When Herminia Pasantes Ordez was about 14 years old, in 1950, she heard her mother tell her father that she would never find a husband. Pasantes had to wear thick glasses for her poor eyesight. In her mothers eyes, those glasses meant her future as a good woman was doomed. This made my life easier, says Pasantes, because it was already said that I was going to study.
At a time when it was uncommon for women to become scientists, Pasantes studied biology at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, or UNAM. She was the first member of her family to go to college.
Headlines and summaries of the latest Science News articles, delivered to your inbox
Thank you for signing up!
There was a problem signing you up.
She became a neurobiologist and one of the most important Mexican scientists of her time. Her studies on the role of the chemical taurine in the brain offer deep insights into how cells maintain their size essential to proper functioning. In 2001, she became the first woman to earn Mexicos National Prize for Sciences and Arts in the area of physical, mathematical and natural sciences.
We basically learned about cell volume regulation through the eyes and work of Herminia, says Alexander Mongin, a Belarusian neuroscientist at Albany Medical College in New York.
Pasantes did get married, in 1965 while doing her masters in biochemistry at UNAM. She had a daughter in 1966 and a son in 1967 before starting a Ph.D. in natural sciences in 1970 at the Center for Neurochemistry at the University of Strasbourg in France. There, she worked in the laboratory of Paul Mandel, a Polish pioneer in neurochemistry.
The lab was trying to find out everything there was to know about the retina, the layer of tissue at the back of the eye that is sensitive to light. Pasantes decided to test whether free amino acids, a group that arent incorporated into proteins, were present in the retinas and brain of mice. Her first chromatography a lab technique that lets scientists separate and identify the components of a sample showed an immense amount of taurine in both tissues. Taurine would drive the rest of her scientific career, including work in her own lab, which she started around 1975 at the Institute of Cellular Physiology at UNAM.
Taurine turns out to be widely distributed in animal tissues and has diverse biological functions, some of which were discovered by Pasantes. Her research found that taurine helps maintain cell volume in nerve cells, and that it protects brain, muscle, heart and retinal cells by preventing the death of stem cells, which give rise to all specialized cells in the body.
Contrary to what most scientists had believed at the time, taurine didnt work as a neurotransmitter sending messages between nerve cells. Pasantes demonstrated for the first time that it worked as an osmolyte in the brain. Osmolytes help maintain the size and integrity of cells by opening up channels in their membranes to get water in or out.
Pasantes says she spent many years looking for an answer for why there is so much taurine in the brain. When you ask nature a question, 80 to 90 percent of the time, it responds no, she says. But when it answers yes, its wonderful.
Pasantes lab was one of the big four labs that did groundbreaking work on cell volume regulation in the brain, says Mongin.
Her work and that of others proved taurine has a protective effect; its the reason the chemical is today sprinkled in the containers that carry organs for transplants. Pasantes work was the foundation for our understanding of how to prevent and treat brain edema, a condition where the brain swells due to excessive accumulation of fluid, from head trauma or reduced blood supply, for example. She and other experts also reviewed the role of taurine for Red Bull, which added the chemical to its formula because of potentially protective effects in the heart.
Pasantes stopped doing research in 2019 and spends her time talking and writing about science. She hopes her story speaks to women around the world who wish to be scientists: It is important to send the message that it is possible, she says.
Years before she was accepted into Mandels lab, her application to a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the UNAM was rejected. Pasantes says the reason was that she had just had her daughter. Looking back, this moment was one of the most wonderful things that couldve happened to me, Pasantes says, because she ended up in Strasbourg, where her potential as a researcher bloomed.
Rosa Mara Gonzlez Victoria, a social scientist at the Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico, who specializes in gender studies, recently interviewed Pasantes for a book about Mexican women in science. Gonzlez Victoria thinks Pasantes response to that early rejection speaks to the kind of person she is: A woman that takes those nos and turns them into yess.
