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The Guardian
5 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Étienne-Émile Baulieu obituary
The French doctor and biochemist, Étienne-Émile Baulieu, who has died aged 98, was known as the 'father of the abortion pill' for the development of RU486 (mifepristone) in 1980. It blocks the uptake of progesterone, which is essential for a successful pregnancy and, taken with a second drug (misoprostol), triggers a miscarriage. 'Medical abortion', as taking the two pills is known, is faster and more convenient than surgical procedures, and in 2022 accounted for 86% of terminations in the UK. Baulieu told the German newspaper Die Zeit that when he was in Calcutta in the early 1970s, he was approached by a young woman begging. She had two very young children in tow and cradled a baby in her arms. He could see the baby had died. He told Die Zeit that the moment was pivotal: 'The fatalism of extreme poverty and pregnancies! At that moment, I decided to stand up for women to make sure they could make their own decisions about their bodies. It gave meaning to my life as a doctor and researcher.' At this time, Baulieu, who had made key discoveries about the hormone DHEA, was director of a research unit at Inserm (the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research) and professor of biochemistry at the Bicêtre faculty of medicine at the University of Paris-Sud. Creating a pill to stop pregnancy had been on his mind for a long time. In 1961 he had discussed with Gregory Pincus, the US inventor of the contraceptive pill, that if a chemical could be found to block the uptake of progesterone in the uterus, it would be impossible for a fertilised egg to embed. Baulieu was able to research a suitable drug at Roussel Uclaf, a French pharmaceutical company that specialised in steroid hormones, where he was a consultant. It was a long road, but in 1980 he identified his antiprogesterone chemical, which the company called RU486 (RU from their initials and 486 because it was the 38,486th substance they had synthesised). A tortuous path followed to bring the drug to market. Roussel Uclaf underwent a lot of changes in the 70s and the German pharmaceutical giant Hoechst AG became its majority shareholder. Baulieu lobbied the Hoechst management hard to bring RU486 to market, but the chief executive, Wolfgang Hilger, was a devout Catholic and shrank from the adverse publicity it was attracting. As news of RU486 circulated, hostile articles in the press appeared and letters poured in to Roussel Uclaf. Some called it 'a chemical coathanger' and Pope Jean-Paul II denounced it as 'the pill of Cain' (referring to the Bible story in which Cain kills his brother Abel). There were demonstrations, and anti-abortionists bought shares in Roussel Uclaf, so that they could attend and disrupt shareholder meetings. Baulieu was likened to Josef Mengele, the Nazi doctor who had conducted hideous experiments in concentration camps. He had to have a bodyguard at public meetings, and at a New Orleans conference he narrowly escaped an assassination attempt, when his talk was rescheduled at the last minute. The bomb intended for him injured another hapless speaker. Roussel Uclaf dithered during the 80s, submitting but then retracting its application to the French ethics committee to have RU486 licensed for use. In September 1988 the drug was finally approved by the French authorities, but under pressure from anti-abortionists a month later Roussel Uclaf said that it would stop marketing it. At the time, Baulieu was at the World Congress of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Incensed, he organised a petition that thousands of doctors at the conference signed, insisting it should be made available to women. The row made newspaper headlines all over the world, and the French health minister Claude Évin intervened, saying in a TV interview that sales of RU486 must resume as the government had approved the drug and it was the 'moral property of all women'. Roussel Uclaf complied and slowly RU486 was licensed in other countries, for example the UK (1991) and Sweden (1992). Baulieu soldiered on, lobbying for it to be licensed elsewhere, including in the US. He stressed it was safer than anything else, telling the New York Times in 1989, 'Almost 50 million women have abortions each year, and some 150,000 women die annually from botched abortions. RU486 could save the lives of thousands of women.' Baulieu was born Étienne Blum in Strasbourg to Léon Blum, a nephrologist, and Thérèse (nee Lion), a lawyer. His father died when he was three and his mother took him and his two sisters, Simone and Françoise, to live first in Paris and then in Grenoble, where he attended the lycée Champollion. The second world war was well under way and France was occupied by the Nazis. Aged 15, Baulieu and