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Stephen E. Straus (November 23, 1946 – May 14, 2007) was an American physician, immunologist,
virologist Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, thei ...
and science administrator. He is particularly known for his research into human herpesviruses and
chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex, debilitating, long-term medical condition. The Pathophysiology, causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood. Distinguishing c ...
, and for his discovery of the
autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a form of lymphoproliferative disorder (LPDs). It affects lymphocyte apoptosis. It is a rare genetic disorder of abnormal lymphocyte survival caused by defective Fas mediated apoptosis. Normal ...
genetic disorder. He headed the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation of the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, ) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NIAID's ...
,
National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U ...
(NIH), and served as the founding director of the NIH's
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is a United States government agency which explores complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). It was initially created in 1991 as the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM), ...
.


Biography

Straus was born in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
in 1946, and grew up in
Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...
, attending the
Yeshivah of Flatbush The Yeshivah of Flatbush is a Modern Orthodox private Jewish day school located in the Midwood section of Brooklyn, New York. It educates students from age 2 to age 18 and includes an early childhood center, an elementary school and a secondary s ...
for Elementary and High School. He attended the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...
, switching from physics to biology, and gained his BS in life sciences in 1968. He gained his MD from the
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S) is the graduate medical school of Columbia University, located at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. Founded i ...
in 1972. He subsequently trained at Barnes Hospital in
St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
,
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, and also held a fellowship in infectious diseases at
Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU or WUSTL) is a private research university with its main campus in St. Louis County, and Clayton, Missouri. Founded in 1853, the university is named after George Washington. Washington University i ...
. In 1973–75, Straus researched
adenoviruses Adenoviruses (members of the family ''Adenoviridae'') are medium-sized (90–100 nm), nonenveloped (without an outer lipid bilayer) viruses with an icosahedral nucleocapsid containing a double-stranded DNA genome. Their name derives from the ...
as a research associate at the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, ) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). NIAID's ...
(NIAID). He rejoined NIAID as a senior investigator in 1979, working in the Laboratory of Clinical Investigation. He rose to head first the medical virology section and then, from 1991, the entire laboratory. In October 1999, Straus was appointed the
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) is a United States government agency which explores complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). It was initially created in 1991 as the Office of Alternative Medicine (OAM), ...
(NCCAM)'s first director (while continuing his work at NIAID), a position he held until November 2006. Straus served on the
Institute of Medicine The National Academy of Medicine (NAM), formerly called the Institute of Medicine (IoM) until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, En ...
's Clinical Research Roundtable and the NIH Steering Committee. He chaired the NIH Committee on the Recruitment and Career Development of Clinical Investigators, as well as multiple committees associated with the NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. He also advised the NIH director, Elias Zerhouni. He was on the editorial boards of the academic journals ''
Journal of Virology The ''Journal of Virology'' is a biweekly peer-reviewed scientific journal that covers research concerning all aspects of virology. It was established in 1967 and is published by the American Society for Microbiology The American Society for Mic ...
'' and ''
Virology Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, th ...
'', and co-edited several textbooks, including ''
Fields Virology ''Fields Virology'' is an English-language virology textbook, originally it was published in two volumes and edited by Bernard N. Fields. The first edition in 1985 was called ''Virology'', but from the second edition, the book's title was changed ...
''.


