Endocrine Abstracts

Phil Lowry, School of Animal and Microbial Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK Abstract

Professor Phil Lowry is best known for his research on pituitary hormones, corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and the involvement of neuropeptides in pre-eclampsia. A peptide biochemist by training, his preparations of purified corticotrophin (ACTH) and growth hormone (GH) became standards of the World Health Organisation. His close attention to detail is reflected by the fact that the procedures he developed for the large scale purification of therapeutic GH have never been associated with cases of Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease (C-JD) and, in fact, became the method of choice to prepare prion-free pituitary GH. The quality of his methods was noted by Judge Morland in his written report in CJD litigation against the DHS and MRC in the High Court in 1994.