Ned D. Heindel
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Ned D. Heindel (September 4, 1937) is an American chemist. He is the Howard S. Bunn Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at
Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epis ...
, where he continues to do research. Heindel also works as a medical research consultant. Heindel's research focuses on diagnostic and therapeutic drug development. He served as president of the American Chemical Society in 1994, and has twice chaired the ACS Division for the History of Chemistry.


Early life

Ned Duane Heindel was born on September 4, 1937 in
Red Lion, York County, Pennsylvania Red Lion ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ''Rot Leeb'') is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, settled in 1852 and incorporated on January 16, 1880. The population was 6,506 at the 2020 census. History Red Lion, settled in 1852, was named after one of ...
, to Mr. and Mrs. Penrose H. Heindel. He earned a B.S. in chemistry from
Lebanon Valley College Lebanon Valley College (LVC, Lebanon Valley, or The Valley) is a private college in Annville, Pennsylvania. History Lebanon Valley was founded on February 23, 1866, with classes beginning May 7 of that year and its first class graduating in 1870 ...
(1959), and a master's degree (1961) and Ph.D. (1963) from the
University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially UD or Delaware) is a public land-grant research university located in Newark, Delaware. UD is the largest university in Delaware. It offers three associate's programs, 148 bachelor's programs, 121 mas ...
, where he worked with William A. Mosher. He did postdoctoral work at
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
in 1964 with Edward C. Taylor.


Career

After teaching briefly at
Ohio University Ohio University is a Public university, public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confeder ...
and
Marshall University Marshall University is a public research university in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded in 1837 and is named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States. The university is currently composed of nine colleges: L ...
Heindel joined the faculty at
Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU) is a private research university in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer and was originally affiliated with the Epis ...
in 1966. He became a full professor by 1973, and was named the Howard S. Bunn Distinguished Professor of Organic Chemistry in 1976. Heindel also served as a visiting professor of radiation oncology at
Hahnemann University Hospital Hahnemann University Hospital was a tertiary care center in Center City Philadelphia. It was the teaching hospital of Drexel University College of Medicine. Established in 1885, it was for most of its history the main teaching hospital associate ...
from 1971-2006, and as Director of the Center for Health Sciences at Lehigh University from 1980-1987. He helped to establish the Lehigh-Hahnemann Cooperative Medical Education Program from 1992-2017 and was involved in Lehigh's distance education program. Heindel became professor emeritus in 2018. He continues to do research (e.g. healing burn wounds) and works as a medical research consultant.


