Coen Hemker | |
---|---|
Born | Hendrik Coenraad Hemker 21 July 1934 Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
Nationality | Dutch |
Occupation | Biochemist |
Awards | Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine (1985) |
Academic background | |
Alma mater | University of Amsterdam |
Thesis | Mechanisme van de werking van ontkoppelende fenolen op de ademhalingsketen-fosforylering (1962) |
Doctoral advisor | Edward Slater |
Academic work | |
Institutions | Leiden University,Maastricht University |
Main interests | thrombosis,hemostasis |
Hendrik Coenraad"Coen"Hemker (born 21 July 1934) is a Dutch biochemist and academic administrator. He was one of the founders of Maastricht University and was its rector magnificus from 1982 to 1984. He was a professor of biochemistry from 1975 until 1999. In his research he has mainly studied thrombosis and hemostasis.
Hemker was born on 21 July 1934 in Amsterdam. [1] With his mother being a heart patient and his father spending a lot of time on his hobbies,Hemker frequently looked after his four younger brothers. He subsequently wanted to study pediatrics but was advised by Dutch pediatrician Simon van Creveld to study biochemistry for a year. [2] Hemker obtained his medical degree from the University of Amsterdam in 1959. [3] [4] Academically he performed well and he was asked to continue his studies so he could obtain a PhD. By this time he thoroughly liked performing research and accepted the offer. [2] He obtained his PhD in biochemistry in 1962 at the University of Amsterdam under Edward Slater with a thesis titled:Mechanisme van de werking van ontkoppelende fenolen op de ademhalingsketen-fosforylering. [3] [5]
Hemker subsequently started his specialist training to become a pediatrician but stopped as he preferred doing research. He was then hired as a researcher at the hemostasis and thrombosis department of Leiden University. While in this position he was sent to Oxford for further training where he met Robert Gwyn Macfarlane. Macfarlane had developed a first theory of coagulation. Hemker doubted the validity of the theory and thought one of the enzymes played a different role. The two men found Hemker's idea was correct and they subsequently published their findings in Nature . [2]
During the 1960s he worked on vitamin K research under professor E.A. Loeliger. He found a coagulant factor only occurring with the use of vitamin K antagonists or a vitamin K deficiency. [6] Hemker became a lector of cardiology and professor of internal medicine at Leiden University in 1968. [7] [8]
In the early 1970s,there were plans to establish a new university in the Netherlands,with Maastricht being named as a possible location. In 1973 Hemker was asked to join the project by political proponents of the plan,politician Sjeng Tans and Maastricht mayor Fons Baeten . [2] In 1974 he was appointed and became part of a group of seven professors that prepared the founding of the Faculty of Medicine at the Rijksuniversiteit Limburg (later renamed Maastricht University). [2] [8] [9] The group was responsible for the forming of the eight faculty of medicine in the Netherlands,but when their work commenced the urgent need for the faculty was already diminished which led to the search for a different profile for the university as compared to others. This was found in first line care,family medicine,and a new education concept. Hemker found that research did not receive sufficient attention. [9] Hemker led a research group at Leiden University until 1975 when he formally moved to Maastricht University. [3] At that point he became chair of the biochemistry department. [8] At Maastricht his research group studied thrombosis and hemostasis. [3] In 1976 he was the first promotor of a doctorate at Maastricht University. [8] During his time at Maastricht problem-based learning was considered innovative at the institute,although Hemker was initially positive about this he later became neutral to negative on the approach. [8] [9] [10] Between 1976 and 1985 Hemker was concurrently working as an unpaid part-time professor of biochemistry at Leiden University. [7]
In the early 1980s,the economic outlook in the Netherlands was negative and Maastricht University was not yet perceived to be a fully qualified university by other universities and the political establishment and there was fear of budget cuts or even the disestablishment of the institute. Hemker put his own name forward for the position of rector magnifici of Maastricht University to strengthen the scientific profile of the university. [9] Hemker has stated he took the opportunity to show the importance of research at a time when the university was focused on education. [2] The university board of directors,led by Rob van den Biggelaar,did not look favorably upon his nomination. As the college of deans supported Hemker he obtained the position and served as rector from 1982 to 1984. [8] [9] Six months after laying down his position as rector Hemker was asked by Wim Deetman the Dutch Minister of Education and Sciences to become chairman of the university board of directors. He declined as he wanted to focus on his research. [2] [9]
After 1984 he took a sabbatical and became a visiting professor at the Paris Descartes University,Pierre and Marie Curie University and the Collège de France in Paris. [3] [4] [9] During 1988 he started working full-time at Maastricht University again. [4] In 1995 he academically clashed with one of his colleagues in such a way that the matter was brought before the university board. Hemker was subsequently reprimanded for not having separated his own business venture sufficiently from his work in the faculty. Hemker subsequently stated that he had been too lax with his administrative obligations. [9] He was an affiliate professor of internal medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine between 1995 and 2005. [3] Hemker officially retired from Maastricht University in 1999. [8] The Hemker Fund was established in his name to promote scholarship into thrombosis and hemostasis. [11] In 2009 a lecture hall at Maastricht University was named after him. [8] During his career Hemker was (co-)promotor of 70 PhD's,including that of his own father when he was 70 years old. [2] [8]
