Letter to the Editor: Ervin G. Erdös, MD (1922–2019): a holocaust survivor and eminent cardiovascular scientist
2020; American Physical Society; Volume: 318; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1152/ajpheart.00100.2020
ISSN1522-1539
Autores Tópico(s)Diet and metabolism studies
ResumoLetter to the EditorLetter to the Editor: Ervin G. Erdös, MD (1922–2019): a holocaust survivor and eminent cardiovascular scientistSinisa StanicSinisa StanicDivision of Radiation Oncology, Carle Cancer Center, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IllinoisPublished Online:08 Apr 2020https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00100.2020MoreSectionsPDF (254 KB)Download PDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesGet permissionsTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInWeChat to the editor: Ervin G. Erdös, MD, was born in a Jewish family on October 14, 1922, in Budapest, Hungary. Following the German invasion of Hungary in 1944, Ervin was deported to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, twenty miles north of Berlin, Germany. Ervin survived the Holocaust, and after the World War II, he enrolled in medical school in Budapest. Because of the communist regime in Hungary, he was branded as a dissident, and he had to complete his medical school in Munich, Germany. In 1954, he immigrated to the United States. During his long career, he was always moving up and he served as head of pharmacology at the University of Oklahoma Medical School, professor of pharmacology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and professor of pharmacology and director of the Peptide Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago.In 1994, Ervin received the CIBA Award for hypertension research. Ervin was recognized for his role in defining the critical enzymes involved in the metabolism of peptides that regulate blood pressure, particularly for his work on angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) (1, 2, 6, 7). He discovered that ACE exerted a dual effect on blood pressure by controlling two oppositely acting peptides: it activates the vasoconstrictor angiotensin, which raises blood pressure, while also inactivating bradykinin, which is a vasodilator (Fig. 1). His seminal article (1) discussing ACE was featured as a citation classic in Current Contents in 1986 and has received several hundreds of citations. With no doubt, this work was an important stepping stone in the development of the class of drugs called ACE inhibitors. In addition to blocking ACE, these inhibitors also act by prolonging the half-life of bradykinin and that has beneficial effects on the heart and blood pressure. Examples of such drugs include captopril, enalapril, and lisinopril, which are used for the treatment of conditions such as hypertension and congestive heart failure, in addition to preventing complications that can lead to stroke and kidney failure.Fig. 1.In the early 1970s, in collaboration with H. Y. T. Yang and Y. Levin of the Weizmann Inst., Dr. Ervin G. Erdös in his laboratory at the Univ. of Oklahoma discovered that angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) and kininase II are actually identical. The same enzyme, acting as a peptidyl-dipeptidase, releases the COOH-terminal dipeptide His9-Leu10 from angiotensin I to form the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II and releases the COOH-terminal Phe8-Arg9 from bradykinin.Download figureDownload PowerPointI met Dr. Erdös in 2002 when I joined his Peptide Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago as a postdoctoral fellow, following my graduation at the University of Belgrade Medical School in Belgrade, Serbia. Miodrag Radulovacki, MD, PhD, a professor of pharmacology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who recommended me to Dr. Erdös, said many times that “Ervin has a big heart.” Indeed, he was right. Dr. Erdös was supportive of all his associates, and he treated people with dignity and respect. On a personal level, he was very sincere and passionate, always willing to share some interesting story from his experience, make a joke, and put a smile on someone’s face. I still remember our weekly laboratory meetings and journal clubs. He was always ready to offer words of support and encouragement.In many ways, Dr. Erdös influenced so many people in his long life and career. During his research career, he mentored dozens of scientists and physicians in the United States: Richard D. Minshall, PhD (Univ. of Illinois at Chicago); Tomislav Dragovic, MD, PhD (Hematology/Oncology, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, Gilbert, AZ); Branislav Marcic, MD, PhD (Illiana Nephrology, Munster, IN); Claudie Hecquet, PhD (AbbVie, North Chicago, IL); Tatiana Ignjatovic, PhD (Joslin Diabetes Center/Harvard Univ. and pharmacology consultant, Chicago, IL), Dauren Biyashev, PhD (Northwestern Univ., Chicago, IL), Zhenlong Chen, PhD (Univ. of Illinois at Chicago), and many more.Dr. Erdös’ big heart was also reflected in his generosity. For instance, once a year he would invite the entire laboratory for an annual dinner in a popular Chicago restaurant. Every year, after his trip to Hawaii, he would bring chocolate candies with macadamia nuts for the entire laboratory. His care and concern for a fellow human being was reflected in many details. Thanks to his support, I was able to start a new life in the United States and professionally grow (Fig. 2). With him, Randall A. Skidgel, PhD, Peter A. Deddish, PhD, Fulong Tan, PhD, and his other laboratory associates, I studied ACE inhibitors and bradykinin B1 receptors, and together we published three peer-reviewed journal articles (3–5). I am deeply grateful that I had the opportunity to work with him, and I truly appreciate his support.Fig. 2.Ervin Erdös, MD (left) and Sinisa Stanic, MD (right) at the annual holiday lunch at the Univ. of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, December 2005. Photograph reprinted and owned by S. Stanic.Download figureDownload PowerPointDr. Erdös died in Chicago, IL, on November 17, 2019. He is survived by his wife, Sara Rabito, MD, and his two sons, Peter and Phillip, and their families. His legacy remains not only in his great scientific contributions but also in his mentorship of so many students and fellows and all the good deeds that came from his big heart.DISCLOSURESNo conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, are declared by the author.AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONSS.S. prepared figures and drafted, edited, revised, and approved final version of manuscript.ACKNOWLEDGMENTSS. Stanic’s surname was Stanisavljevic before September 26, 2007.REFERENCES1. Erdös EG. Angiotensin I converting enzyme. Circ Res 36: 247–255, 1975. doi:10.1161/01.RES.36.2.247. Crossref | PubMed | ISI | Google Scholar2. Erdös EG. The ACE and I: how ACE inhibitors came to be. FASEB J 20: 1034–1038, 2006. doi:10.1096/fj.06-0602ufm. Crossref | PubMed | ISI | Google Scholar3. Ignjatovic T, Stanisavljevic S, Brovkovych V, Skidgel RA, Erdös EG. Kinin B1 receptors stimulate nitric oxide production in endothelial cells: signaling pathways activated by angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors and peptide ligands. Mol Pharmacol 66: 1310–1316, 2004. doi:10.1124/mol.104.001990. Crossref | PubMed | ISI | Google Scholar4. Skidgel RA, Stanisavljevic S, Erdös EG. Kinin- and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor-mediated nitric oxide production in endothelial cells. Biol Chem 387: 159–165, 2006. doi:10.1515/BC.2006.021. Crossref | PubMed | ISI | Google Scholar5. Stanisavljevic S, Ignjatovic T, Deddish PA, Brovkovych V, Zhang K, Erdös EG, Skidgel RA. Angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibitors block protein kinase C epsilon by activating bradykinin B1 receptors in human endothelial cells. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 316: 1153–1158, 2006. doi:10.1124/jpet.105.093849. Crossref | PubMed | ISI | Google Scholar6. Yang HY, Erdös EG, Levin Y. A dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase that converts angiotensin I and inactivates bradykinin. Biochim Biophys Acta 214: 374–376, 1970. doi:10.1016/0005-2795(70)90017-6. Crossref | PubMed | ISI | Google Scholar7. Yang HY, Erdös EG, Levin Y. Characterization of a dipeptide hydrolase (kininase II: angiotensin I converting enzyme). J Pharmacol Exp Ther 177: 291–300, 1971. PubMed | ISI | Google ScholarAUTHOR NOTESAddress for correspondence: S. Stanic, Div. of Radiation Oncology, Carle Cancer Center; 509 W. University Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 (e-mail: sinisa.[email protected]com). Download PDF Previous Back to Top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation Collections More from this issue > Volume 318Issue 5May 2020Pages H1049-H1050 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2020 the American Physiological Societyhttps://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00100.2020PubMed32267772History Received 11 February 2020 Accepted 4 March 2020 Published online 8 April 2020 Published in print 1 May 2020 Metrics
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