Obituary Obituaries

Helen graduated in 1944 and labelled glycine (chemically synthe- stayed on at Oxford to do research sized by Helen), which was injected and a doctorate in the Department of into rabbits; this strategy led to Helen Chemistry. Her first work was on the investigating the labelling of collagen

synthesis of antimalarial compounds from glycine, which helped establish Downloaded from http://portlandpress.com/biochemist/article-pdf/28/3/62/6153/bio028030062.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 under the supervision of Dr F.E. the concept of metabolic pools and King and then with Professor Robert precursors of what were then, these Robinson on the chemical synthesis intractable components of connective of penicillin — it was during World tissues. She also formed friendships War II, and the supply of penicillin to here with others interested in colla- stop wound infection was a high pri- gen, including David Jackson, Robert ority. Unfortunately, the structure of Harkness and Dennis Lowther. penicillin was a source of contro- This began Helen’s interest in versy and the structure favoured by human connective tissues and she Professor Robinson’s team, on which was awarded an Empire Rheumatism Helen was asked to work, later Fellowship with research space at St turned out to be incorrect. However, Mary’s Medical School, London. She she received a sound grounding in found St Mary’s a shock environment organic synthesis in the Dyson after the well-equipped labs at Mill Helen Muir (1920–2005) Perrins Laboratory and she learnt Hill; however, she received strong much from others there at the time, support from the Professor of by Helen Muir had a remarkable life and including John Cornforth, Norman Medicine, Stanley Peart, and she used Tim Hardingham career. She was born in India in 1920, Heatley and Ernst Chain. Helen it as a launch pad to move into even (University of where her father was part of the completed and defended her DPhil more unexplored territories — chon- Manchester, UK) British Administration. Helen only in 1947. droitin sulphate and protein polysac- had formal education when she came After spending a further year at charides. The accepted view at the to school in Europe when she was 10, the Sir William Dunn School of time was that chondroitin sulphate but her father was greatly interested Pathology she was recruited by formed ionic complexes with pro- in natural history and that was a start- Albert Neuberger, who was establish- teins and effects, such as co-acerva- ing point for her interest in science ing a new group in London at the tion, caused the non-ideal physical and nature. At school in Switzerland National Institute for Medical properties. However, with Helen’s and in Berkshire she was “well edu- Research, which was initially based at careful chemical training, she used cated”, but typical of the age, she Hampstead, before moving to Mill rigorous purification methods to received little teaching in Hill in 1949. This also began her show that by all methods, even by science. Undaunted by this handicap, move further into biology, as Albert’s Tiselius electrophoresis, the protein she managed to cram science at a col- interests were in using radioactively and chondroitin sulphate were linked lege in London so as to gain entrance labelled precursors to determine the by an alkali-sensitive bond and her to Somerville College, Oxford. origin of haem biosynthesis, and paper chromatograms showed that Initially, this was to read Helen published her first major serine was the site of linkage. This Medicine, but she quickly changed papers with Albert Neuberger in the was a revolution in the field and the to Chemistry, which, under the guid- Biochemical Journal in 1949 and 1950 data published in the Biochemical ance of her tutor, Dorothy Hodgkin, on the biogenesis of porphyrins1,2. Journal in 19583 showed that chon- she found much more interesting. This work was carried out with 15N- droitin sulphate was covalently

62 The Biochemist — June 2006. © 2005 Biochemical Society Obituary

linked to protein. This work lead to property of the protein part of the and osteoarthritis was recognized the recognition that all glycosamino- proteoglycan to bind to hyaluronan internationally and she was given glycans, with the exception of and it provided the first example of many prestigious awards, including hyaluronan, were linked to protein. the family of hyaluronan-binding the Heberden Medal of the British 7