his classmates were committing acts of defiance such as throwing stones at people who worked for the Germans and distributing anti-Nazi leaflets. One day he spied a couple of men outside a cafe where he was sitting whom he reckoned might be Germans tailing him. Slipping out through a window at the back, he left Grenoble without a word to his family, and met up with undercover French Resistance members in Chambéry in south-east France. False papers were a must, and he changed his name from Étienne Blum to Émile Baulieu (making himself a year older at the same time, so that he could buy cigarettes). His group mostly ferried weapons, but in 1944 they kidnapped Charles Marion, a prominent officer in the Vichy regime, and executed him. As the youngest, Baulieu was excused from shooting the prisoner, but he was tasked instead with taking photographs of the event. At the end of the war, Baulieu was reunited with his family and studied medicine and biochemistry at the Université Paris Cité, qualifying in 1955. He had wanted to enrol at medical school under his true name but, as his ID card had 'Émile Baulieu', he had to be enrolled as such, and the name stuck. He preferred to be called Étienne-Émile Baulieu. Aged 20 in 1947, Baulieu married Yolande Compagnon and had three children: Catherine, Laurent and Frédérique. They remained married until Yolande died in 2015, but for decades lived separate lives. In the 60s Baulieu socialised with artists such as Andy Warhol and Frank Stella, and had affairs with the film star Sophia Loren and the artist Niki de Saint Phalle. In the 90s he met his long-term partner, Simone Harari, a TV executive, and they married in 2016. In the late 90s Baulieu retired from Inserm and his university posts, but continued to teach and conduct research for the rest of his life. He was a professor emeritus at the Collège de France and he set up the Institut Baulieu in 2008 as a vehicle for his new research interest: to understand neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Tau proteins are thought to interfere with brain cell communication; into his 90s Baulieu was working on a way to target them with another naturally occurring protein that he had identified. In 2003-04 he chaired the French Academy of Sciences and in 1989 won the prestigious Albert Lasker prize. In 2023 President Macron awarded him France's highest honour: the grand cross of the Légion d'Honneur. Baulieu is survived by his wife, his three children, eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Étienne-Émile Baulieu (Étienne Blum), doctor and biochemist, born 12 December 1926; died 30 May 2025
Spectator
17-06-2025
- Health
- Spectator
France's toddler screen ban is pure state overreach
The French government is preparing to ban all screen time for children under the age of three. The measure, announced by the Minister of Labour, Health, Solidarity and Families, Catherine Vautrin, will form part of a broader national plan to combat screen use among the very young. Due to be launched in the autumn, the policy will ban tablets, televisions and smartphones in nurseries, hospitals, and other childcare settings, with sanctions for anyone who breaks the rules. The aim, according to the minister, is to change behaviour around early childhood and screen use. What next? A ban on loud toys? Fines for bedtime past eight o'clock? 'This is how you change things', Vautrin told Le Journal du Dimanche. 'You state a principle, and little by little, it becomes anchored in people's minds.' A 2022 study by Inserm, France's national medical research body, tracked 14,000 children from birth and found that early screen time, particularly before age two, was associated with delayed speech development and reduced socialisation at nursery school. The same children were more likely to show concentration problems later in primary school. Vautrin cites this research to justify the governments agenda. But what's interesting is that the researchers stopped short of calling for a ban. They pointed instead to the importance of parental interaction and content quality. In other words, common sense. And there it is. Not content with banning smoking at bus stops and removing outdoor heaters from café terraces, the French state has now decided to parent the parents. And it starts with Teletubbies. The measure may sound harmless, even well intentioned, but it marks yet another step in the Macronist habit of turning private judgement into public regulation. Nobody disputes that toddlers don't benefit from screen time. The NHS in Britain advises parents to avoid it entirely before age two. But in Britain, such advice remains just that: advice. Ofsted does not bar nurseries from showing a short film or using a digital device if it's part of a wider educational context. The state leaves space for discretion. France will not. Vautrin's move echoes the earlier