Science

Heindel's research focuses on diagnostic and therapeutic drug development, including the areas of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
research,
nuclear medicine Nuclear medicine or nucleology is a medical specialty involving the application of radioactive substances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Nuclear imaging, in a sense, is "radiology done inside out" because it records radiation emitting ...
, diagnostic
radioactive pharmaceuticals Radiopharmacology is radiochemistry applied to medicine and thus the pharmacology of radiopharmaceuticals (medicinal radiocompounds, that is, pharmaceutical drugs that are radioactive). Radiopharmaceuticals are used in the field of nuclear medi ...
,
chemotherapeutics Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...
and tumor-associated
monoclonal antibodies A monoclonal antibody (mAb, more rarely called moAb) is an antibody produced from a cell Lineage made by cloning a unique white blood cell. All subsequent antibodies derived this way trace back to a unique parent cell. Monoclonal antibodies ca ...
. He has applied for at least 20 patents, with 14 issued. He has published more than 260 papers. A number of candidate pharmaceuticals from his lab have reached advanced animal trials. Heindel has shown that
psoralens Psoralen (also called psoralene) is the parent compound in a family of naturally occurring organic compounds known as the linear furanocoumarins. It is structurally related to coumarin by the addition of a fused furan ring, and may be considered ...
and
coumarins Coumarin () or 2''H''-chromen-2-one is an aromatic organic chemical compound with formula . Its molecule can be described as a benzene molecule with two adjacent hydrogen atoms replaced by a lactone-like chain , forming a second six-membered h ...
can be useful as photoactivated inhibitors of
epidermal growth factor Epidermal growth factor (EGF) is a protein that stimulates cell growth and differentiation by binding to its receptor, EGFR. Human EGF is 6-k Da and has 53 amino acid residues and three intramolecular disulfide bonds. EGF was originally descr ...
.
Photosensitizers Photosensitizers produce a physicochemical change in a neighboring molecule by either donating an electron to the substrate or by abstracting a hydrogen atom from the substrate. At the end of this process, the photosensitizer eventually returns t ...
are used to treat epidermal proliferation,
psoriasis Psoriasis is a long-lasting, noncontagious autoimmune disease characterized by raised areas of abnormal skin. These areas are red, pink, or purple, dry, itchy, and scaly. Psoriasis varies in severity from small, localized patches to complete ...
and
vitiligo Vitiligo is a disorder that causes the skin to lose its color. Specific causes are unknown but studies suggest a link to immune system changes. Signs and symptoms The only sign of vitiligo is the presence of pale patchy areas of depigmen ...
. Heindel's lab has identified a new structural family of organic molecules which perform as light-activated anti-cancer compounds. After activation by
ultraviolet light Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency around 30  PHz) to 400 nm (750  THz), shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation i ...
, lipophilic dipyranone (NDH2476) was found to inhibit abnormal
Keratinocyte Keratinocytes are the primary type of Cell (biology), cell found in the epidermis (skin), epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. In humans, they constitute 90% of epidermal skin cells. Basal cells in the stratum basale, basal layer (''str ...
growth with an IC50 of 9 nanomolar concentration. NDH2476 acts through initial intercalation into DNA and when irradiated, “nicks” the
polynucleotide A polynucleotide molecule is a biopolymer composed of 13 or more nucleotide monomers covalently bonded in a chain. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) are examples of polynucleotides with distinct biological function. The pre ...
and prevents subsequent unwinding. Gem di-methylation, double bond
hydrogenation Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between molecular hydrogen (H2) and another compound or element, usually in the presence of a Catalysis, catalyst such as nickel, palladium or platinum. The process is commonly employed to redox, reduce or S ...
, or non-linear, angular geometry to the dipyranone greatly reduced or even eliminated the photo-cytotoxicity. Heindel is one of the principal investigators in Project CounterACT-Rutgers, studying antidotes to
sulfur mustard Mustard gas or sulfur mustard is a chemical compound belonging to a family of cytotoxic and blister agents known as mustard agents. The name ''mustard gas'' is technically incorrect: the substance, when dispersed, is often not actually a gas, b ...
gas poisoning. Heindel's lab has developed an
indomethacin Indometacin, also known as indomethacin, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) commonly used as a prescription drug, prescription medication to reduce fever, pain, joint stiffness, stiffness, and swelling (medical), swelling from infl ...
prodrug A prodrug is a medication or compound that, after intake, is metabolized (i.e., converted within the body) into a pharmacologically active drug. Instead of administering a drug directly, a corresponding prodrug can be used to improve how the drug ...
, NDH4338, designed for use as a wound-healing accelerant for
vesicant A blister agent (or vesicant), is a chemical compound that causes severe skin, eye and mucosal pain and irritation. They are named for their ability to cause severe chemical burns, resulting in painful water blisters on the bodies of those affec ...
-triggered
skin lesions A skin condition, also known as cutaneous condition, is any medical condition that affects the integumentary system—the organ system that encloses the body and includes skin, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this sy ...
. The drug is a trifunctional pharmaceutical composed of covalently linked inhibitors of
COX-2 Prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (prostaglandin G/H synthase and cyclooxygenase) (The HUGO official symbol is PTGS2; HGNC ID, HGNC:9605), also known as cyclooxygenase-2 or COX-2, is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''PTGS2'' gene. ...
,
acetylcholinesterase Acetylcholinesterase (HGNC symbol ACHE; EC 3.1.1.7; systematic name acetylcholine acetylhydrolase), also known as AChE, AChase or acetylhydrolase, is the primary cholinesterase in the body. It is an enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that a ...
, and induced
nitric oxide synthase Nitric oxide synthases () (NOSs) are a family of enzymes catalyzing the production of nitric oxide (NO) from L-arginine. NO is an important cellular signaling molecule. It helps modulate vascular tone, insulin secretion, airway tone, and perista ...
which can be released
in vivo Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, and ...
from the parent molecule. It has been tested on rodents pre-exposed to chloroethyl ethyl sulfide,
nitrogen mustard Nitrogen mustards are cytotoxic organic compounds with the chloroethylamine (Cl(CH2)2NR2) functional group. Although originally produced as chemical warfare agents, they were the first chemotherapeutic agents for treatment of cancer. Nitrogen m ...
, and sulfur mustard and has shown a marked acceleration of wound healing. While NDH4338 has several mechanisms of action, a principle one is suppression of
mast cell A mast cell (also known as a mastocyte or a labrocyte) is a resident cell of connective tissue that contains many granules rich in histamine and heparin. Specifically, it is a type of granulocyte derived from the myeloid stem cell that is a par ...
degranulation Degranulation is a cellular process that releases antimicrobial cytotoxic or other molecules from secretory vesicles called granules found inside some cells. It is used by several different cells involved in the immune system, including granulo ...
in skin.
Hydroxamate A hydroxamic acid is a class of organic compounds bearing the functional group RC(O)N(OH)R', with R and R' as organic residues and CO as a carbonyl group. They are amides (RC(O)NHR') wherein the NH center has an OH substitution. They are often us ...
compounds developed by Heindel's lab have been found to enhance
corneal The cornea is the transparent front part of the eye that covers the iris, pupil, and anterior chamber. Along with the anterior chamber and lens, the cornea refracts light, accounting for approximately two-thirds of the eye's total optical power ...
wound healing after mustard exposure. Compounds studied include olvanil OH (NDH4409) and retro olvanil 8 (NDH4417). Hydroxamates reduced the activity of
ADAM17 A disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17), also called TACE (''tumor necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme''), is a 70-kDa enzyme that belongs to the ADAM protein family of disintegrins and metalloproteases. Chemical characteristics ADAM17 ...
and
matrix metalloproteinases Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), also known as matrix metallopeptidases or matrixins, are metalloproteinases that are calcium-dependent zinc-containing endopeptidases; other family members are adamalysins, serralysins, and astacins. The MMPs be ...
(MMPs), and attenuated expression of EMMPRIN, a tumor cell surface inducer of MMPs. This resulted in less epithelial sloughing, improved protection of the
basement membrane zone The basement membrane is a thin, pliable sheet-like type of extracellular matrix that provides cell and tissue support and acts as a platform for complex signalling. The basement membrane sits between epithelial tissues including mesothelium and ...
, and better epithelial-stromal integrity after injury. Heindel serves on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Drug Discovery Institute, and the Scientific Advisory Board of Azevan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Heindel has held a number of positions in the
American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all d ...
(ACS), since first becoming a board member in 1985. In 1994, Heindel served as President of the ACS. In 2009 Heindel was named an ACS Fellow.