It marked a major change in under- proteins. Other work developed Society for Rheumatology (1976) , Downloaded from http://portlandpress.com/biochemist/article-pdf/28/3/62/6153/bio028030062.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 standing, as hyaluronan was the first studies of cartilage degeneration in the Feldberg Foundation Award glycosaminoglycan to be character- experimental joint disease with a long (1977), the Bunim Medal of the ized and it was shownto have no collaboration with ICI Pharmaceu- American Arthritis Society (1978), attachment to protein. This had led to ticals. This work was fundamental in the Neil Hamilton Fairley Medal of speculation that other glycosamino- establishing that degenerative joint the Royal College of Physicians glycans were also unattached to diseases were not just caused by (1981), the Ciba Medal of the protein. Having discovered the basis ‘wear-and-tear’, but that an active Biochemical Society (1981)9 and the of this new class of linkage and a new process was involved5–7. Thus Steindler Award of the American family of macromolecules, Helen’s Helen’s major achievement was in Orthopaedic Research Society (1982). reputation was now well established, moving research in joint diseases She was awarded the CBE in 1981 for and with further fellowship support from an era of observational descrip- her contribution to medical research. she developed her work with protein tive pathology to the molecular and She was also elected to become a polysaccharides, which were soon to cellular analysis of the processes Fellow of The Royal Society in 1977 be renamed proteoglycans. underlying these diseases. Basically, and a foreign Member of the Royal Much of Helen’s career was spent this involved using better science to Swedish Academy of Sciences in at The Kennedy Institute of tackle these tough chronic medical 1989. She was also awarded many Rheumatology in Hammersmith, problems. honorary degrees including from the which was the world’s first specialist Helen’s interest in glycosamino- University of Edinburgh, where her rheumatology institute and was glycans also led her to another area of great grandfather had been Principal. funded by the Arthritis Research disease and therapy, the mucopoly- Helen was well-known for speak- Campaign. Helen was recruited to saccharidoses, a range of progres- ing her mind in a clear and objective The Kennedy Institute to head a sively debilitating lysosomal storage way and she did not go out of her way research division in 1966 and she diseases, including Hurler’s and to court influence. Perhaps because of went on to become Director in 1977. Hunter’s syndromes. Through this these qualities, Helen became the first Helen’s group at The Kennedy work, Helen was involved with woman appointed to the Council of Institute carried out fundamental enzyme replacement therapy, as it the Medical Research Council (MRC) work on the structure and functions was established that lysosomal (1973–1977) and was an active partici- of proteoglycans from cartilage and enzymes were released and taken up pant in the strategic development of were the first to establish that the by other cells and therefore delivery the MRC’s activities. She was also supramolecular organization of these of enzymes, or enzyme-making cells, later appointed a Trustee of the proteoglycans involved their binding was a strategy for correction of the Wellcome Trust (1982–1990). This in the extracellular matrix to another medical problem8. Unfortunately this was at a time when the Trust was polysaccharide, hyaluronan4. This was insufficient to reverse the serious evolving to become the major bio- was also heretical at the time, as who pathological changes caused by the medical research funding agency in would predict that one polyanion prolonged lack of functional enzyme the UK; indeed it became even larger would specifically associate with prior to treatment. than the Government’s funding another polyanion? Yet the data Helen’s work at The Kennedy through the MRC. Helen played a stood the test of time, as it was a Institute on cartilage degeneration major part in the expansion of the

The Biochemist — June 2006. © 2005 Biochemical Society 63 Obituary

Trust and developing the new respon- aged to ride in London and she had London, when she was 70 and a spe- sibilities it had in leading the support the dubious honour of being cau- cial 2-day meeting in Manchester in of UK biomedical research. She was tioned by the police for speeding in 2000 with 65 scientists from around also able to promote the development Richmond Park; the park police that the world to honour her 80th birth-

