Scientific Contributions
Shelby Friedrich · Gertrude B. Elion
What were the contribution(s) that this individual made to science and/or a related field?
Gertrude Elion helped to develop many different drugs. She help develop the drug called
azathioprine. This drug made kidney transplants possible. Normally, the human body will reject
a transplanted kidney. This drug tricked the body into accepted the kidney transplant. the first
successful kidney transplant was in 1990. Also, the drug called Zovirax, the first drug to fight
against viral herpes, was developed by her. Another drug was Daraprim. It as used t fight
malaria. Ms. Elion helped develop Zyloprim, a drug used to treat gout. Septra,a drug used for
bacterial infections, was also created with the help of her. She also helped to discover the first
treatment of leukemia called 6-mercaptopurine or or 6-MP for short. At first the drug, 6-MP was
making patients better, but then patients were getting worse. Gertrude worked on the drug a little
more, and finally when combined with a few other medications it would work. Along with tat,
she helped create trimthoprim, a drug used to treat meningits,septicemia, and bacterial urinary
and respiratory tract infection. She was also the first women to lead a major research group at
Burrough's Wellcome.
Select one contribution and explain why this contribution was important.
I selected the drug that Gertrude helped to develop called 6-MP. This was the first treatment of
leukemia. This was amazing because back when she was alive many children were getting
leukemia and dying. Prior to this drug half of the children with leukemia died. After this drug
was created, around 80% of children with leukemia survived. Because of this, many people that
got leukemia could be cured. This was also important because this discovery led to others. A
few years later, Elion and colleague named Hitchings thought that if 6-MP could stop cancer
cells from reproducing it might be able to stop bacteria from reproducing. They looked into this
and did a lot of research. Eventually, they created drugs used to treat malaria,meningitis,
septicemia, and more.
Based on your findings would this Scientist’s work be easier or more difficult in a different
historical time or cultural setting? Please explain your response.
I think that it would've been easier for Gertrude Elion to have done he research in present time.
Back then it was hard for her to find work. Some companies thought that women were unfit to
work in science. it was also hard because it was during th Depression,and there wasn't a lot of
jobs available. She was also rejected by fifteen graduate schools because she was a women. A
job interviewer even told her that she couldn't get the job because she was a women, and she
might distract the male workers. Now, there are many women in scientific careers. Scientific
jobs don't really look at if you're a female or male, they look at your qualifications and
experience. Also, today there is a lot better technology that would make creating drugs a lot
easier. Along with that, there is a lot more information about diseases and medicine now.
10.20.1.35: ts '2009-01-12 08:50:13'
Printed October 2003