Lucien Lison
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[[Image:Lucien Lison.JPG|right]]
'''Lucien Alphonse Joseph Lison''' ([[1908]]–[[1984]]) was a Belgian/Brazilian physician and biomedical scientist, considered the "father of [[histochemistry]]".
Lison was born in [[Trazeguier]], [[Belgium]]. He studied [[medicine]] at the [[Universite Libre de Bruxelles]], graduating in 1931. Deciding for a career in experimental biological research, Lison started to work in [[histology]], developing a number of new techniques for dyeing specific substances present in a slice of [[Biological tissue|tissue]]. Before the advent of [[radiolabeling]], this was the only group of techniques which could infer function based on [[biochemistry|biochemical]] activity and it represented a great promise not only for basic science, such as [[physiology]] and [[pharmacology]], but for [[pathology]] and laboratory [[diagnosis]] of diseases, as well. He developed the [[Lison-Dunn stain]], a technique using leuco patent blue V and [[hydrogen peroxidase]] to demonstrate [[hemoglobin peroxidase]] in tissues and smears. In [[1936]], Lison wrote a landmark paper, where he stated precisely the scientifically acceptable criteria to develop techniques of morphological evidence of cytochemical processes.
In 1950, together with J. Pasteels, he developed a new [[histophotometer]] and a technique which he used extensively to quantify [[DNA]] content in several types of cells, present in [[chromatin]] ([[chromosomes]] in the [[nucleolus]]). This approach became a widely used laboratory tool in the beginning of the new science of [[molecular biology]] and [[genetics]].
In 1951, using this technique with the [[Feulgen reaction]], both authors studied the amount of DNA in the nuclei of developing [[sea urchin]] [[roe|eggs]] and showed for the first time the important fact that each time that [[morphogenesis]] is accompanied by an intense [[mitosis]], the amount of nuclear DNA is increased in this region.
Lison also contributed extensively to the understanding of [[metachromasy]], the histochemistry of [[phosphatase]]s and of [[lipid]]s. In 1952, Lison published a truly monumental textbook on animal histochemistry, which became a classic in the field, unifying and integrating many concepts. With this, he was hailed as the "father of histochemistry".
In 1953 he was invited by Prof. [[Zeferino Vaz]], the founder and director of the [[Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto|Medical School of Ribeirão Preto]], in the campus of [[Ribeirão Preto]] of the [[University of São Paulo]], to chair the Department of [[Histology]]. Europe was living through the difficult post-war years and the concept proposed by Vaz was revolutionary and intrinsically motivational for Lison and other Europeans who had accepted similar invitations. After a year of work, the Department of [[Anatomy]] of the new institution was merged with the Department of Histology, under the single denomination of Department of [[Morphology (biology)|Morphology]], under Lison's leadership. Dr. Lison became a full professor and chairman with the thesis titled "Influence of Fixative Agents on the Histochemical Reaction of Amine Groups", a very important work for neurochemistry. In 1960, he published a textbook, "Animal Histochemistry and Citochemistry, Principles and Methods", an expansion and update on his first book.
Lison had a very active and eclectical mind, as well as a legendary [[memory]]. He also wrote a text on [[biostatistics]] in [[1958]], and 10 years later, he started also to experiment with new approaches to medical education and [[educational technology]]. In [[1964]] he created and was the first director of a new school in the campus of Ribeirão Preto, the [[Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto|Faculty of Philosophy, Sciences and Letters]], which began with [[baccalaureate]] courses in [[biology]] and [[psychology]]. Following Zeferino Vaz's example, he invited several foreign professors to staff its faculty.
After his retirement, Dr. Lison dedicated himself with his characteristic enthusiasm to [[agriculture]]. He acquired a farm near [[Ribeirão Preto]] and experimented with new techniques. After suffering a [[stroke]], he famously declared his joy with it, because he had forgotten all the plots of his beloved detective books and could read them all again!
Dr. Lucien Lison's only son, [[Michel Pierre Lison]], is a [[neurologist]] and full professor at the School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto.
==Bibliography==
* ''Histochimie animale'', Gauthier Villars, Paris, 1953.
* ''Statistique appliquée à la biologie expérimentale; la planification de l'expérience et l'analyse des résultats.'' Publisher: Paris, Gauthier-Villars, 1958.
* ''Histochimie et cytochimie animales, principes et méthodes.'' Paris, Gauthier-Villars, 1960.
* Lison L. La recherché histochimique des phosphatases. Étude critique. ''Bull. histol. appl. et tech. microscop.'', 1948; 25: 23-41
* Lison L., Mutsaars W., Metachromasy of nucleic acids. ''Quart. J. Microscop. Sci.'', 1950; 91: 309-314.
* Lison L. Progres recents de l'histochimie quantitative. ''Ann Soc R Sci Med Nat Brux.'' 1950;3(3-4):154-68. PMID 14811250
* Lison L. Etude et realisation d'un photometre a l'usage histologique. ''Acta Anat (Basel).'' 1950;10(4):333-47. PMID 14810402
* Pasteels J, Lison L. Recherches histophotometriques sur la teneur en acide desoxyribosenucleique au cours de mitoses somatiques. ''Arch Biol (Liege).'' 1950;61(3):445-74. PMID 14790821
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lison, Lucien}}
[[Category:1908 births]]
[[Category:1984 deaths]]
[[Category:Belgian biologists]]
[[Category:Brazilian biologists]]
[[Category:Brazilians of Belgian descent]]
[[Category:University of São Paulo]]
[[Category:Free University of Brussels alumni]]
[[pt:Lucien Lison]]