of research on the role of extracellular is… Helen was on her horse on a day. Basically, it was clear from the Downloaded from http://portlandpress.com/biochemist/article-pdf/28/3/62/6153/bio028030062.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 matrix in biology and in disease. Sunday morning and she was gallop- start that one thing that she would It is a measure of the high regard ing when she shouldn’t. Helen’s never do was retire. Helen was in which Helen was held that she was interest in horse riding was also many things, but she was certainly selected for these prestigious posi- matched by a liking for fast cars and it never dull. She couldn’t stand fools tions. In 1998, she was the subject of a was known that a green Mark 2 and often let them know it. She Channel 4 documentary, Our Jaguar was regularly seen as a blur on couldn’t stand pomposity and, Brilliant Careers, on three women in the A1 heading north from London although she became a grand lady, science and it should remind us that to Bedale, where she escaped from the she had a wry sense of humour and Helen, as a woman in the era in which confusion of London to sample the liked a good laugh. She was very she lived, had to be not only excep- clear air of Yorkshire. She also liked much without prejudice and judged tional to succeed in the male-domi- ballet and she regularly went to ballet people on their merits. nated world of science, but also very classes, as she put it, to keep fit. She Helen’s last few years were not determined and that was certainly a admitted that she wasn’t as agile, without difficulty, there was pain, trait that she had in abundance. poised or elegant as the young balleri- discomfort and increasing personal The important positions that nas also in the class, who were inci- frailty and she typically bore it with Helen held were onerous and dentally less than half her age, but this stoic resolve. She was ably supported required much hard work and far from fazed Helen. by a team of carers at her home in endeavour; however, they did not Helen also had a great influence Yorkshire and she continued to be come entirely without perks. The on people, particularly the many interested and concerned about MRC Council is chaired by a non-sci- national and international scientists science, which was the principle focus entist and when Helen was on who spent time at The Kennedy of her life. Council, the Chair was the Duke of Institute. Indeed, there is a league of Northumberland. Coincidently, he Helen’s friends that straddles the References was a keen hunting man and Helen globe and whose science was influ- 1. Muir, H. and Neuberger, A. (1949) Biochem. J. was also very keen on hunting, so enced by her direct and insightful 45, 163–170 much to her delight she was on occa- example. Helen retired from The 2. Muir, H. and Neuberger, A. (1950) Biochem. J. sion invited to hunt at Alnwick Kennedy Institute in 1990, but even 47, 97–104 3. Muir H. (1958) Biochem. J. 69, 195–204 Castle. To say that Helen was keen on in post-retirement she was active in 4. Hardingham, T.E. and Muir, H. (1972) Biochim. hunting is perhaps an understate- research immortalizing chondro- Biophys. Acta 279, 401–405 5. McDevitt, C.A. and Muir, H. (1976) J. Bone Jt. ment, indeed at one point it almost cytes10 in Roger Mason’s Surg. 58B, 94–101 cost her life. She had a serious riding Department at Charing Cross 6. Carney, S.L., Billingham, M.E.J., Muir, H. and accident in the mid-1950s, but, typical Hospital Medical School. She was Sandy, J.D. (1984) J. Orthop. Res. 2, 201–206 7. Muir, H. (1977) Ann. Rheum. Dis. 36, 199–208 of Helen, it didn’t stop her hunting the focus of many retirement parties 8. Dean, M.F., Muir, H., Benson, P.F., Button, L.R., and she continued to ride for another and frequently these were scientific Boylston, A. and Mowbray, J. (1976) Nature (London) 261, 323–325 35 years. Much of her riding was done meetings in her honour, including a 9. Muir, H. (1983) Biochem. Soc. Trans. 11, in Bedale, Yorkshire, where her par- Biochemical Society Symposium in 613–622 ents had retired when they returned Bath when she was 67, an 10. Kolettas, E., Bulewela, L., Bayliss, M.T. and Muir, H. (1995) J. Cell Sci. 108, 1991–1999 from India. However, she also man- International Research Meeting in

64 The Biochemist — June 2006. © 2005 Biochemical Society