Eduardo Cruz-Coke Lassabe, Chilean biochemist (Valparaiso 22 April 1899 – Santiago 18 March 1974)

From French mother and English grandfather

ACHIEVEMENTS  

Developed the idea that molecular fluctuations exert a major influence on cells rather than that exerted by thermodynamics  anticipating J. Monod

Las transformaciones de la energia en los organismos vivos. Rev. La Clinica  4:517-30, 1927

Discovered tyrosine molecule in angiotensin

Identified a factor of “energy yield” in oxidation reactions

Factores componentes del metabolismo. Rev. Med. Chile 68:159-62, 1940 

With J. Mardones & M. Plaza de los Reyes proposed a scheme of a number of biochemical reactions in renal hypertension mechanism

METHODS

Developed chemical methods for inactivating angiotensin (1946)   

With L. Lapicque. Nouvelle methode de dialyse chloroformique. Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol. Paris 96:946-8, 1927

Sur une reaction chimique de la vitamine antirachitique. Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol. Paris 105, 1930

A colour reaction of vitamine E with vitamine K and cysteine. Nature 181(4601):49, 1958

Papers in top journals

With F. Gonzalez & W. Hulsen. The use of ionic exchange resins for the purification of penicillin and hypertensin. Science 101 (2622), 1945 (A simple method of purifying penicillin by means of synthetic resins)

Inactivation of hypertensin. Science 104 (2691):86, 1946

Mechanism of renal hypertension. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 3:32-60, 1946

HONORS   

Doctor Honoris Causa, Université de Paris

Life Member, New York Academy of Sciences

Honorary Member, United States Surgeons Association

Vice-president, First International Congress of Biochemistry, Cambridge (1949)

His son, Ricardo Cruz-Coke Madrid, Chilean physician (Santiago de Chile 13 August 1925 – Santiago de Chile 26 October 2016)

Authored about 300 publications about medicine, genetics, ethics and history

Described a nomogram to estimate the chance of consanguinity for specific autosomal recessive diseases

Nomogram for estimating specific consanguinity risks. J. Med. Genet. 19(3):216-7, 1982

Sexagesimal scale for mapping human genome. Rev. Chil. Hist. Nat. 74(1):91-7, 2001

A general diagram of human genome. J. Med. Genet. 27:388-9, 1990

With J.C. Silva. Medical genetic study by computer of a universal sample of livebirths. I. Introduction to the methods. Rev. Med. Chile 97(5):320-31, 1969

With J. Mardones. Detection of the segment of the population vulnerable to alcoholism, by means of a genetic marker Bol. Oficina Sanit. Panam. 71(3):187-93, 1971

Papers / Letters in Lancet

Genetic diagram of the human family. Lancet 304 (7872):109, 1974

Genetic theory and the alcoholic phenotype. Lancet 302 (7840):276, 1973

With G.J. Gorrell & H.C. Thuline. Inheritance of alcoholism. Lancet 289 (7484):274-5, 1967

With A. Varela. Inheritance of alcoholism. Its association with colour-blindness. Lancet 2 (7476):1282-4, 1966

With A. Varela. Colour-blindness and alcohol addiction. Lancet 2 (7426):1348, 1965

Colour-blindness and cirrhosis of the liver. Lancet 1 (7396):1131-3, 1965

With R. Etcheverry & R. Nagel. Influence of migration on blood pressure of Easter Islanders. Lancet 1 (7335):697-9, 1964

Absence of essential hypertension. Lancet 278 (7214):1255, 1961

Environmental influences and arterial blood pressure. Lancet 2 (7156):885-6, 1960

The nature of hypertension. Lancet 275 (7134):1128, 1960

The nature of essential hypertension. Lancet 274 (7107):853, 1959

Diastolic pressure and malignant hypertension. Lancet 272 (7049):752-3, 1958

With M. Plaza de los Reyes, R. Orozco, I. Matus & A. Cristofanini. Influenzal pneumonia treated with cortisone and antibiotics. Lancet 270:7000-5, 1957