The Paul Ehrlich Foundation

The Paul Ehrlich Foundation Office of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation Contents Paul Ehrlich-Stiftung c/o Vereinigung von Freunden und Förderern der Goethe-Universität Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1 Preface 5 60629 Frankfurt am Main E-Mail: [email protected] www.paul-ehrlich-stiftung.de Paul Ehrlich: His Life March 2020 and Achievements 6 Ludwig Darmstaedter: Donation account: Scientist and Friend 12 Deutsche Bank AG IBAN: DE38 5007 0010 0700 0839 00 BIC: DEUTDEFFXXX The Foundation, the Prize and the Role of Hedwig Ehrlich 14 The Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize for Young Researchers 17 Preface In honor of the great German doctor and Paul Ehrlich, like all great researchers, was serologist who turned Frankfurt into a way ahead of his time. His research work medical eldorado at the beginning of the laid the cornerstone for the medical stand- 20th century, the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig ards still valid today. In awarding the Paul Darmstaedter Prize is awarded to scientists Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize, the from all over the world who have achieved Foundation wishes to encourage scientists all outstanding results in Paul Ehrlich’s field over the world to do what Paul Ehrlich did of work. throughout his entire life: extend medical know-how and make a contribution to the The prize given by the Paul Ehrlich constant struggle against illness and disease- Foundation is one of Germany’s most emi- induced mortality. nent accolades in recognition of outstanding achievements in biomedical research. The President of the German Research Foundation (DFG) is Honorary President of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation. The prize- giving ceremony is traditionally held every year on March 14, Paul Ehrlich’s birthday, in Frankfurt’s St. Paul’s church, a symbol of German democracy and liberty. The Foundation’s Scientific Council, whose members include internationally renowned Professor Dr. Thomas Boehm scientists, has the formidable task of selecting Max-Planck-Institute of Immunobiology the best of the excellent world-wide. The list and Epigenetics, Freiburg Chairman of the Scientific Council of of prize winners shows that the Council has the Paul Ehrlich Foundation lived up to this challenge. Many of the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize winners have subsequently also received the Nobel Prize. With the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize for Young Researchers, the Paul Ehrlich Foundation created an important instrument to encourage young gifted scientists. It was awarded for the first time in 2006. 5 Paul Ehrlich: His life von Frerichs’ Second Medical Clinic at oxygen, and thereby obtained evidence the Charité hospital in Berlin. of oxygen consumption in cells. and Achievements Ehrlich summarized the results of his research in 1885 in the monograph: Paul Ehrlich was born on March 14, the cells absorbed the dye in different “The organism’s need for oxygen: a 1854, in Strehlen/Silesia (now Strzelin, ways: some parts were coloured deep study based on analysis with dyes”, Poland) into a prosperous family. His blue, some had only absorbed small with which he qualified for appoint- father owned a thriving liqueur factory. amounts of dye and others none at all. ment to a professorial chair in 1887. From now on, he concentrated entirely This study not only had practical value, Paul Ehrlich had watched liqueurs on the staining of thin slices of tissue, but also raised intriguing questions for being coloured in his father’s distillery one of the most important techniques which there were no answers or expla- and was so fascinated by the process in histology. nations at that time. that he wanted to try it out for himself. Legend has it that, as a seven-year-old Paul Ehrlich finished grammar school Paul Ehrlich in his office at the Royal Institute for During his nine years at the Charité boy, he was caught by his mother trying in 1872 and then went on to study Experimental Therapy in Frankfurt. in Berlin, Ehrlich adopted two habits to colour two pigeons by dipping them medicine, first in Breslau, then in which stayed with him throughout his into a pot of paint. Whether the story is Strasbourg. Here, two academic tutors life: his private spelling system and a true or not, colouring agents and dyes gave all-important impulses to his During his years at the Charité, Ehrlich passion for heavy black cigars, of which occupied him throughout his life and career. The anatomist Wilhelm von made important contributions to he smoked up to 50 a day. a child’s experiments developed into a Waldeyer introduced him to the tech- hæmatology, the study of the compo- lifelong passion. niques of histological staining. The nents of blood. Working on the foun- In 1882, Paul Ehrlich attended Robert chemist Adolf von Baeyer encouraged dations of medical bacteriology devel- Koch’s presentation of his sensational Ehrlich attended grammar school in his