Nobel laureate Ferid Murad of the George Washington University, US, said that role of gases in cellular communication and cellular signalling is being looked at by scientists across the world.
He was delivering the first G Parthasarathy oration organised by the Sree Chithra Thirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology here on Thursday.
Ferid Murad was given the Nobel Prize for his path-breaking discovery on the role of nitric oxide in cellular communication and also in cardiovascular system that the treatment protocol following a heart attack was totally changed.
‘’When we first published our results, there were scientists who did not believe. Now, decades later, this is the most rapidly growing areas in biology with thousands of research papers being published on the effect of nitric oxide,’’ said Murad, whose discovery also paved the way for the development of the drug viagra.
Ferid Murad, who said he loved research and medicine and especially fundamental research that had applications in difficult medical problems, recollected the famous experiment of Pavlov’s salivating dogs in his lecture.
“The dogs were conditioned to respond to different stimuli proving that the vision, smell and the brain were talking to the stomach,’’ he said.
Murad said that nitric oxide can function as a messenger between cells, a neurotransmitter or even like a hormone that may have effect on different sites.
‘’Nitric oxide has an unpaired electron in its outer orbit which makes it very reactive and thus involved in a number of biological processes. It is a unique single molecule with an array of signaling functions,’’ said Murad. He described how the enzyme-forming cyclic GMP was increased by nitric oxide, which later led to changes in proteins and such cascade effects finally manifesting in a biological change.
The biological effects are seen in smooth muscle relaxation, changes in blood pressure, memory, stroke, diabetes, platelet aggregation, arthritis, heart contractions and gene regulation. It is involved in diseases like asthma, inflamation, and neural degeneration.
The Nobel laureate also pointed out the dangers of excessive nitric oxide which in the presence of superoxide may form what is called the peroxynitrite, which is very toxic causing changes in DNA, RNA and protein nitration.
Murad, whose finding has now permeated every branch of medicine, said: If I had been just a doctor, I could have probably helped a few thousands of people. I am happy that my research has now helped millions.
G Parthasarathy was the first president of the Sree Chithra Thirunal Institute. The function was attended by SCTIMST director Jagan Mohan Tharakan and former director M S Valiathan, among a host of other eminent persons.