosomal vertical transmission of murine breast cancer...
(MMTV), a retrovirus
Retrovirus
A retrovirus is an RNA virus that is duplicated in a host cell using the reverse transcriptase enzyme to produce DNA from its RNA genome. The DNA is then incorporated into the host's genome by an integrase enzyme. The virus thereafter replicates as part of the host cell's DNA...
. (see Timeline of Discovery 1936 under Oncovirus
Oncovirus
An oncovirus is a virus that can cause cancer. This term originated from studies of acutely-transforming retroviruses in the 1950–60s, often called oncornaviruses to denote their RNA virus origin. It now refers to any virus with a DNA or RNA genome causing cancer and is synonymous with "tumor...
).
In 1947-48, Bittner was president of the American Association for Cancer Research
American Association for Cancer Research
The American Association for Cancer Research is the world's oldest and largest professional association to advancing cancer research. Based in Philadelphia, AACR focuses on all aspects of cancer research including basic, clinical and translational research into the etiology, prevention, diagnosis,...
and was a member of their Board of Directors from 1945 to 1951. He also served on the Editorial Advisory Board of Cancer Research from 1941-1957.
Throughout his career, Bittner served on numerous committees dealing with cancer research. During the summer of 1947, he was a member of the Medical Teaching Mission to Austria, sponsored by the Unitarian Service Committee, of the World Health Organization to "promote international exchange of medical and scientific knowledge."
Bittner authored, or co-authored, over 240 papers on cancer research, and contributed chapters to several books. He lectured widely in this country and abroad and attended many national and international meetings.
Honors
Bittner received many awards, citations, and medals during his career. The most notable include the following:- 1941 The Alvarenga Award - American College of Physicians in Philadelphia
- 1950 Medal of the American Cancer Study
- 1950 Honorary Doctor of Science Degree - Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York
- 1951 1st Comfort Crookshank Award - Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London
- 1957 Bertner Foundation Award - M.D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, University of Texas Medical School, Houston
- 1957 Doctor of Medicine and Surgery honoris causae - University of Perugia, Italy