Sir John Vane was one of the pre-eminent pharmacologists of the
twentieth century. He established the William Harvey Research
Institute at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College in 1986
after twelve years as R & D Director of the Wellcome Foundation.
John Vane shared the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1982 for his
work on prostaglandins. In part this was in recognition of his
discovery of how aspirin blocked the synthesis of prostaglandins
through inhibition of the enzyme now widely known as cyclo-
oxygenase. His work led to a clear understanding of how aspirin
and similar drugs produce pain-relief and anti-inflammatory
effects. It also provided an explanation for how aspirin
prevents blood clots and helps prevent heart attacks and
strokes. Aspirin remains one of the most commonly used medicines
for treating people with heart disease. John Vane and colleagues
at Wellcome also discovered prostacyclin, a key protective
factor that helps keep blood vessels healthy. Prostacyclin is a
vasodilator prostaglandin that