Why was Gerhard Domagk awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in
1939?
Learning Outcomes:
* To understand why the development of chemical antibiotics was a turning
point in the treatment of disease.
* To identify and evaluate the relative significance of different factors
in contributing to the discovery eg role of the individual, communication
within the scientific community, scientific technology.
Video Starter: Doctor Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet (1940)
Watch this extract from the film Doctor Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet. Make
a note of the different factors that enabled Ehrlich to succeed. If you
want to check, or add further detail, use these links: This
day in Tech History, Magic
Bullets.
Main Activity
Adapted from my
worksheet on Infectious Disease.
Activities
On a printout of this page, or copy of the worksheet: Highlight the KEY
WORDS. For example, names of Scientists, things that inspired them or
ways in which they made their discovery, names of the drugs they created
or of the microbe that was discovered. Also highlight anything that the
development may have led to. For revision purposes it may be WISE to colour
code your highlighting. For example: Names in Red, Developments in green,
Drugs in Yellow etc.
Information:
The period 1870-1950 saw a rapid development in the amount of knowledge
of microbes, germs and the way in which these caused disease. By the late
1870’s medical practitioners had accepted the work of Lister and
had realised that not only was his formula to combat germs required: but
also a method of killing Germs inside the body was required to improve
mortality rates.
As the recognition of this need was made doctors and scientists were
more willing to search for the cure. A young German doctor named Paul
Ehrlich joined the team of Koch. Ehrlich, working with Emi Behring, developed
an interest in the antibodies that the human body produces. His studies
of these led him to believe that a chemical substance could be produced
to work alongside these antibodies, killing specific bacteria without
harming the rest of the body.
This line of research led to Ehrlich opening his own research institute,
to search for ‘The Magic Bullet’. His results were a limited
success: he found dyes that attacked malaria and some sleeping sickness
bugs. In 1906 the detection by Hoffman of the microbes that caused syphilis
opened up a new line of research. Ehrlich’s team tested over 600
chemical compounds, searching for one that would target and destroy the
syphilis germ. In 1909, a new scientist joined his team. He was asked
to retest all of the discarded chemicals that had previously been shown
to fail. The 606th compound selected and destroyed the germ. Ehrlich rigorously
tested the vaccine and in 1911 Savarsan 606 was used for the first time
on Humans.
Gerhard Domagk: Sulphonamide drugs
Domagk was a chemist who was inspired by the achievements of Paul Ehrlich’s
team. He set out to find dyes that would destroy other infectious microbes
within the body. Domagk was very thorough in his work and in 1932 discovered
that a dye called prontosil would act against he streptococcus virus.
This discovery was then developed by French scientists who found that
the drug could also be used against tonsillitis, puerperal fever and scarlet
fever. May and baker, British scientists, discovered that a derivative
of the sulphonamide drug could be used against pneumonia.
There were though several disadvantages to this drug. Sulphonamide drugs
can damage the kidney, liver and are ineffective against highly virulent
microbes.
Activities
– To what extent was the work of Ehrlich, Domagk, Fleming, Florey and
Chain reliant upon the work of Pasteur and Koch?
– What factors led to the development of a ‘magic bullet’?
– Write an article explaining why Gerhard Domagk was awarded the Nobel
Prize in 1939. This should include Domagk’s importance as an individual
but also acknowledge the role of other factors.
Use the following links to find further information about Domagk:
Nobelprize.org
– the Nocel Prize websites biography of Gerhard Domagk.
Wikipedia –
biography of Domagk.
Plenary
Play this En Garde gamefrom Winkers
World to test your knowledge of Magic Bullets