French ban on outdoor smoking, not because enforcement is practical, but because stating a principle is seen as a way of reshaping society. The technique is always the same. Issue a prohibition, turn it into a campaign, publish guidelines, introduce fines, and wait for the culture to shift. Screens today, sugar tomorrow, and after that who knows. It's this compulsive reflex to legislate behaviour that reveals the French state's underlying philosophy. Trust is not part of the equation. Citizens, even parents, are not to be guided or encouraged, but managed. And if we push back, we're branded irresponsible or worse. The irony is that a government that cannot staff its own schools properly now wants to police what toddlers watch in a hospital waiting room. French nurseries, already under pressure, will now be expected to enforce rules that have little to do with care, and everything to do with performance. The spectacle of state virtue. By contrast, the UK's approach is more relaxed and arguably more effective. The NHS's guidance on screen use is based on moderation and common sense. The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health explicitly declined to set arbitrary limits for parents, saying what matters most is context, content and family interaction. British ministers assume most parents are capable of knowing that ten episodes of Teletubbies in a row probably isn't ideal. They don't necessarily reach for the statute book to enforce what can be solved with a bit of judgement. Of course there'll always be parents who overdo it, who hand over a screen too often or for too long. But why impose rules on everyone else? There are times when giving a child an iPad makes perfect sense. In a waiting room. On a flight. We've all done it. The problem is not the occasional screen. It's turning rare indulgence into routine. And that is something most parents are perfectly capable of managing. But Macron's France is different. Every issue, however small, becomes a matter for the state. And every household, a target for reform. Behind the screen ban is something bigger. The idea that family life must be shaped, top down, in accordance with the latest official theory on wellbeing, risk and social cohesion. One can only imagine what is next. A ban on loud toys? Fines for bedtime past eight o'clock? The real risk is that even reasonable advice becomes politicised. What might have worked as a gentle public health message will now land as another round of social engineering. And those who resist will not be engaged, but blamed. I don't need the government standing over my shoulder while I raise my child. Children belong to their parents, not to the state. Good parents already know that too much screen time isn't healthy. They do not need a government minister telling them what to do. What they need, what everyone needs, is a government willing to trust them. It's not the screen ban itself that is the problem. It's the belief behind it, the idea that the state always knows better. That's what needs to be switched off.
Medscape
09-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Lysosomal Iron Catalyzes Cell Death in Resistant Cancers
A team from French research institutes Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), Institut Curie, and Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (Inserm) has discovered a new class of molecules capable of inducing the death of cancer cells that are resistant to standard treatments. The study was published in Nature on May 7. Harnessing Iron's Properties in Cancer Cells 'In certain cancers, such as pancreatic cancer or sarcomas, therapeutic options are relatively limited,' Raphaël Rodriguez, research director at CNRS and co-author of the study, told Medscape's French edition . Current cancer treatments mainly target primary tumor cells but often fail to eliminate cells with metastatic potential, which are responsible for 70% of cancer-related deaths. To address this, the team developed a new class of molecules — phospholipid degraders — designed to destroy cancer cell membranes and trigger cell death via ferroptosis. 'We used the properties of iron in cancer cells with metastatic potential. These cells express high levels of the CD44 protein on their surface, which allows them to internalize iron — a resource they need to transform and adapt to standard treatments,' Rodriguez explained. This transformation, however, also makes them more vulnerable to ferroptosis, a form of cell death catalyzed by iron. Within lysosomes — the small organelles that break down cellular debris and foreign material — iron reacts with hydrogen peroxide, generating oxygen radicals. These radicals damage lysosomal membranes and initiate a chain reaction that spreads throughout the cell, leading to the formation of peroxidized lipids in the membranes of other organelles and ultimately causing cell death. 