History

Heindel has served on the board of directors of the National Foundation for History of Chemistry, and has twice been chairperson of the ACS Division of the History of Chemistry. Heindel has been credited with chairing a task force formed by the ACS in 1979 to consider the creation of a national center for the history of chemistry, but he himself credits John H. Wotiz with that chairmanship. In December 1981 the ACS approved the establishment of the Center for the History of Chemistry in Philadelphia. He was a contributor to a
NOVA A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
program about Percy Julian, “Forgotten Genius”, which aired in 2007. Heindel has written both papers and books relating history and chemistry. Among his publications he has examined "The Professionalization of American Chemistry: How the German Ph.D. Model Crossed the Atlantic", and the careers of early photochemists such as Giacomo Ciamician. Another area of interest is the medicinal chemistry and folk-healing techniques of the
Pennsylvania Dutch The Pennsylvania Dutch ( Pennsylvania Dutch: ), also known as Pennsylvania Germans, are a cultural group formed by German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. They emigrated primarily from German-spe ...
. ''The Nineteenth Century Horse Doctor: A Pennsylvania Dutchman’s Practical Guide to Treating Horses'' recognized the essential role of the horse in pre-industrial North American farming. Heindel and Robert D. Rapp translate and examine recipes in 19th century books of veterinary practice, or "Pferdartz", from the Moravian and the Pennsylvania Dutch traditions. Folk medicine cures ranged from herbs, minerals, poultices, and bleeding to incantations. In ''Hexenkopf, History, Healing and Hexerei'', he examines traditions of both white and black magic in the Wilhelm and Saylor families of
Northampton County, Pennsylvania Northampton County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 312,951. Its county seat is Easton. The county was formed in 1752 from parts of Bucks County. Its namesake was Northamptonshire, En ...
. Healers such as Johann Peter Seilor and Emanuel Wilhelm used tonics, personalized prescriptions and manipulations to treat sickness and fight off evil in the tradition of white magic or " Braucherei". Modern pharmaceutical science has examined the use of some of their treatments such as
poke root ''Phytolacca americana'', also known as American pokeweed, pokeweed, poke sallet, dragonberries, and inkberry, is a poisonous, herbaceous perennial plant in the pokeweed family Phytolaccaceae. This pokeweed grows . It has simple leaves on green ...
and mayapple root. Traditions of black magic have focused on Hexenkopf Rock. Heindel and his wife Linda (Heefner) Heindel are active in historical groups in the
Lehigh Valley The Lehigh Valley (), known colloquially as The Valley, is a geographic region formed by the Lehigh River in Lehigh County and Northampton County in eastern Pennsylvania. It is a component valley of the Great Appalachian Valley bound to the no ...
and frequently contribute to ''Pennsylvania Folklife Magazine''. Heindel has lectured on social relationships between Europeans,
Lenni Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...
, and
Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...
in the Durham area in the 1700s. He is interested in the work of the Buckwampum Historical and Literary Society, a group that met from 1888 to 1903. Most were amateurs but archaeologist
Henry Mercer Henry Chapman Mercer (June 24, 1856 – March 9, 1930) was an American archeologist, artifact collector, tile-maker, and designer of three distinctive poured concrete structures: Fonthill, his home; the Moravian Pottery and Tile Works; and t ...
was also a member. The group conducted several digs in
Bucks County, Pennsylvania Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the Englis ...
and
Northampton County, Pennsylvania Northampton County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 312,951. Its county seat is Easton. The county was formed in 1752 from parts of Bucks County. Its namesake was Northamptonshire, En ...
.


