Herve Paris (1953 – 2010) Tribute by Chris S. Flordellis

Christodoulos      S. Flordellis

doi:10.2174/138161212799040565

Abstract

It is with great sadness that we record here the premature death of Herve Paris, who died at his home in Toulouse, in January 23, 2010. With his death, molecular pharmacology research of GPCRs has lost one of its creative, productive and most consistent supporters.

He studied in the University of Paul Sabatier, Toulouse III, France and at the University of Miami, USA. With this basic background he served at INSERM (Institut National de la Recherche Medicale, France, Toulouse) as researcher, Charge de Recherche and as Director of research, a position he held until his death. His main field of research was alpha2-adrenergic receptor pharmacology, mechanisms of signal transduction and regulation of expression. Among others, he showed in 1985, that the human colon adenocarcinoma cell-line HT 29 expresses functional alpha 2-adrenergic receptors and used it as a model cell system to characterize pharmacological properties of a2A-adrenergic receptors. He also conclusively proved that binding of the radioligand [3H]RX821002 is a valuable tool for labeling α2A-adrenoceptors. These tools were instrumental in later advances in the molecular pharmacology of alpha2-adrenergic receptor subtypes by his research group.

As a colleague, I have deeply appreciated his intelligence and his exceptional scientific qualifications and as a friend I was touched by his kindness, enduring solidarity and his consistency, all these years I had the chance to know him. We dedicate this issue on biased agonism at 7TMRs to his memory.

He will be deeply missed.

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