'We were the first to link cancer, adaptability, and vulnerability to ferroptosis. Cancer cells can adapt, but they don't have a thousand identities. They have two: one that proliferates and one that spreads. Today, we target proliferation. We also need to target dissemination,' said Rodriguez. Phospholipid Degraders The researchers developed phospholipid degraders that activate ferroptosis. These molecules contain one segment that targets the cell membrane, enabling penetration and accumulation in lysosomes. A second segment enhances iron reactivity in these compartments of pro-metastatic cancer cells, triggering ferroptosis. The molecules, named fentomycin-1 (Fento-1), were made fluorescent to confirm their lysosomal localization using fluorescence microscopy. 'Ferroptosis results from the cell's inability to repair membrane damage,' Rodriguez summarized. Reduction in Tumor Growth Tested on primary patient-derived cells, tumor organoids, human biopsies, and immunocompetent animal models, these molecules demonstrated greater efficacy than standard treatments. In preclinical models of metastatic breast cancer, Fento-1 led to a significant reduction in tumor growth. It also showed strong cytotoxic effects in biopsies of pancreatic cancers and angiosarcomas. 'The most interesting results come when we combine these molecules with current treatments. The response is even better,' emphasized Rodriguez. 'We're not saying our treatment will replace existing therapies. We need a combination,' he added. The next steps include toxicity studies, followed by clinical trials. 'Industry and investors should be interested in developing this new therapeutic strategy.' This work was supported by the Ligue Contre le Cancer (Les équipes labellisées), the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale, Fondation Charles Defforey - Institut de France, Klaus Grohe Foundation, Institut National du Cancer, Région Île-de-France, the French National Research Agency, Fondation Bettencourt Schueller, CNRS, Institut Curie, and Inserm.
Local France
27-05-2025
- Health
- Local France
How serious is France's obesity problem?
There's a popular misconception abroad that obesity is not a problem in France - whole books have even been written on this subject (such as the famous French Women Don't Get Fat). In reality, however, not only is it a problem but one that the government considers requires a whole new campaign to tackle. The French government on Monday announced plans to present an "obesity plan" in September 2025, which intends to address the health issue at several levels, including in education, health, sporting and medical contexts. The junior health minister, Yannick Neuder, announced the plan alongside the health minister, Catherine Vautrin, during a visit to the production site of Danish pharmaceutical group, Novo Nordisk, in Chartres. Weight loss drugs The full details of the overall obesity plan will be revealed in September, but making the announcement the ministers referred to possible changes in the rules around weight-loss drugs in France. Neuder referenced several possible ideas to tackle obesity in France, including expanding the power of general practitioners to prescribe two forms of weight-loss medication: Wegovy and Mounjaro. While these medications have been available in French pharmacies since the end of 2024, only doctors who specialise in endocrinology, diabetology, and nutrition can prescribe them. Neuder said the goal would be to allow GPs to prescribe these medications "before the summer". Currently, the medications are not reimbursed by French social security, costing around €300 per month. However, France is in the process of negotiating prices for possible reimbursement, according to Le Monde . Ozempic - which is a semaglutide like Wegovy/Mounjaro - can be prescribed by French GPs, but only to patients with diabetes. It is reimbursed by social security. But how serious is the issue of obesity in France? Despite stereotypes about French women never gaining weight and the healthiness of the French diet, obesity is a growing concern in France. READ MORE: Myth-busting: Are these 12 clichés about France actually true? Nauder noted the need for the plan, as "obesity is a major cause of cardiovascular diseases, which cause 140,000 deaths in France per year." Advertisement As for the numbers, a study from 2020 by researchers from Inserm and Montpellier University Hospital found that 47 percent of French adults were overweight, with more men (36.9 percent) than women (23.9 percent) affected. Obesity differs from being overweight ( surpoids ). French health authorities define it as a BMI (body mass index, or l'indice de masse corporelle, IMC in French) over 30. In contrast, being 'overweight' is classified as having a BMI between 25 and 30. According to the French health site Ameli , between 1997 