See more here:
Herminia Pasantes revealed one of taurines big roles in the brain - Science News Magazine
- Global Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ((iPSC) Market to Reach $0 Thousand by 2027 - Yahoo Finance - October 13th, 2022
- Paris-based startup Gourmey uses the Big Idea Ventures accelerator program as a launch pad and goes on to raise the world's largest cultivated meat... - October 13th, 2022
- The New York Stem Cell Foundation Mourns the Loss of CEO Susan L. Solomon - October 4th, 2022
- In Multiple Myeloma, Will ASCT Survive Collision With CAR T-Cell Therapy? - Targeted Oncology - October 4th, 2022
- The global live cell imaging market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.44% during 2022-2027 - Benzinga - October 4th, 2022
- Sernova to Participate in the Roth Inaugural Healthcare Opportunities Conference - Sernova (OTC:SEOVF) - Benzinga - October 4th, 2022
- New Study Finds Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Have No Special - September 25th, 2022
- GMAs Robin Roberts replaced by Cecilia Vega as host is still absent from morning show following emotional... - The US Sun - September 25th, 2022
- Severe COVID-19 caused by senile interferon response in older patients, researchers suggest - EurekAlert - September 25th, 2022
- Money on the Move: Arsenal, ILiAD and a Hefty Gift to UCSD - BioSpace - September 8th, 2022
- How surviving cancer changed this 34-year-olds attitude toward work: The concept of checking email was laughable - CNBC - September 8th, 2022
- Garuda Therapeutics Announces Appointment of Roger Sawhney, M.D., as Chief Financial Officer - Benzinga - September 8th, 2022
- 6 Ingredients to Avoid Putting on Your Skin - Healthline - September 8th, 2022
- Scientists create 'synthetic' embryo with brain, beating heart in 'world first' - New York Post - August 30th, 2022
- Global Cell Banking Outsourcing Market to Grow at a CAGR of ~18% during 2022-2031; Market to Expand Owing to the Development of Advanced Cell... - August 30th, 2022
- Pelvic Reconstruction Market is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 366.9 million by 2032, at a CAGR of 2.8% during 2022-2032 Future Market... - August 30th, 2022
- Global Mesenchymal Stem Cell (MSC) Market to Grow at a CAGR of ~14% during 2022-2031; Market to Grow on the Back of Increasing Prevalence of Chronic... - August 5th, 2022
- Pigs died after heart attacks. Scientists brought their cells back to life. - Popular Science - August 5th, 2022
- Global Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) Market to be Driven by Increasing Prevalence of Blood Ca - Benzinga - August 5th, 2022
- Why Are There so Many Books and Shows About Cannibalism? - The New York Times - July 27th, 2022
- Cell Culture Media Market: Competitive Approach, Breakdown And Forecast by 2027 - Digital Journal - July 27th, 2022
- Shai Efrati, MD, the World's Leading Research Scientist and Innovator in Hyperbaric Medicine, to Keynote at the Global Wellness Summit - PR Web - July 27th, 2022
- Journalist Benita Alexander reveals chilling clue that told her Miracle Man Paolo Macchiarini was a rom... - The US Sun - July 27th, 2022
- Melanoma Kills Nearly Twice The Number Of Men Than Women: Study - Kaiser Health News - July 19th, 2022
- Patients have turned to pricey 'blood washing' to treat long COVID - New York Post - July 19th, 2022
- Affimed Presents Preclinical Data of Novel Innate Cell Engager AFM28 at the Annual Meeting of the European Hematology Association (EHA) -... - July 11th, 2022
- Interferons Market is anticipated to reach US$ 13.8 Bn by 2032, at a CAGR of 3.9% from 2022 to 2032 - Digital Journal - July 11th, 2022
- 'World's Greatest Tuba-Playing Car Salesman' Bounces Back after Leukemia, Thanks to Wilmot Team - URMC - July 3rd, 2022
- Hadjiargyrou Is New York Tech's First Distinguished Professor | Box | New York Tech - New York Institute of Technology - July 3rd, 2022
- The global tissue engineering market is anticipated to reach US$ 13,236.87 million in 2022 and is project - Benzinga - July 3rd, 2022
- He Helped Cure the London Patient of H.I.V. Then He Turned to Covid. - The New York Times - June 13th, 2022
- Biden to Pause New Solar Tariffs as White House Aims to Boost Adoption - The New York Times - June 13th, 2022
- Gamida Cell to Present Corporate Highlights at the Jefferies Healthcare Conference - Business Wire - June 4th, 2022
- ReCode Therapeutics to Present at Jefferies Healthcare Conference - Benzinga - Benzinga - June 4th, 2022
- A Medical History of Transplant Surgery Thats Not for the Squeamish - The New York Times - May 15th, 2022
- Mesenchymal Stem Cells Market to Witness Growth Acceleration | Celprogen Inc., Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. Queen Anne and Mangolia News - Queen... - May 15th, 2022
- CORRECTING and REPLACING Paracrine Announces Appointment of Biotech Veteran David H. Crean, Ph.D. to the Board of Directors - Business Wire - May 15th, 2022
- William Blair Begins Coverage on Century Therapeutics (NASDAQ:IPSC) - Defense World - May 15th, 2022
- Aging Brain Initiative awards fund five new ideas to study, fight neurodegeneration - MIT News - May 2nd, 2022
