Beutler, Bruce Alan, << BOYT luhr, >> (1957-…), an American biologist, shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for his discovery of a mechanism that animal cells use to recognize invading pathogens. Pathogens are things that cause infections. Common pathogens include certain bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Beutler’s research involves the innate (inborn) immune system, which provides a generalized response to a wide range of pathogens. Beutler shared the prize with two other biologists who also studied the immune system: Jules A. Hoffmann of Luxembourg and the Canadian-born Ralph M. Steinman.
Beutler discovered a particular type of structure called a receptor on the surface of mammal cells. This receptor recognizes a molecule called lipopolysaccharide (LPS) present on many pathogens. When immune system cells detect LPS, they attack the pathogen. In many cases, white blood cells kill the pathogen by surrounding it and breaking it down. The LPS receptor can also trigger inflammation in response to an infection and may play a role in inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. The discovery of the receptor has helped scientists to develop better treatments for many diseases.
Beutler was born on Dec. 29, 1957, in Chicago. He studied science at the University of California at San Diego, earning his bachelor’s degree in 1976. He went on to earn an M.D. degree at the University of Chicago in 1981. From 1980 to 2000, he conducted research at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and Rockefeller University in New York City. In 2000, he joined the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. In 2011, he returned to a faculty position at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
See also Hoffmann, Jules Alphonse ; Steinman, Ralph Marvin .