In 1968 Hemker,in collaboration with Prof. R.G.Macfarlane (Oxford),found that prothrombin is converted into thrombin by two clotting proteins (factors Xa and Va) adsorbed next to each other on a membrane surface. [12] In the same year that a similar mechanism describes how the antihemophilic factors (Factors VIIa and IXa) act. [13] The detailed enzyme kinetics of these interactions was investigated later in collaboration with Rosing,Tans and Van Dieijen. [14] The role of blood platelets in these processes was investigated in his lab by the groups of Zwaal [15] and Béguin. [16] A second line of research is the mode of action of antithrombotic drugs,both vitamin K antagonists [17] and heparins. [18] [19] A third main subject developed in collaboration with S.Béguin,is the invention of an automated thrombin generation test as sensitive probe for the function of the hemostatic power and thrombotic tendency of the blood. [20] [21] Hemker has more than 500 scientific publications to his name and holds several dozen patents. [22] [23] He was the founder of the company Synapse,at which he continued to work after his retirement from Maastricht University. [24]
Hemker was the winner of the 1968 Prix Européen Ganassini for his research on vitamin K coagulants. [6] In 1985 he was recipient of the Ernst Jung Prize for Medicine. [25] Hemker was elected a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1987. [26] In the same year he was named a commander of the Ordre des Palmes académiques. [3] [27] Hemker was elected a member of the Academia Europaea in 1990. [27] He became a Chevalier in the Legion of Honour in 1990. [3] [27] Hemker became a foreign honorary member of the Koninklijke Academie voor Geneeskunde van België in 1991. [27] [28] In 2000 he was made a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. [29] In 2001 Hemker became a foreign member of the French Académie Nationale de Médecine. [27] He was promoted to Officier in the Legion of Honour in 2011. [8] In 2019 Hemker won the Dr. J.G.H. Tans Medal,the highest award of Maastricht University. [8]
Hemker's wife is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst. [9] During the late 1980s Hemker suffered from severe ulcerative colitis,which led to him losing 20 kilograms and it nearly killed him. In an operation his large intestine was removed and Hemker subsequently recovered. [9] Hemker wrote a cook book with chef Jacques Zeguers. [2] [9]
Anticoagulants,commonly known as blood thinners,are chemical substances that prevent or reduce coagulation of blood,prolonging the clotting time. Some of them occur naturally in blood-eating animals such as leeches and mosquitoes,where they help keep the bite area unclotted long enough for the animal to obtain some blood. As a class of medications,anticoagulants are used in therapy for thrombotic disorders. Oral anticoagulants (OACs) are taken by many people in pill or tablet form,and various intravenous anticoagulant dosage forms are used in hospitals. Some anticoagulants are used in medical equipment,such as sample tubes,blood transfusion bags,heart–lung machines,and dialysis equipment. One of the first anticoagulants,warfarin,was initially approved as a rodenticide.
Coagulation,also known as clotting,is the process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel,forming a blood clot. It potentially results in hemostasis,the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel,followed by repair. The mechanism of coagulation involves activation,adhesion and aggregation of platelets,as well as deposition and maturation of fibrin.
Thrombin is a serine protease,an enzyme that,in humans,is encoded by the F2 gene. Prothrombin is proteolytically cleaved to form thrombin in the clotting process. Thrombin in turn acts as a serine protease that converts soluble fibrinogen into insoluble strands of fibrin,as well as catalyzing many other coagulation-related reactions.
Ximelagatran is an anticoagulant that has been investigated extensively as a replacement for warfarin that would overcome the problematic dietary,drug interaction,and monitoring issues associated with warfarin therapy. In 2006,its manufacturer AstraZeneca announced that it would withdraw pending applications for marketing approval after reports of hepatotoxicity during trials,and discontinue its distribution in countries where the drug had been approved.
Draculin is a glycoprotein found in the saliva of vampire bats. It is a single-chain polypeptide protein composed of 708 amino acids,weighing about 88.5 kDa when reduced and 83 kDa when non-reduced,and selectively inhibits FIXa and FXa. It functions as an anticoagulant,inhibiting coagulation factors IX (IXa) and X (Xa) by establishing rapid equilibrium with factor Xa,and is the first natural polypeptide which has been described to show immediate anti-IXa and anti-Xa properties. In addition,Draculin inhibits the conversion of prothrombin to thrombin,preventing fibrinogen from converting to fibrin. These two processes inhibit blood coagulation thus keeping the blood of the bitten victim from clotting while the bat is drinking. The activation of factor X is a common point between the intrinsic and extrinsic pathway of blood coagulation. Activated factor X (FXa) is the sole enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of prothrombine into thrombin,which is vital in the coagulation cascade. Draculin is a member of the Lactoferrin family of proteins that functions as an antibacterial protein in other mammals,but has been co-opted in bat evolution to function as an anticoagulant.
Thrombophilia is an abnormality of blood coagulation that increases the risk of thrombosis. Such abnormalities can be identified in 50% of people who have an episode of thrombosis that was not provoked by other causes. A significant proportion of the population has a detectable thrombophilic abnormality,but most of these develop thrombosis only in the presence of an additional risk factor.
