HOW ABERDEEN WON THE ENDORPHIN RACE
Everyone has heard of endorphins, the “feel good” chemicals; but less is told about their discovery, just over fifty years ago – in Aberdeen. It was made by a small group led by Prof. Hans Kosterlitz, who had come to Aberdeen from his native Germany in 1934 to work with JJR Macleod, the insulin pioneer and Nobel laureate.
By the 1970s it was known that opiates like morphine affect us through their impact on particular proteins in the brain. Kosterlitz wondered how such brain receptors could have evolved when humans normally have little contact with the products of the opium poppy. Logically, he reasoned, for such a long-term link to develop, there has to be some morphine-like substance in our bodies that is in regular contact with our brains. It sounded far-fetched, but his team listened and began to investigate. Then the word spread to other research groups in Europe and the USA, larger and better-equipped; and the race was on.
“It was a very competitive international race,” says Dr Alistair Corbett, who joined Kosterlitz’s group later, “and Aberdeen took on the world – and won!”
“Prior to publication of the paper describing the characterisation of the enkephalins, Kosterlitz sent a copy of the page proofs to the leaders of the other groups that he knew had been actively seeking to characterise the endogenous opioid – their competitors in the race. In a very generous gesture of congratulations Sol Snyder arranged for a magnum of Harrods’ best cognac to be sent to Aberdeen. When the wooden crate with the Harrods’ logo on its side was delivered to the laboratory, Kosterlitz was at first somewhat nonplussed as he assumed that a member of staff had placed an order with this famous and expensive London store without first asking his permission. However, his demeanour changed when on opening the crate he discovered the bottle of Courvoisier brandy along with a note of congratulations from Snyder.”
Prof. Hans Kosterlitz died 30 years ago, and 10 years ago his son Michael was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. On Sunday 6 September, which is also the 150th anniversary of the birth of Prof. JJR Macleod, a concert in St Magnus Cathedral will perform music by some of the composers who along with Kosterlitz left Germany or Austria during the 1930s, and music by some who stayed. The concert – ‘Let Not Your Heart Br Troubled’ – will also feature the premiere of a new work by Gemma McGregor in memory of Hans Kosterlitz.
