The History of Steroids

Do you know which U.S. president had Addison's disease? Or how rumors from WWII led to funding for research on cortisol? In this episode, take a trip down memory lane as we detail the history of steroids and the scientists whose work lead to the discovery of prednisone.

• Intro :14
• A query: What other disease is attributed to Thomas Addison? :40
• Overview of the layers of the adrenal gland 1:18
• History of the adrenal gland 2:10
• Thomas Addison enters the scene 3:39
• Kennedy and terminology 6:15
• Charles Brown-Sequard helps describe function of adrenal glands 7:13
• George Oliver and Edward Sharpey-Schafer help understand adrenal gland 8:44
• Adrenaline is discovered 10:03
• Steroid chemistry begins in earnest 10:14
• Steroids discovered, but questions remain 10:25
• WWII rumors spur research on cortin 11:15
• Edward Calvin Kendall, Tadeus Reichstein and Philip Showalter Hench receive Nobel prize for their discoveries relating to the hormones of the adrenal cortex 12:23
• Committee of 14 chemists assembled 14:24
• 1948: The case of Mrs. G 15:21
• Pharmaceutical companies race to produce cortisone 17:08
• How we arrived at prednisone 17:43
• The answer to the question: "What other disease was described by Thomas Addison?" 18:34

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References:

Benedek TG. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2011;29:S-5-12.

Burns CM. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 2016;doi: 10.1016/j.rdc.2015.08.001.

Lawrence L. Controversial 'father' of endocrinology: Brown-Séquard. Endocrine Today. February 2008. https://www.healio.com/endocrinology/news/print/endocrine-today/%7B0b1791e0-0e1c-42ac-bec3-d5b67bb054f6%7D/controversial-father-of-endocrinology-brown-squard. Accessed April 10, 2018.

Pearce JMS. J R Soc Med. 2004;97:297-300.