and 2020, obesity significantly increased. In 1997, 8.5 percent of adults were affected by obesity. As of 2020, that number had risen to 17 percent (17.4 percent of women and 16.7 percent of men). Advertisement Demographics and geography Since 1997, obesity amongst young people (aged 18 to 24) has increased more than fourfold, and among 25-34-year-olds it has increased nearly threefold. During his speech, Nauder noted that "metabolic diseases, diabetes and obesity affect almost 20 percent of French children and adolescents". People living in northern and north-eastern France are also most affected by obesity, with rates above 20 percent in these areas, in contrast to the Paris region and Pays de la Loire, where rates are below 14.5 percent. Obesity levels are also higher amongst low-income groups. The Inserm study found that blue-collar workers ( ouvriers ) had an obesity rate of 18 percent, while 'managers' ( cadres ) had an average rate of 9.9 percent. How does France compare to other countries? Comparison can be tricky, as some countries' data is newer than others, but overall, in comparison to the United States and the UK, France has a lower average obesity rate. In the US, based on a study from August 2021 to 2023 by the CDC , 40.3 percent of adults were considered to be obese. Meanwhile, in the UK, the government reported that based on data from 2022 and 2023, 26.2 percent of adults were living with obesity. Amongst the EU member states, France has historically been among the countries with comparatively lower rates of obesity and overweight. Based on available BMI statistics from 2022, France was among the three countries (along with Italy and Switzerland) with the lowest share of overweight people. According to the World Health Organisation's European obesity report (based on data from 2016), Turkey, Malta and the UK had the highest rates of obesity. France was further down the list, with lower rates of obesity than the EU Member state average and below the EU 14 average.
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Indian team in study of AI tool to predict irregular heartbeats
Mumbai: A medical team from India was part of a study that showed artificial intelligence (AI) could predict life-threatening irregular heartbeats or arrhythmias two weeks in advance. "This is a proof-of-concept study which has the potential to save thousands of lives by enabling timely intervention and preventing sudden cardiac death (SCD)," said Dr Kumar Narayanan, a senior cardiologist from Medicover Hospital, Hyderabad, and deputy chair of the Lancet SCD (Sudden Cardiac Death) Commission. He was the only Indian cardiologist in this six-country study led by Inserm, Paris Cité University. The study, published in the indexed 'European Heart Journal' last month, analysed millions of hours of heartbeats through the AI model. Roughly 2.4 lakh ambulatory electrocardiograms (ECG) from six countries were used to train a deep learning AI model so that it could pick up and learn to predict imminent arrhythmias. A few hundred ECGs were used from Indian patients for the study. "The algorithm correctly identified patients who developed fast ventricular tachycardia (VT) — a serious arrhythmia that can trigger cardiac arrest — within the following two weeks with almost 80% accuracy," said the doctor. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Glicemia alta? Pingue isso na água antes de dormir Saúde Melhor Idade Veja agora Undo Sudden cardiac death (SCD) refers to unexpected death from a cardiac cause within minutes of the onset of symptoms. While SCD is often caused by a heart rhythm problem, it can also be triggered by other heart conditions such as heart attack or heart failure. It's estimated that 4 lakh to 5 lakh SCDs occur in India every year. While some patients get symptoms such as sudden fainting or chest discomfort, many get no symptoms before collapsing. "Such an AI tool can help identify individuals at risk for serious arrhythmia and SCD, thereby ensuring prompt intervention," said Narayanan. As this was a proof-of-concept study, the doctor said larger clinical trials are needed before the tool is used in a major way. "The idea is that it will someday be available in wearable technology that can catch irregular rhythm," he added. Senior cardiologist Dr Ajit Menon from Lilavati Hospital said, "AI has a predictive role in certain situations, especially in rhythm disturbances." While it can play a role in interpreting cardiovascular imaging, there is still a long way to go. "AI can help us, but doctors have to be the person on the spot making the decision," added Dr Menon. Professor Dr Charan Lanjewar from KEM Hospital, Parel, said AI already plays some role in diagnosing irregular rhythm among patients who wear smartwatches. "However, it has the potential to be deployed for remote monitoring of patients," he added.
