Seventy Five Years of Arthritis Research at the Strangeways Research Laboratory: 1912-87

Ann Rheum Dis: first published as 10.1136/ard.46.11.801 on 1 November 1987. Downloaded from Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 1987; 46, 801-803 Seventy five years of arthritis research at the Strangeways Research Laboratory: 1912-87 J T DINGLE To all to whom these presents shall come, Sir William Honor Bridget Fell, and they worked together until Selby Church, Baronet, Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt, Strangeways' death. Regius Professor of Physic for Cambridge University, On Strangeways' death the research hospital Germaine Sims Woodhead, Professor of Pathology faced extinction. He had, to quote F G Spear for Cambridge University and Thomas Strangeways (History of The Strangeways Research Laboratory, Pigg-Strangeways. Whereas these have formed them- 1912-1962), 'imagined, created, funded selves into a committee for the study of special and gov- diseases and for the systematic investigation of the erned it', and the full extent of his -unstinted more important diseases, the pathology and treatment generosity from his professional earnings can be of which are at present undetermined, have opened a traced in its books. There is little doubt that his fund for the furtherance of the above objects. Now family suffered financially by the extent to which he these persons witness and it is hereby declared that the supported the Laboratory. The Hospital, which was said Thomas Strangeways Pigg-Strangeways will stand built in a domestic style so that it could be sold as a possessed of the same piece of land so purchased and residence, had at this stage only four of the rooms in that a research hospital and laboratories and buildings use, and only one member of the small staff was by copyright. be erected thereon .... over 30. The trustees had long and agonising DEED POLL, 16 November 1912 discussions before it was decided to continue the Laboratory; this was due in the main to the Medical Such was the beginning of the Cambridge Research Research Council who played a vital role in the Hospital, which later developed into the Strange- finance. The governors' most important decision ways Research Laboratory. Dr Strangeways, the was to appoint Honor Fell as director. During the Huddersfield lecturer in pathology in the University subsequent years up to the second world war a of Cambridge, had long had an interest in arthritic number of bequests enabled the laboratory to keep diseases but was well aware that little scientific or going and to expand, but never during this period clinical research was being carried out at that time. was the Laboratory entirely sure of its future. http://ard.bmj.com/ He became determined to found a research hospital During the second world war the Laboratory was to initiate such investigations, and the hospital was mainly concerned with government service, and started in 1905 in a house in Hartington Grove, research at the basic level had to be put on one side. Cambridge. In 1912 the hospital moved to the After the war Honor Fell was able to obtain finance present building in Worts Causeway in which there from the Royal Society, from the Rockefeller Foun- were small wards for patients and accommodation dation, and in particular from the Nuffield Foun- for the staff. nursing In 1923 Strangeways decided dation, which enabled the slow expansion of the on September 30, 2021 by guest. Protected that clinical investigations would be best carried out Laboratory to begin. The original aim of Dr Strange- in a larger hospital with more beds, and the clinical ways to investigate the basic processes of arthritic work was transferred to St Bartholomew's Hospital disease was extended to cover a wider interest in cell in London. Dr Strangeways continued to be advisor biology, with a particular interest in developmental on the treatment of patients, and by the time of his biology. Under the guidance of Honor Fell the death in 1926 over 4000 sufferers from arthritis had Laboratory achieved a world wide reputation for received help. skill in cell, tissue, and organ culture. In addition, Dr Strangeways had come to the conclusion that a the staff continued to apply the radiological and more fundamental approach was needed to study time lapse cine-microphotography techniques which the basis of arthritic disease, and after the closure of had been developed by Strangeways and his col- the wards the rooms were turned into research leagues (notably Canti) in the 1920s, and a new laboratories. Strangeways was well ahead of his time dimension was added to the Laboratory's research in deciding to investigate the possibility of cell and in 1950 with the introduction of ultrastructural organ culture techniques. In 