Biomaterial Database

The discovery of the therapeutic use of D-penicillamine. 1981

J M Walshe

An account is given of the identification of penicillamine in human urine by chromatographic and analytical techniques. At that time this observation appeared to be of esoteric interest only. Some years later, working at the Thorndike Memorial Laboratory at the Boston City Hospital, it occurred to me that the formula of this compound was ideally suited for use as a copper chelating agent for the treatment of Wilson's disease. The subsequent work leading to the acceptance of penicillamine as an important new therapy and also as to its mode of action is given with illustrations of some key experiments and with reference to the first patient ever treated with this drug.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009555	Ninhydrin	2,2-Dihydroxy-1H-indene-1,3-(2H)-dione. Reagent toxic to skin and mucus membranes. It is used in chemical assay for peptide bonds, i.e., protein determinations and has radiosensitizing properties.	Indantrione Monohydrate,Monohydrate, Indantrione
D010396	Penicillamine	3-Mercapto-D-valine. The most characteristic degradation product of the penicillin antibiotics. It is used as an antirheumatic and as a chelating agent in Wilson's disease.	Dimethylcysteine,Mercaptovaline,beta,beta-Dimethylcysteine,Copper Penicillaminate,Cuprenil,Cuprimine,D-3-Mercaptovaline,D-Penicillamine,Metalcaptase,D 3 Mercaptovaline,D Penicillamine,Penicillaminate, Copper,beta,beta Dimethylcysteine
D002614	Chelating Agents	Chemicals that bind to and remove ions from solutions. Many chelating agents function through the formation of COORDINATION COMPLEXES with METALS.	Chelating Agent,Chelator,Complexons,Metal Antagonists,Chelators,Metal Chelating Agents,Agent, Chelating,Agents, Chelating,Agents, Metal Chelating,Antagonists, Metal,Chelating Agents, Metal
D003300	Copper	A heavy metal trace element with the atomic symbol Cu, atomic number 29, and atomic weight 63.55.	Copper-63,Copper 63
D005260	Female		Females
D006527	Hepatolenticular Degeneration	A rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by the deposition of copper in the BRAIN; LIVER; CORNEA; and other organs. It is caused by defects in the ATP7B gene encoding copper-transporting ATPase 2 (EC 3.6.3.4), also known as the Wilson disease protein. The overload of copper inevitably leads to progressive liver and neurological dysfunction such as LIVER CIRRHOSIS; TREMOR; ATAXIA and intellectual deterioration. Hepatic dysfunction may precede neurologic dysfunction by several years.	Cerebral Pseudosclerosis,Neurohepatic Degeneration,Pseudosclerosis,Wilson Disease,Copper Storage Disease,Hepatic Form of Wilson Disease,Hepato-Neurologic Wilson Disease,Hepatocerebral Degeneration,Hepatolenticular Degeneration Syndrome,Kinnier-Wilson Disease,Progressive Lenticular Degeneration,Westphal-Strumpell Syndrome,Wilson Disease, Hepatic Form,Wilson's Disease,Cerebral Pseudoscleroses,Copper Storage Diseases,Degeneration Syndrome, Hepatolenticular,Degeneration Syndromes, Hepatolenticular,Degeneration, Hepatocerebral,Degeneration, Hepatolenticular,Degeneration, Neurohepatic,Degeneration, Progressive Lenticular,Degenerations, Hepatocerebral,Degenerations, Neurohepatic,Disease, Copper Storage,Diseases, Copper Storage,Diseases, Hepato-Neurologic Wilson,Diseases, Kinnier-Wilson,Hepato Neurologic Wilson Disease,Hepato-Neurologic Wilson Diseases,Hepatocerebral Degenerations,Hepatolenticular Degeneration Syndromes,Kinnier Wilson Disease,Kinnier-Wilson Diseases,Lenticular Degeneration, Progressive,Neurohepatic Degenerations,Pseudoscleroses, Cerebral,Pseudosclerosis, Cerebral,Storage Disease, Copper,Storage Diseases, Copper,Syndrome, Hepatolenticular Degeneration,Syndromes, Hepatolenticular Degeneration,Westphal Strumpell Syndrome,Westphal-Strumpell Syndromes,Wilson Disease, Hepato-Neurologic,Wilson Diseases, Hepato-Neurologic,Wilsons Disease
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths
D013438	Sulfhydryl Compounds	Compounds containing the -SH radical.	Mercaptan,Mercapto Compounds,Sulfhydryl Compound,Thiol,Thiols,Mercaptans,Compound, Sulfhydryl,Compounds, Mercapto,Compounds, Sulfhydryl
D049673	History, 20th Century	Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.	20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History