28 Facts About Ernest Beutler

Ernest Beutler was a German-born American hematologist and biomedical scientist.

Ernest Beutler was among the first scientists to identify X-inactivation as the genetic basis of tissue mosaicism in female mammals, and pioneered a number of medical treatments, including bone marrow transplantation techniques.

In 1935, when Ernest Beutler was seven years of age, the family emigrated to the United States to escape Nazi persecution.

At 15, Ernest Beutler enrolled in a special program at the University of Chicago, founded by Robert Hutchins, then President of the University.

Ernest Beutler completed his undergraduate, medical school and residency training at the University of Chicago, receiving his doctorate in medicine in 1950 at the age of 21.

Ernest Beutler was a member of Pi Lambda Phi and the valedictorian of his graduating class.

Ernest Beutler pursued a remarkably eclectic research career, and made fundamental contributions in many different areas of science over 56 years of active publication.

Ernest Beutler developed an early interest in iron metabolism, prompted by his clinical observation of the rapid symptomatic improvement of iron deficient patients treated with iron: an improvement that preceded any major hematologic change, and showed that numerous enzymes were sensitive to iron deficiency.

Ernest Beutler was later transferred to Camp Detrick in Frederick, Maryland, where he studied Q fever.

Ernest Beutler was honorably discharged from the Army with the rank of captain.

Ernest Beutler then joined the faculty of the Department of Medicine at the University of Chicago, where he studied iron metabolism and red blood cell metabolism.

Ernest Beutler maintained his position as Chairman until his 80th birthday, only a few days before his death.

Not long after moving to California, Ernest Beutler made one of his most important contributions.

Ernest Beutler immediately recognized that this might account for the variable expression of X-linked genes in females heterozygous for X-linked mutations.

Ernest Beutler soon determined that random X chromosome inactivation causes tissue mosaicism in female mammals, in that each somatic cell expresses one of the alleles of X-linked genes with which it is endowed.

Ernest Beutler purified the enzyme that is aberrant in this disease and demonstrated its multimeric structure.

Ernest Beutler's group cloned the gene responsible for Gaucher disease and developed treatments for this disease, as well as diagnostic tests.

Ernest Beutler developed a screening test for galactosemia, which is used to this day to detect the disease in neonates, and prevent its severe consequences.

Ernest Beutler was the first to attempt pharmacologic intervention in sickle cell disease by increasing methemoglobin levels, carboxyhemoglobin levels, and fetal hemoglobin levels.

Ernest Beutler played a major role in pioneering new therapies for leukemia: bone marrow transplantation in acute leukemia, and 2-chorodeoxyadenosine in chronic leukemias and lymphomas.

Ernest Beutler failed to identify the mutation before it was found by others to affect HFE, a member of the major histocompatibility complex family of proteins.

Ernest Beutler served as an editor of Williams Hematology, a widely used text in this medical specialty, for more than 20 years: from its inception until the last year of his life.

In keeping with his editorial interests and his requirements as a publishing scientist, Ernest Beutler wrote the software for the first comprehensive bibliographic retrieval system used by publishing scientists.

Ernest Beutler authored more than 800 publications, 19 books, and over 300 book chapters over a 55-year scientific career.

Ernest Beutler was a president of both the American Society of Hematology and the Western Association of Physicians.

Ernest Beutler received a Doctor Philosophiae Honoris Causa, Tel Aviv University.

Ernest Beutler was elected to the United States National Academy of Sciences and was presented with the inaugural Award for Lifetime Achievement from The American Society of Hematology.

Ernest Beutler was a recipient of the American Society of Hematology's E Donnall Thomas Prize in 2003.