1923 he was joined by studies by Audrey Glauert. H-onor Fell encouraged a young research assistant from Edinburgh. one collaborative studies between colleagues in different 8(0 Ann Rheum Dis: first published as 10.1136/ard.46.11.801 on 1 November 1987. Downloaded from 802) Dinigle by copyright. Fig. Siramilewcav.AsResearchI Laborabon-. liet.: )r.Sirangiewasv (nd Ian)e hlonor IF/ll. disciplines, and there was an increasing involvement 10 yeiars in the Rovyl National Hospital forhttp://ard.bmj.com/ of biochemical investigations in all projects at the Rheumatic Diseases in Bath (incidentally in 1906( Laboratory during her directorship. Michael Aber- the hospital was one of the earliest collaborators crombie had much the same aims in research, and it with Dr Strangeways). and wats able to give impetus was therefore appropriate that he should take over to the change in direction of the research. During as director of the Laboratory on the retirement of this period we gradually developed work on the Dame Honor Fell (as she now was) in 1970. catabolic reactions of connective tissues with special Abercrombie and his group developed the tech- reference to arthritic disease. The strengthening of on September 30, 2021 by guest. Protected nique of time lapse cine-microphotography into a the rheumatology depairtment at Addenbrooke's powerful tool for the atnalysis of cell movement, thus Hospital with the advent of Dr Brian Hazleman led carrying on the tradition established by Canti in the to a close association and hats greatly assisted our early days of the Laboratory. After Abercrombie's work on clinicill material. During recent years we untimely death in 1979 this work was transferred to have established departments of molecular enzymol- King's College. London. and I took over as director. ogy, cell biology, aind tissue physiology, enabling In parallel with the work in cell biology the work to be done at the moleculir, cellulir, tissue, Laboratory continued to he interested in human animal, and patient levels in understainding the disease, but the emphasis during the '40s and 'S0s mechanisms involved in the destructive processes of was in the cancer field, where the work of Alfred catabolic diseases. Our speciail interests, which stem Glucksmann and Ilse Laisnitzki wats highly regarded. from the work in the '30s by Hionor Fell on the By the eairly 1960s the direction of the Laiborai- development of the chick limb rudimeit, have been tory's research had gradually begun to chainge back in the connective tissues of the joint alnd in towards arthritis. I joined the Laboratory in 1959 as particular in the synovial/c:artilage interaiction. Most research assistant to H-onor Fell. having spent some recently the discovery of local mediators that control Ann Rheum Dis: first published as 10.1136/ard.46.11.801 on 1 November 1987. Downloaded from Strangewavs Research Laboratorv 1912-1987 803 the dynamic equilibrium between synthesis and private individuals and small foundations such as the degradation in cartilage, bone, and other connec- Sybil Eastwood Fund have enabled us to 'prime the tive tissues has added great impetus to our research pump' and make new initiatives which have de- in this area. A worldwide interest in the control of veloped into major areas of research. Nevertheless. such catabolic mechanisms has developed, which I the major support of the Laboratory continues to be am sure would have been very gratifying to Dr the Medical Research Council. and we hope that the Strangeways. financial situation affecting all research in this The financing of the Strangeways Laboratory has country will not preclude this happy relationship always been a major problem since its inception. from continuing. Strangeways was not a rich man and was not able to In conclusion, the Strangeways' Laboratory staft provide any endowment. We have achieved our of about 60 scientists and 40 supporting staff scientific research reputation entirely upon funds continue to be a major research force in the area of provided by the Medical Research Council and connective tissue catabolism and in particular in various charities. In most recent years the most studies on the control of arthritic damage. The prominent of the charities has been the Arthritis and present day aims of the laboratory are compatible Rheumatism Council, which has provided many with Strangeways' original initiative. It is to be project grants and has helped to stimulate the hoped that there is still scope for an independent fundamental research on joint destruction in many research institute of this type for the next 75 different ways. We have also been fortunate that years. by copyright. http://ard.bmj.com/ on September 30, 2021 by guest. Protected.

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