I‰tienne-I‰mile Baulieu

About I‰tienne-I‰mile Baulieu

Étienne-Émile Baulieu, born on December 12, 1926, Doctor of Medicine (1955), Doctor of Sciences (1963), led the Inserm unit for research on molecular metabolism and the pathophysiology of steroids from 1963 to 1997 and was a professor of biochemistry at the University of Paris 11 from 1970 to 1993. Honorary Professor at the Collège de France, he held the chair “Foundations and Principles of Human Reproduction” from 1993 to 1997.

Étienne-Émile Baulieu has been a Member of the National Advisory Committee on Ethics for Life Sciences and Health since 1996. A physician, endocrinologist, and biochemist, Étienne-Émile Baulieu has dedicated most of his work to steroid hormones and their antagonists in reproduction, aging, cancers, and the nervous system.

Étienne-Émile Baulieu, along with his collaborators, discovered the secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA) by the adrenal glands and described its metabolism and functions, particularly regarding certain aspects of aging. This discovery helped explain the genesis of placental estrogens and constituted the first case of a “prohormone.” A pioneer in the discovery of intracellular receptors for steroid sex hormones, Étienne-Émile Baulieu identified major components of interest such as heat shock proteins and immunophilins. He developed new antihormones like anti-progesterone, RU486 (Mifepristone), whose properties have proven significant in early pregnancy termination, facilitating difficult deliveries, and treating several types of tumors. He highlighted the “anti-cortisone” activity of RU486, which is particularly applicable in treating the most severe forms of depression. Étienne-Émile Baulieu also discovered what he termed “neurosteroids” synthesized and active in the nervous system, where they play a role in myelin repair, nerve protection, and memory stimulation. These neurosteroids are used in new approaches to combat brain aging.