enthusiasm for chemistry. From his oped by Louis Pasteur and Robert discovery of the tubercle bacillus at the Breslau (now Wrocłav, Poland). During first term onwards, Ehrlich’s goal was Koch, Paul Ehrlich established a new German Physiological Society in Berlin. this time, he was a frequent visitor to understand the basic mechanisms by diagnostic technique of staining blood He was inspired by the lecture and to the house of one of his mother’s which toxic compounds and chemical cells. With this method, he succeeded referred to it in retrospect as “my great- cousins, Carl Weigert (1845–1904), a compounds act on the living cell. He in differentiating lymphocytes and leu- est scientific experience”, but he no- pathologist at the University of Breslau believed that staining takes place in a cocytes and sub-classifying leucocytes ticed at the same time that the staining and later professor in Frankfurt. Weigert chemical reaction and not in a purely according to their stainability. The technique used by Koch was laborious was an expert in colouring pathologi- physical way (“Corpora non agunt nisi principles of modern hæmatology are and unreliable. Within a day, he devel- cal and anatomical specimens. In this fixata”). This fundamental notion guid- based on Paul Ehrlich’s staining meth- oped an improved and simple staining field, he introduced what, at that time, ed his work throughout his life. After ods. He emphasized the significance of technique, which Koch acknowledged were new synthetic colouring agents: another semester in Freiburg, he passed vital staining with methylene blue, i.e. “without any reservations”. aniline dyes. Ehrlich once watched his State Examination and received his staining while upholding cell activity. him producing wafer-thin slices of tis- doctorate in 1878 at the University of Another important finding by Ehrlich A year later, Paul Ehrlich married sue and carefully staining them. Young Leipzig. His doctoral thesis was enti- was the selectivity of dyes in stain- Hedwig Pinkus, daughter of one of the Ehrlich saw for the first time a fascinat- tled “Contributions to the Theory and ing cells and tissues. He observed, for most important manufacturers of linen ing microcosm under the microscope: Practice of Histological Staining”. In example, that methylene blue stained and damask in Silesia. bright blue and glowing particles of the same year, he moved as Assistant neural tissue only. He also discovered stained tissue. He also observed that Medical Director to Friedrich Theodor the relative ability of tissue to absorb 6 7 In 1884, Ehrlich was appointed titular could it not be equally effective in tant contributions to the development Paul Ehrlich cooperated with Farbwerke professor. A year later, Friedrich medication? His test persons were of the diphtheria antitoxin, though Hoechst, which supplied him with Theodor von Frerichs died and Karl inmates of Moabit Prison suffering from Emil von Behring excluded him from dyes, with Arthur von Weinberg, co- Gerhard, a man with a conservative serious neuralgic conditions. Not only its commercial exploitation. proprietor of Cassella, and with Ludwig scientific outlook, became head of the did the dye actually reduce their pain, Darmstaedter. With Darmstaedter’s clinic at the Charité. When Ehrlich dis- two men with malaria were also suc- Thanks to the evaluation process he support the Chemo therapeutic covered that he himself was suffering cessfully treated. developed for the diphtheria antitoxin, Research Institute Georg-Speyer-Haus from tuberculosis, and the working Ehrlich always retained his strong was established in 1906, immediately conditions at the Charité deteriorated Paul Ehrlich formulated the theory of interest in the subject of curative sera. adjoining the Royal Institute for permanently, he stepped down from side chains – the first broad concept of At this time, a testing department was Experimental Therapy. Paul Ehrlich his position. Paul Ehrlich and his wife the immunosystem. According to this set up under Ehrlich’s leadership at the was also appointed Director of his new moved for two years to Egypt where he the specific immune defense develops Institute for Infectious Diseases because institution. as a result of impurities, pathogens and it had quickly become clear that serum their toxins binding at the side chains standardization had to be improved. In Paul Ehrlich developed the idea of (receptors) of certain cells. These side 1896, the Berlin Institute for Serum combatting pathogens in the human chains are then released as “antibodies” Research and Testing was set up with body and the toxins produced by them into the bloodstream and generate an the support of Friedrich Althoff, using a chemical substance that binds immune response. This theory was the Director-General at the Prussian with the pathogens and toxins. The foundation of the steadily growing field Ministry of Culture, and Paul Ehrlich concentration of this chemical sub- of biomedical science. was appointed its first director.

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