Leo Loeb
Encyclopedia
Leo Loeb, M.D. was a renowned American physician
, educator, and experimental pathologist.
, Prussia
. He was orphaned as a child and grew up in the care of an uncle. Because of ill health, Leo was educated in schools that were located in German "spa" towns . As a teenager, he enrolled at the University of Heidelberg, but his tenure there was short. Indeed, over the succeeding couple of years, he spent only brief periods at several universities, in Berlin
, Freiburg
, and Basel
, unable to focus his interests. Finally, in 1890, Loeb entered the University of Zurich
Medical School . This time he remained in place, except for external sojourns to Edinburgh
, London
, and the United States for external clinical experiences. Leo received his M.D. in 1897. For his senior thesis, he had done research on skin transplantation in animals; that experience, combined with the influence of his older brother, Jacques, who was a physiologist, led Loeb to decide to pursue a career in experimental medicine .
His brother had a teaching position at the University of Chicago
, and Leo moved to that city from Europe after completing his medical degree. Following a brief period of practicing clinical medicine—which he disliked—Loeb took a position as a lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago
and the University of Chicago. At those institutions, he taught experimental methodology, and, at intervals, was also a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University
. Loeb became interested in blood coagulation
and the growth properties of malignant
cells. As an outgrowth of the latter topic, Dr. Loeb developed the cell culture
technique as applied to both normal and abnormal tissues .
Loeb was next asked to join the faculty at McGill University
in Montreal
; however, that posting lasted only one year because of his inability to acclimatize himself to the harsh Canadian winter. He moved to the University of Pennsylvania
in Philadelphia in 1903, beginning a series of important experiments on the influence on cancer growth by reproductive hormones . In 1907, Loeb published a study showed that breast carcinoma in mice could be hereditary , as it is now known to be in some human cases .
In 1915, Dr. Loeb was appointed as professor of comparative pathology at Washington University School of Medicine
(WUSM). Having long deferred a family life to concentrate on his research, he finally married Dr. Georgiana Sands (another physician) in 1922, at the age of 53 . She became not only his spouse, but also his scientific, administrative, and literary partner for the remainder of their lives together. In 1924, Dr. Loeb was given the chairmanship of pathology at WUSM; thereafter, he continued his work on tissue transplantation and cell culture, as well as research on endocrine disease. Loeb was known as a patient, kind, and helpful mentor to younger colleagues in the department .
context . This train of thought was reflected in another publication, in 1945, of a book entitled "The Biological Basis of Individuality" . Loeb proposed three levels of human thought-- "hypnosuggestion;" "reasoning thought;" and "thoughts and interests represented by problems of philosophy and science."
Dr. Loeb and his wife remained in St. Louis until his death at age 90 in 1959 .
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, educator, and experimental pathologist.
Early life
Loeb was born in 1869 in MayenMayen
Mayen is a town in the Mayen-Koblenz District of the Rhineland-Palatinate Federal State of Germany, in the eastern part of the Volcanic Eifel Region. As well as the main town, there are five further settlements which are part of Mayen, they are: Alzheim, Kürrenberg, Hausen-Betzing, Hausen and Nitztal...
, Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
. He was orphaned as a child and grew up in the care of an uncle. Because of ill health, Leo was educated in schools that were located in German "spa" towns . As a teenager, he enrolled at the University of Heidelberg, but his tenure there was short. Indeed, over the succeeding couple of years, he spent only brief periods at several universities, in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, and Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
, unable to focus his interests. Finally, in 1890, Loeb entered the University of Zurich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
Medical School . This time he remained in place, except for external sojourns to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and the United States for external clinical experiences. Leo received his M.D. in 1897. For his senior thesis, he had done research on skin transplantation in animals; that experience, combined with the influence of his older brother, Jacques, who was a physiologist, led Loeb to decide to pursue a career in experimental medicine .
His brother had a teaching position at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, and Leo moved to that city from Europe after completing his medical degree. Following a brief period of practicing clinical medicine—which he disliked—Loeb took a position as a lecturer at the University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
and the University of Chicago. At those institutions, he taught experimental methodology, and, at intervals, was also a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. Loeb became interested in blood coagulation
Coagulation
Coagulation is a complex process by which blood forms clots. It is an important part of hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, wherein a damaged blood vessel wall is covered by a platelet and fibrin-containing clot to stop bleeding and begin repair of the damaged vessel...
and the growth properties of malignant
Malignant
Malignancy is the tendency of a medical condition, especially tumors, to become progressively worse and to potentially result in death. Malignancy in cancers is characterized by anaplasia, invasiveness, and metastasis...
cells. As an outgrowth of the latter topic, Dr. Loeb developed the cell culture
Cell culture
Cell culture is the complex process by which cells are grown under controlled conditions. In practice, the term "cell culture" has come to refer to the culturing of cells derived from singlecellular eukaryotes, especially animal cells. However, there are also cultures of plants, fungi and microbes,...
technique as applied to both normal and abnormal tissues .
Loeb was next asked to join the faculty at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
; however, that posting lasted only one year because of his inability to acclimatize himself to the harsh Canadian winter. He moved to the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
in Philadelphia in 1903, beginning a series of important experiments on the influence on cancer growth by reproductive hormones . In 1907, Loeb published a study showed that breast carcinoma in mice could be hereditary , as it is now known to be in some human cases .
Career at Washington University
By 1910, Dr. Loeb had acquired a national reputation for his work on cancer . He was invited to become the director of the Barnard Free Skin & Cancer Hospital in St. Louis, a center that was attached to Washington University. This was a novel institution, in that its emphasis was on clinical research, despite the fact that Barnard was indeed a hospital for humans . Over the succeeding several years, Loeb showed clearly that the growth of certain epithelial malignancies in animals could be modulated by removal of the ovaries. That work predated clinical application of the same concept in human breast cancer by several decades .In 1915, Dr. Loeb was appointed as professor of comparative pathology at Washington University School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine , located in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the graduate schools of Washington University in St. Louis. One of the top medical schools in the United States, it is currently ranked 4th for research according to U.S. News and World Report and has been listed...
(WUSM). Having long deferred a family life to concentrate on his research, he finally married Dr. Georgiana Sands (another physician) in 1922, at the age of 53 . She became not only his spouse, but also his scientific, administrative, and literary partner for the remainder of their lives together. In 1924, Dr. Loeb was given the chairmanship of pathology at WUSM; thereafter, he continued his work on tissue transplantation and cell culture, as well as research on endocrine disease. Loeb was known as a patient, kind, and helpful mentor to younger colleagues in the department .
Retirement and Death
Dr. Loeb retired from doing active research in 1941, at the age of 72. From then on, he concentrated on the meaning of his findings in an increasingly existentialExistentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
context . This train of thought was reflected in another publication, in 1945, of a book entitled "The Biological Basis of Individuality" . Loeb proposed three levels of human thought-- "hypnosuggestion;" "reasoning thought;" and "thoughts and interests represented by problems of philosophy and science."
Dr. Loeb and his wife remained in St. Louis until his death at age 90 in 1959 .