Land conservation

Over a 50 year period, Ned and Linda Heindel have purchased and preserved 128 acres of "forest, bogs and meadows" around the stone farmhouse in which they live, in
Williams Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania Williams Township is a township in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. The township's population was 6,581 at the 2020 census. The township is part of the Lehigh Valley metropolitan area, which had a population of 861,899 and was the 68th most pop ...
. The hilly area includes stands of ash, poplar and oak trees, wild
azalea Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Octob ...
, freshwater springs and Hexenkopf Rock, a ridge of exposed
Precambrian The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the ...
stone. Linda Heindel serves as the secretary of the Land Preservation Board of Williams Township, Northampton County, PA. As of August 2014, a consortium of energy companies announced plans to build the PennEast Pipeline to carry
natural gas Natural gas (also called fossil gas or simply gas) is a naturally occurring mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons consisting primarily of methane in addition to various smaller amounts of other higher alkanes. Low levels of trace gases like carbo ...
from the
Marcellus Shale Marcellus may refer to: * Marcellus (name) * Marcus Claudius Marcellus, Roman commander Places * Marcellus, Lot-et-Garonne, France * Marcellus Township, Michigan ** Marcellus, Michigan, a village in Marcellus Township ** Marcellus Community Sch ...
in Pennsylvania into
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. Ned and Linda Heindel are among residents who would be affected. Beginning on February 6, 2018, the PennEast Pipeline Co. has filed
eminent domain Eminent domain (United States, Philippines), land acquisition (India, Malaysia, Singapore), compulsory purchase/acquisition (Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, United Kingdom), resumption (Hong Kong, Uganda), resumption/compulsory acquisition (Austr ...
notices in federal court to take possession of rights of way on the lands of those who have not agreed to the pipeline. Those who received eminent domain notices include at least 129 New Jersey landowners and 50 Pennsylvania landowners, among them the Heindels. The Heindels are active opponents of the proposed pipeline and the attempted seizure of their land under eminent domain.


Awards

* 2011, Hillman Faculty Award, Lehigh University, for educational and research achievements * 2009, Fellow,
American Chemical Society The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a scientific society based in the United States that supports scientific inquiry in the field of chemistry. Founded in 1876 at New York University, the ACS currently has more than 155,000 members at all d ...
* 2002, Ben Franklin Partnership Award for Corporate Assistance * 1997,
Henry Hill Henry Hill Jr. (June 11, 1943 – June 12, 2012) was an American mobster who was associated with the Lucchese crime family of New York City from 1955 until 1980, when he was arrested on narcotics charges and became an FBI informant. Hill testi ...
Award for Achievements in Medicinal Chemistry, NOBCChE * 1996, Harry and Carol Mosher Award for Contributions to Chemistry, ACS * 1989, Brady Cancer Achievement Award, Brady Cancer Research Foundation, for research in tumor-imaging radiopharmaceuticals * 1978, Briody Award * 1969, Robinson Award


References


Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heindel, Ned Duane 1937 births Living people Lehigh University faculty University of Delaware alumni Lebanon Valley College alumni Marshall University faculty Ohio University faculty Presidents of the American Chemical Society 21st-century American chemists Eminent domain People from Red Lion, Pennsylvania