Factor X,also known by the eponym Stuart–Prower factor,is an enzyme of the coagulation cascade. It is a serine endopeptidase. Factor X is synthesized in the liver and requires vitamin K for its synthesis.
Factor V is a protein of the coagulation system,rarely referred to as proaccelerin or labile factor. In contrast to most other coagulation factors,it is not enzymatically active but functions as a cofactor. Deficiency leads to predisposition for hemorrhage,while some mutations predispose for thrombosis.
Hirudin is a naturally occurring peptide in the salivary glands of blood-sucking leeches that has a blood anticoagulant property. This is essential for the leeches' habit of feeding on blood,since it keeps a host's blood flowing after the worm's initial puncture of the skin.
Argatroban is an anticoagulant that is a small molecule direct thrombin inhibitor. In 2000,argatroban was licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for prophylaxis or treatment of thrombosis in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). In 2002,it was approved for use during percutaneous coronary interventions in patients who have HIT or are at risk for developing it. In 2012,it was approved by the MHRA in the UK for anticoagulation in patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia Type II (HIT) who require parenteral antithrombotic therapy.
The prothrombinase complex consists of the serine protease,Factor Xa,and the protein cofactor,Factor Va. The complex assembles on negatively charged phospholipid membranes in the presence of calcium ions. The prothrombinase complex catalyzes the conversion of prothrombin (Factor II),an inactive zymogen,to thrombin (Factor IIa),an active serine protease. The activation of thrombin is a critical reaction in the coagulation cascade,which functions to regulate hemostasis in the body. To produce thrombin,the prothrombinase complex cleaves two peptide bonds in prothrombin,one after Arg271 and the other after Arg320. Although it has been shown that Factor Xa can activate prothrombin when unassociated with the prothrombinase complex,the rate of thrombin formation is severely decreased under such circumstances. The prothrombinase complex can catalyze the activation of prothrombin at a rate 3 x 105-fold faster than can Factor Xa alone. Thus,the prothrombinase complex is required for the efficient production of activated thrombin and also for adequate hemostasis.
Dicoumarol (INN) or dicumarol (USAN) is a naturally occurring anticoagulant drug that depletes stores of vitamin K. It is also used in biochemical experiments as an inhibitor of reductases.
The thrombin time (TT),also known as the thrombin clotting time (TCT),is a blood test that measures the time it takes for a clot to form in the plasma of a blood sample containing anticoagulant,after an excess of thrombin has been added. It is used to diagnose blood coagulation disorders and to assess the effectiveness of fibrinolytic therapy. This test is repeated with pooled plasma from normal patients. The difference in time between the test and the 'normal' indicates an abnormality in the conversion of fibrinogen to fibrin,an insoluble protein.
Hypercoagulability in pregnancy is the propensity of pregnant women to develop thrombosis. Pregnancy itself is a factor of hypercoagulability,as a physiologically adaptive mechanism to prevent post partum bleeding. However,when combined with an additional underlying hypercoagulable states,the risk of thrombosis or embolism may become substantial.
Scott syndrome is a rare congenital bleeding disorder that is due to a defect in a platelet mechanism required for blood coagulation.
Direct thrombin inhibitors (DTIs) are a class of anticoagulant drugs that can be used to prevent and treat embolisms and blood clots caused by various diseases. They inhibit thrombin,a serine protease which affects the coagulation cascade in many ways. DTIs have undergone rapid development since the 90's. With technological advances in genetic engineering the production of recombinant hirudin was made possible which opened the door to this new group of drugs. Before the use of DTIs the therapy and prophylaxis for anticoagulation had stayed the same for over 50 years with the use of heparin derivatives and warfarin which have some well known disadvantages. DTIs are still under development,but the research focus has shifted towards factor Xa inhibitors,or even dual thrombin and fXa inhibitors that have a broader mechanism of action by both inhibiting factor IIa (thrombin) and Xa. A recent review of patents and literature on thrombin inhibitors has demonstrated that the development of allosteric and multi-mechanism inhibitors might lead the way to a safer anticoagulant.
Blood clotting tests are the tests used for diagnostics of the hemostasis system. Coagulometer is the medical laboratory analyzer used for testing of the hemostasis system. Modern coagulometers realize different methods of activation and observation of development of blood clots in blood or in blood plasma.
Thomas Kietzmann is a German physician and biochemist. He is a professor for biochemistry at the University of Oulu in Finland.
The activated protein C resistance (APCR) test is a coagulation test used in the evaluation and diagnosis of activated protein C (APC) resistance,a form of hypercoagulability. Hereditary APC resistance is usually caused by the factor V Leiden mutation,whereas acquired APC resistance has been linked to antiphospholipid antibodies,pregnancy,and estrogen therapy. APC resistance can be measured using either an activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT)-based test or an endogenous thrombin potential (ETP)-based test.
Paul Jacob Brombacher was a Dutch clinical chemist,professor at Maastricht University and the head clinical chemist at De Wever Hospital in Heerlen.