Bergström, Sune Karl

Bergström, Sune Karl

(so͞o`nə, bĕr`yəström), 1916–2004, Swedish biochemist, grad. Karolinska Institute (Ph.D., M.D., 1944). With his former pupil B. I. SamuelssonSamuelsson, Bengt Ingemar,
1934–, Swedish biochemist, grad. Karolinska Institute (Ph.D. 1960, M.D. 1961). He was a professor at the Karolinska Institute from 1962 to 1966 and again from 1973; from 1967 to 1972 he was on the faculty at the Royal Veterinary College,
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 and John R. VaneVane, Sir John Robert,
1927–2004, British pharmacologist, Ph.D. Oxford, 1953. With B. I. Samuelsson and Sune K. Bergström, Vane was awarded the 1982 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
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, he was awarded the 1982 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The trio won the prize for their identification and description of prostaglandinsprostaglandin
, any of a group of about a dozen compounds synthesized from fatty acids in mammals as well as in lower animals. Prostaglandins are highly potent substances that are not stored but are produced as needed by cell membranes in virtually every body tissue.
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, which affect such functions as blood pressure and body temperature. Bergström was associated with the Karolinska Institute for much of his career, serving as president from 1969 to 1977. He also taught at the Univ. of Lund, Sweden (1947–58), was chairman of the Nobel Foundation's board (1975–87), and chaired the World Health Organization's advisory committee on medical research (1977–82).