The Journey of Rita Levi-Montalcini and the Discovery of Nerve Growth Factor

Introduction

• From a single cell to a fully formed person, growth involves cell multiplication in various body parts, including the brain.
• Neurons multiply and contribute to individual uniqueness.

Early Life of Rita Levi-Montalcini

• Born: 1909 in Italy
• Initial Path: Expected to become a housewife (common for girls of her time).
• Turning Point: Inspired to become a doctor after her governess died of stomach cancer.

Academic Journey

• Attended university and learned a technique that opened the microscopic world of the nervous system.
• Fascination with neurons led to a commitment to studying their growth.

Challenges Faced

• In 1938, under Mussolini's regime, faced exclusion from academia due to her Jewish heritage.
• Conducted research in secrecy, using fertilized chicken eggs to study developing embryos.

Key Discoveries

• Inspired by German embryologist Victor Hamburger's experiments:
  • Hamburger removed wing buds from chick embryos, which prevented nerve development to the wings.
  • He suggested that the wing buds produced a substance essential for brain cells to develop specialized functions.
• Rita Levi-Montalcini's Hypothesis:
  • Proposed that the unknown substance was crucial for the survival of neurons, promoting growth of nerves in the limb.

Collaboration and Research

• Hamburger invited Levi-Montalcini to collaborate on finding the substance.
• Investigated tumors (cancer as abnormal cell growth) for clues.
• Discovery that tumor cells from mice influenced nerve cell development in chick embryos.
  • Tumor cells produced a chemical that enhanced nerve growth.

Isolation of Nerve Growth Factor

• After years of experimentation, with assistance from biochemist Stanley Cohen, they isolated the substance.
• Named it Nerve Growth Factor (NGF).
  • First in a family of proteins known as growth factors, essential for healthy development.

Significance of the Discovery

• Understanding of cell multiplication and unique body part formation improved.
• Enhanced knowledge about cancer and its mechanisms.
• Rita Levi-Montalcini awarded a Nobel Prize for her groundbreaking work, providing hope against fatal diseases.