Étienne-Émile Baulieu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Étienne-Émile Baulieu
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Baulieu in 2023
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| Born | 12 December 1926 |
| Died | 30 May 2025 (aged 98) Paris, France
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| Nationality | French |
| Known for | RU-486 DHEA neurosteroids |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Endocrinology |
| Institutions | INSERM |
Étienne-Émile Baulieu (12 December 1926 – 30 May 2025) was a famous French scientist, a biochemist and endocrinologist, known for his important research on how hormones work in the body, especially steroid hormones. He studied how these hormones affect things like growth, development, and aging. He also discovered special hormones made in the brain called neurosteroids.
Early Life and Education
Étienne-Émile Baulieu was born Émile Blum on December 12, 1926, in Strasbourg, France. His father was a doctor who studied diabetes. When Émile was young, during World War II, his family had to move to a different area in France, and he changed his name to Baulieu. He even helped with the French Resistance, a group that worked against the occupation of France during the war.
After the war, he studied medicine in Paris and became a physician in 1955. He was very interested in how hormones work, so he continued his studies and earned a PhD in 1963.
Career
Dr. Baulieu became a leader in scientific research in France.
In 1963, he became the director of INSERM, which is like a big research organization in France that studies health and medicine. In 1970, he became a Professor of Biochemistry at a university in Paris, teaching and continuing his research.
He was part of important groups like the French Academy of Sciences and the French Ethical Advisory Committee, which helps think about the right way to do science and health research. He also started the Institut Baulieu to help research ways for people to live healthier as they get older.
Key Scientific Discoveries
Dr. Baulieu's research focused on steroid hormones, which are a type of hormone made by the body that helps control many different functions.
One of the hormones he studied a lot was called DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone). In the 1960s, he showed that DHEA is a main hormone made by the adrenal glands (small glands near your kidneys) and that it often travels in the blood attached to another molecule. He also figured out how the body uses and changes DHEA. He found that DHEA can be changed into other hormones, like estrogens, especially during pregnancy, which led to the idea of DHEA being a "prohormone" – something that can be turned into an active hormone.
Hormones work by attaching to special spots on or inside cells called receptors. Dr. Baulieu was a pioneer in finding and describing these receptors inside cells, especially for sex steroid hormones like progesterone and androgens. He also found that other molecules, like certain heat shock proteins, help these receptors work correctly. He even found a receptor for a steroid hormone on the outside of a cell in a type of frog!
In 1981, Dr. Baulieu made a very exciting discovery. He found that hormones like DHEA and pregnenolone are actually made right inside the brain! He called these special hormones "neurosteroids." He found that neurosteroids are active in the nervous system and might help protect nerve cells, repair important coverings around nerves (called myelin), and even help with memory. This research suggested that neurosteroids might be helpful for keeping the brain healthy as people get older and could potentially help with things like memory problems or feeling down. He did studies to see if giving DHEA to older people could help them feel better and improve their memory.
Dr. Baulieu was also known for his work on a molecule called Mifepristone. He had identified the progesterone receptor, and he suggested changing the progesterone molecule to create something that could block the action of progesterone. This led to the creation of Mifepristone. He studied how this molecule worked. He also explored its potential uses in treating various medical conditions, such as certain types of cancer (like breast or brain cancer), diabetes, and high blood pressure. He also found it could block the action of another hormone called cortisol, which might be useful for conditions like depression or Cushing's syndrome.
As people started living longer, Dr. Baulieu became very interested in what he called the "longevity revolution." He wanted to understand how to help people stay healthy and independent as they aged. His research on hormones like DHEA and neurosteroids was part of this interest. The Institut Baulieu, which he started, focuses on finding ways to help older people stay healthy and function well on their own.
Honours and awards
Dr. Baulieu received many awards and honours for his important scientific work throughout his long career. Some of these include:
- 1967 Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite
- 1982 French Academy of Sciences, President, 2003–4
- 1989 Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research,
- 1990 National Academy of Sciences
- 1990 Grand Officier of the Légion d'honneur
- 1990 Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
- 2002 French Academy of Medicine,
See also
In Spanish: Étienne-Émile Baulieu para niños
