Merit Award—1981

)XICOLOGY

AND

APPLIED

PHARMACOLOGY

59,

179-180

(1981)

Merit Award - 1981

JOHN

H.

WEISBURGER

The 1981 Merit Award recipient, Dr. John H. Weisburger, has had a truly distinguished career in toxicology. He was born in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1921 and earned his Ph.D. in Organic and Physical Chemistry in 1949from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Weisburger has been concerned with broad aspects of toxicology, disease causation, and disease prevention, with emphasis on the role of chemicals and the general environment in the causation of cancer. Important studies on the mode of action and metabolism of chemical carcinogens with particular emphasis on aromatic amines and other areas of his research on chemical carcinogenesis have resulted in almost 300 publications. The recipient pioneered in early research (early 1950s) on the metabolism of 2-acetylaminofluorene. He has studied species differences as well as other factors that influence the metabolism and carcinogenicity of this amine. These studies, which have continued throughout his career, laid an important foundation for subsequent studies on factors influencing the metabolism and carcinogenicity of aromatic amines and other classes of chemical carcinogens. He is known for the development of methods to separate and quantify metabolites of carcinogens; many are currently used in laboratories throughout the world. Recently he demonstrated the promoting activity for certain bile acids and the mutagenic and carcinogenic activity in extracts of fish treated with nitrite. Dr. Weisburger also has pioneered in studies on the experimental production of colon cancer. The fundamental contributions made by the recipient were important to the development of the concept that many chemical carcinogens are metabolized to reactive electrophiles that interact with critical receptors in cells to cause cancer and/or mutations. In addition, he has enhanced our knowledge of factors that influence the metabolism and action of chemical carcinogens. These studies have suggested that it may be possible to inhibit the conversion of precarcinogens 179

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180

MERIT

AWARD-

1981

to active carcinogens or to decrease the levels of active carcinogens in humans and thereby decrease the incidence of human cancer. Significant is his contribution to the standardization of bioassay systems to detect chemical carcinogens. Dr. Weisburger established several working groups on rapid in vitro bioassays which fostered the development of these assay methods on both the national and international scene. In addition to his fundamental research in toxicology, he is well known for several critical reviews on chemical carcinogenesis. These scholarly reviews have had an important impact on teaching the subject matter of chemical carcinogenesis to both young and established toxicologists. He has been an editor of several major journals in his field, as well as being a past Chairman of the Board of Publication of the Society of Toxicology. He also served on the Council of the Society of Toxicology. In summary, the recipient of the Society of Toxicology Merit Award, Dr. John H. Weisburger, has had a distinguished and productive career in toxicology.