February 19, 1991 Vol. XLIU No. 4 "Stilt U.S. Depattment of Health The Second and Human Servi«> Be.rt Thing About Payday" National lnstinnes of Health Recori Postal Career Postponed Inflammation Is Key Factor NHLBI Releases New Julius Axelrod: Portrait of a Late Bloomer Asthma Guidelines By Rich McManus T he National Heare, Lung, and Blood Institute has released comprehensive new F orty-one years ago, a man who wouJd guidelines on the diagnosis and management later go on to win a Nobel Prize arrived at of asthma, a chronic lung disease affecting NIH with relatively slim prospects for achiev­ more than 10 million Americans. ing distinction. NHLBI's report was issued at a Feb. 5 press Back then, lacking a Ph.D., he was a Jong­ conference ac che Bethesda Marriott Hotel, shot candidate for success. Today, he concedes after the coordinating commiccee of NHLBI's resignedly, a man like him wouJdn't have a National Asthma Education Program (NAEP) prayer at NIH. voced to approve the new guidelines. "There are no opportunities in science for a "This report is very significant, even his­ late bloomer now," says Dr. JuJius Axelrod, a coric, in that it represents the perspectives of guest researcher ar NIMH·s Laboratory of Cell allergists, pulmonologists, nurses, and Biology and winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize behavioral scientists. I believe it will have a in physiology or medicine. profound impact on che way asthma is treated "There are a lot of people who mature in this country," said NHLBI director Dr. slowly, and they just don't have a chance," he Claude Lenfant at the news briefing. observed. "You have ro have a fasr scare Dr. Julius Axelrod has, in 41 years at NIH, seen The report was written by a panel of experts roday-rhe besr schools, che besc grades, che various imtitute.r rise, pioneered in the chemistry of convened by che National Asthma Education best fellowships--or you won't get into che the nervous system and in drug studies, trained sci­ Program. NAEP's coordinating committee system. 1 was a good but not outstanding stu­ entists, won the Nobel Prize, and, lately, immersed represents 29 major United Scates scientific, dent. Opportunities came and I just made the himielf in signal transduction re.rearch. professional, governmental, and voluntary right- choices." organizations concerned about asthma. Axelrod was 33 when he began his research Based on the latest scientific findings on career and 43 before he earned a Ph.D. "Many tific career. I wouldn't recommend it." aschma and its causes, the report emphasizes (scientists) are over the hill by then," he Born in New York City 78 years ago, that inflammation of the airways is the key laughs. Though he retired in 1984, he still Axelrod remembers having been a voracious fuccor in the disease. works virtually every day, and has published reader as a child. "I read a lot-I was inrellec­ "We now know that inflammation is the some 35 papers since "retiring." cually interested in everything, and eager to predominant feature of asthma," Dr. Albert L. "People chink I'm a sore of oddity," he learn." Sheffer told reporters at che press briefing. admits. "I've had a very unconventional scien- (See AXELROD, Page 6) (See ASTHMA, Page 4) Animal House Disease-Free Animal Facility Construction Completed 8)' Anne Blank B ldg. 6B, the first disease-free animal facility on the NIH campus, opened its doors to the human public lase December-animal occupants inhabited the building in January. "This is not just a facility for che superb care of animals, but a place where scientists will continually discuss what che right thing co do is in terms of using animals for research," said Dr. Arthur Levine, scientific director for NICHD, which is che new facil­ ity's lead institute. Levine spoke ac che bujJding's open house. Four ocher institutes share the facility with NJCHD, including NEI, NIAID, NIDDK and NIAMS. Representatives from these five institutes have formed a users' committee rhat is responsible for establishing policy and pro­ cedure for the facility. "Over the years that it's been developed, the users' committee has become a close-knit, cohesive force that is NCI re.rearchers Dn. Michael Gottesman ( 1) and lra Pa.rtan produced in 1989 a new line ofgenetically (See BLDG. 6B, Page 10} engineered mice that scientists say could help combat s&me chemotherapy-re.riuant cancers. (Story, p.9) page 2 February 19, 199 I NIH'ers Give Record Amount to Combined Federal Campaign Employees at NIH are outdoing themselves once again as the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) has garnered more than $700,000, or about $35,000 more than was given during last year's record-setting campaign. These results were reported by Ken Carney, execu­ tive officer at the National Library of Medicine, who is coordinating the drive. More than 6,400 employees participated m the 