- Treadwell Therapeutics Announces Fast Track Designation Granted by the FDA to CFI-400945 for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia - PR Newswire - May 2nd, 2022
- What's Trending in the World of Hair Treatments - NewBeauty Magazine - May 2nd, 2022
- Demand in the US Animal Model Market is set to Increase at a 4.1% CAGR from 2022 to 2032 - Future Market Insights - PR Newswire - May 2nd, 2022
- Actinium Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Immedica Announce Commercialization Agreement for Iomab-B (131I apamistamab) in Europe, the Middle East and North... - April 19th, 2022
- BioCardia Announces New Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Reimbursement Code Applicable to the CardiAMP Cell Therapy Procedure - GlobeNewswire - March 25th, 2022
- Hoth Therapeutics Announces it Has Successfully Completed Manufacturing Feasibility of the HT-KIT Drug Substance - Yahoo Finance - March 25th, 2022
- Emendo Biotherapeutics and Seattle Children's Research Institute Announce Collaboration to Develop CRISPR-based Therapeutic Strategy for Severe... - December 24th, 2021
- 2021: The year in review | YaleNews - Yale News - December 24th, 2021
- 15 Truly Unbelievable Ways Science Changed the World in 2021 - Fatherly - December 24th, 2021
- Cargo Dragon Docks to Station with Brand New Science - NASA - December 24th, 2021
- Adaptation Is Key to Advancing Care for Adult Patients With Leukemia - OncLive - December 24th, 2021
- Cytovia Therapeutics' Scientific Leadership to Present at Upcoming Conferences - Business Wire - December 10th, 2021
- A New Stem-Cell Treatment Looks to Have Cured a Man of Type 1 Diabetes - Good News Network - December 10th, 2021
- BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics and Catalent Announce Completion of Technology Transfer for NurOwn Manufacturing - PRNewswire - December 10th, 2021
- Affimed to Host Virtual Investor Call Today to Discuss Treatment of CD30-positive Lymphoma ... - The Bakersfield Californian - December 10th, 2021
- No animals harmed in new chip drug tests that are faster and cheaper - ISRAEL21c - December 10th, 2021
- Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Failure Reduced Major Cardiac Events and Death - Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology - November 22nd, 2021
- Global Cord Blood Stem Cells Market With An Annual Growth Rate, The Impact Of Covid-19: FAQ The UK Directory - The UK Directory - November 22nd, 2021
- The Beauty Products Violet Greys Cassandra Grey Uses to the Last Drop - The Cut - November 22nd, 2021
- Cellectis to Present Preclinical Data on UCARTMESO Supporting Anti-Tumor Activity at the Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) 36th Annual... - October 16th, 2021
- Holy wars against vaccines and science People's World - People's World - October 16th, 2021
- Judge Rules to Uphold Religious Exemption to NY Vax Mandate - wnbf.com - October 16th, 2021
- Investigators Aim to Fill Unmet Need of Intermediate- to High-Risk MDS With ENHANCE Trial - OncLive - October 16th, 2021
- Healthcare Researchers Are Putting HUMAN Immune Systems In Pigs To Study Illnesses-Here's The Tech Behind It - Tech Times - October 5th, 2021
- Losing Your Hair? You Might Blame the Great Stem Cell Escape. - The New York Times - October 5th, 2021
- BrainStorm to Present at the 2021 Cell & Gene Meeting on the Mesa - KKTV 11 News - October 5th, 2021
- Coronavirus: What's happening in Canada and around the world on Tuesday - CBC.ca - October 5th, 2021
- Why Bezos, Musk, Page and other billionaires want to live forever - New York Post - October 5th, 2021
- Court hears dispute over N.Y. healthcare workers seeking COVID vaccine religious exemption - Washington Times - October 5th, 2021
- Glioma subtype may hold the secret to the success of immunotherapies - Michigan Medicine - October 5th, 2021
- Vera Nall: Misinformation will kill us in Southwest Missouri - Joplin Globe - October 5th, 2021
- Meet the Newest Group of Tenured, Tenure-Track Faculty at UT Dallas - University of Texas at Dallas - October 5th, 2021
- Global Stem Cell Banking Market to Reach US$11.3 Billion by the Year 2027 - Yahoo Finance - August 5th, 2021
- COVID-19 Antibody Therapy Now Available For Treatment and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis - PrecisionVaccinations - August 5th, 2021
- Primary Cells Market Research Report by Origin, by Cell Type, by End-user, by Region - Global Forecast to 2026 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19 - Yahoo... - August 5th, 2021
- BeyondSpring Announces Positive Topline Results from its DUBLIN-3 Registrational Trial of Plinabulin in Combination with Docetaxel for the Treatment... - August 5th, 2021
- 5 days, 11 life science IPOs & more than $1.3B in new capital - MedCity News - August 5th, 2021
- What Its Like To Have Severe Iron Deficiency Anemia - Scary Mommy - August 5th, 2021
- 'Black fungus' infections on the rise in India: report - New York Post - June 23rd, 2021
- Global Cord Stem Cell Banking Market Status, Business Trends, Competitive Analysis, Growth Factors and Forecasts To 2028||Cryo-Cell International,... - June 23rd, 2021
- Turning to Books to Grasp the Most Ungraspable Disease - The New York Times - June 23rd, 2021