1990 campaign, which received much help from consultant Jack Patterson, and from che many deputy coordinators and keyworkers in each ICD. Those who contribured via payroll deduc­ tion rn the CFC were aucomarically enrolled in Pa,;/ W. Sparacino accepts a certificate of ownership f()r the TV/VCR donated to the CFC raffle by the a raffle, che drawing for which was held NIH Federal Credit Union, whose chief executive officer, Lindsay Alexander, looked on at a recent ceremony recently. Winning a television sec and video attended by (from I) Jim Su,eat, director, Division of Security Operatiom; Ken Carney, NLM executive cassette recorder donated by the NIH Federal officer and coordinator of this year's CFC campaign: Chief Tom Brightwell of the NIH Police,· and jack Credit Union was Paul W. Sparacino of the Mahoney, NIH associate director for administration. Division of Security Operations, ORS. He happens to be a volunteer ac one of the agen­ cies chat receives CFC money-SOME (So Others Might Eat). Sparacino spent che sum­ New Commuter Service mer of 1988 helping SOME distribute food to che poor and homeless, and returns occasion-. ,,., Riders are wanted to join a newly formed ally to volunteer his services. , ~-• commuter service from Frederick, Md., co USAir donated two free roundrrip airfares to ~ - NIH co Westwood and return. For further .J ..... -. information call Lynn, (301) 540-9193. anywhere in the continental United Scates co 0 lucky winners from the ranks of the CFC con­ tributors and the CFC kcyworkers. The winning contributor was DRG's Caroline Grabner; Julia Lobotsky of NICHD was the fortunate keyworker. Winning a 35 mm camera donated by The NIH Record Geico Insurance Co. was Mary Jean Frye of Published biweekly ac Bethesda, Md.. bl' the Editorial Operarions Branch Division of Public Information, for the NIA. 1 On hand for the CFC raffle drawing, held n.wztly information of employees of the National Institutes of An award ceremony for those who contrib­ in Bldg. 10, were (from I) Carl Fretts, acting He-,t,h, DeP"mnem of He-•lrh and Human Services, and uted to NIH's most successful CFC campaign NIH assodate director for administration, Ken circulated ro noncmployces by subscription only through yet will be held from 9 a.m. co noon Mar. 4 Camey, NLM executive officer and coordinator f()r the Go\'ernment Printing Office. The content is reprincable in Wilson Hall. 0 NIH's CFC drive, and Kelly Goka, director of wirhout permission. Pircures may be available on request. recreation and member services at R&W. Use of funds for printing this periodical has been approved Cell Line Catalog Available by the director of rhe Office of Management and Budget through September 30. 1991. The 199011991 Catalog of Cell Lines: characcerizes, and scores cell lines from people N l H Record Office Correspondents: NIGMS Human Genetic Mutant Celi Repository is wich genetic disorders and from apparendy Bldg. 31, Room 2B-03 CC, Karen Riedel now available from the National Institute of normal individuals for use as controls. Cul­ Phone 496-2125 DCRT, Anita S. Ferguson General Medical Sciences. tures from cell lines in che repository, along FAX 402-1485 DRG, N. Sue Meadows F!C, Louise Williams The 15th edition of che catalog contains with detailed background information, are .Editor NCI, Patricia A. Newman 358 new listings, bringing the total co 4,767 provided co requesting i nvescigacors at modest Richard McManus NCHGR, Leslie Fink cell lines. For the first time, the catalog lists charge. By using cells from the repository col­ NCNR, Esther McBride DNA samples available from selected cell lection, scientists can study rare genetic Assistant .Editor NCRR, Polly Onderak lines, including a panel of rodenc-huroan disorders in their own research settings with­ Anne Barber NEI, Linda Huss NHLBI, June Wyman somatic cell hybrid lines, which are used by out having co locate a cell donor. Scaff Writer NIA, Carolyn Shanoff scientists involved in gene mapping. Since its inception in 1972, the repository Caria Garnen NIAJD, Ann C. London The catalog also contains an updated map of has processed more than 10,000 submitted NIAMS, Barbara Weldon human chromosomal aberrations, which cell cultures, tissue biopsies, and peripheral EdicoriaJ Assistant NICHD, Carol Florance blood specimens and provided more than Marilyn Berman NIDCD, Gail Blatt provides an important cool for scientists work­ NIDDK, Eileen Corrigan ing to fill in the many gaps chat now exist in 50,000 cell cultures co investigators. Th, NIH R«ord reserve, che right NIDR, Mary Daum our knowledge about the human genome. Single copies of the catalog are available to makr cor-recrions. changes, or NIEHS, Hugh J, Lee The repository, supported by a con trace from che NIGMS Office of Research Reporcs, deletions in submitrcd copy in NIGMS, Wanda Warddell from NlGMS co che Coriell Institute for Med­ Bldg.