Research


Herpesviral and other viral diseases

Straus is particularly known for his wide-ranging research on herpesviruses that infect humans, including
herpes simplex virus Herpes simplex virus 1 and 2 (HSV-1 and HSV-2), also known by their taxonomical names ''Human alphaherpesvirus 1'' and ''Human alphaherpesvirus 2'', are two members of the Herpesviridae#Human herpesvirus types, human ''Herpesviridae'' family, a ...
(HSV),
varicella zoster virus Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), also known as human herpesvirus 3 (HHV-3, HHV3) or ''Human alphaherpesvirus 3'' (taxonomically), is one of nine known herpes viruses that can infect humans. It causes chickenpox (varicella) commonly affecting chil ...
(VZV) and
Epstein–Barr virus The Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), formally called ''Human gammaherpesvirus 4'', is one of the nine known human herpesvirus types in the herpes family, and is one of the most common viruses in humans. EBV is a double-stranded DNA virus. It is ...
(EBV). His studies included herpesvirus
pathogenesis Pathogenesis is the process by which a disease or disorder develops. It can include factors which contribute not only to the onset of the disease or disorder, but also to its progression and maintenance. The word comes from Greek πάθος ''pat ...
,
immune response An immune response is a reaction which occurs within an organism for the purpose of defending against foreign invaders. These invaders include a wide variety of different microorganisms including viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi which could ...
s and
transmission Transmission may refer to: Medicine, science and technology * Power transmission ** Electric power transmission ** Propulsion transmission, technology allowing controlled application of power *** Automatic transmission *** Manual transmission ** ...
, as well as
antiviral drug Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs d ...
s and
vaccine A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious or malignant disease. The safety and effectiveness of vaccines has been widely studied and verified. ...
s. He researched the mechanisms by which HSV establishes latency and later recurs. His group was one of the first to show that treating patients with the antiviral
acyclovir Aciclovir (ACV), also known as acyclovir, is an antiviral medication. It is primarily used for the treatment of herpes simplex virus infections, chickenpox, and shingles. Other uses include prevention of cytomegalovirus infections following tra ...
can prevent genital and oral herpes from recurring. He found that people with asymptomatic genital herpes can transmit the virus to their sexual partners. With Lawrence Corey and
David M. Knipe David Mahan Knipe is the Higgins Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics in the Department of Microbiology at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts and co-chief editor of the reference book Fields Virology. He returned to ...
, Straus developed prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against HSV, including a
glycoprotein Glycoproteins are proteins which contain oligosaccharide chains covalently attached to amino acid side-chains. The carbohydrate is attached to the protein in a cotranslational or posttranslational modification. This process is known as g ...
subunit vaccine. With William Ruyechan and John Hay, Straus cloned VZV and mapped its genome. They showed that
chickenpox Chickenpox, also known as varicella, is a highly contagious disease caused by the initial infection with varicella zoster virus (VZV). The disease results in a characteristic skin rash that forms small, itchy blisters, which eventually sca ...
(varicella) and
shingles Shingles, also known as zoster or herpes zoster, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a localized area. Typically the rash occurs in a single, wide mark either on the left or right side of the body or face. ...
(herpes zoster) are both caused by this virus. Straus also studied the persistent pain that can occur after shingles has cleared up. He worked with Mike Oxman and Myron Levin on the Shingles Prevention Study, a large clinical trial which demonstrated that a live-attenuated VZV vaccine is effective against shingles. Straus discovered that infection with EBV very occasionally results in a life-threatening chronic progressive disease, now called
chronic active EBV infection Chronic active EBV infection or in its expanded form, chronic active Epstein–Barr virus infection is a very rare and often fatal complication of Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection that most often occurs in children or adolescents of Asian or S ...
. Other viral diseases Straus worked on include
HIV/AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
,
influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptom ...
and chronic
hepatitis B Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the '' Hepatitis B virus'' (HBV) that affects the liver; it is a type of viral hepatitis. It can cause both acute and chronic infection. Many people have no symptoms during an initial infection. F ...
. He also researched
Lyme disease Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the '' Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus '' Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema ...
, which is caused by ''
Borrelia ''Borrelia'' is a genus of bacteria of the spirochete phylum. Several species cause Lyme disease, also called Lyme borreliosis, a zoonotic, vector-borne disease transmitted by ticks. Other species of ''Borrelia'' cause relapsing fever, and are t ...
'' bacteria.


Chronic fatigue syndrome

Straus started to research what is now known as
chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also called myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or ME/CFS, is a complex, debilitating, long-term medical condition. The Pathophysiology, causes and mechanisms of the disease are not fully understood. Distinguishing c ...
in 1979. Working on the then-current hypothesis that the syndrome might be caused by EBV, he started a clinical trial of acyclovir therapy in 1984. Although the study showed no benefit from the drug, it provided evidence that EBV did not cause the syndrome. In 1988, Straus was one of a group of physicians to propose the name "chronic fatigue syndrome" for the condition, and was subsequently one of the lead authors of the International Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Study Group's guidelines. He also pursued various
virological Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, their ...
,
immunological Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see there ...
,
neuroendocrine Neuroendocrine cells are cells that receive neuronal input (through neurotransmitters released by nerve cells or neurosecretory cells) and, as a consequence of this input, release messenger molecules ( hormones) into the blood. In this way they br ...
and
neuropsychological Neuropsychology is a branch of psychology concerned with how a person's cognition and behavior are related to the brain and the rest of the nervous system. Professionals in this branch of psychology often focus on how injuries or illnesses of ...
studies of the syndrome.


Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome

In the early 1990s, Straus and colleagues discovered
autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) is a form of lymphoproliferative disorder (LPDs). It affects lymphocyte apoptosis. It is a rare genetic disorder of abnormal lymphocyte survival caused by defective Fas mediated apoptosis. Normal ...
(ALPS), a rare
genetic disorder A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosomal abnormality. Although polygenic disorde ...
in which the normal Fas-mediated apoptosis of
lymphocyte A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell (leukocyte) in the immune system of most vertebrates. Lymphocytes include natural killer cells (which function in cell-mediated, cytotoxic innate immunity), T cells (for cell-mediated, cytotoxic ad ...
s is disrupted, leading to uncontrolled proliferation. He found mutations in the genes encoding Fas and Fas ligand, as well as
caspase-10 Caspase-10 (, ''FLICE2, Mch4'', ''CASP-10'', ''ICE-like apoptotic protease 4'', ''apoptotic protease Mch-4'', ''FAS-associated death domain protein interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme 2'') is an enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical ...
and N-Ras, are associated with the disorder. He followed a cohort of over 200 people with ALPS, and showed that they have a substantially elevated risk of developing
lymphoma Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enl ...
.


National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

NCCAM was founded as an independent
NIH The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late 1 ...
center in October 1998, replacing the Office of Alternative Medicine, and Straus was appointed the founding director, responsible for an annual budget of a little under $90 million. He stated in a 2001 interview that he did not use alternative therapies, and he accepted the position because: Under his leadership, NIH-funded research into complementary and alternative medicine tripled, with NCCAM funding large (phase III) clinical trials of
St John's wort ''Hypericum perforatum'', known as St. John's wort, is a flowering plant in the family Hypericaceae and the type species of the genus '' Hypericum''. Possibly a hybrid between '' H. maculatum'' and '' H. attenuatum'', the species can be found ...
for depression, ''
Ginkgo biloba ''Ginkgo biloba'', commonly known as ginkgo or gingko ( ), also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of tree native to China. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossils ...
'' extracts for
dementia Dementia is a disorder which manifests as a set of related symptoms, which usually surfaces when the brain is damaged by injury or disease. The symptoms involve progressive impairments in memory, thinking, and behavior, which negatively affe ...
, and
acupuncture Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine and a component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in which thin needles are inserted into the body. Acupuncture is a pseudoscience; the theories and practices of TCM are not based on scient ...
and
glucosamine Glucosamine (C6H13NO5) is an amino sugar and a prominent precursor in the biochemical synthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids. Glucosamine is part of the structure of two polysaccharides, chitosan and chitin. Glucosamine is one of the mos ...
/
chondroitin sulfate Chondroitin sulfate is a sulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) composed of a chain of alternating sugars ( N-acetylgalactosamine and glucuronic acid). It is usually found attached to proteins as part of a proteoglycan. A chondroitin chain can have over ...
supplements for
osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which affects 1 in 7 adults in the United States. It is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the ...
of the knee joint, among other treatment modalities. Early in his tenure as director, Straus prioritised the clinical assessment of treatments widely used in America which had previously shown promising results in small clinical trials. He later wrote: "In the early years of NCCAM, there was a sense of urgency to scientifically assess a range of CAM therapies that had been in long use by the public in the absence of proof of safety or efficacy." By 2006, the center's research focus had shifted away from large clinical trials and towards investigating how treatments might work, as well as the optimal dosing strategy for botanical extracts and their interactions with prescription drugs. NCCAM was criticised for funding trials of
EDTA Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is an aminopolycarboxylic acid with the formula H2N(CH2CO2H)2sub>2. This white, water-soluble solid is widely used to bind to iron (Fe2+/Fe3+) and calcium ions (Ca2+), forming water-soluble complexes ev ...
chelation therapy Chelation therapy is a medical procedure that involves the administration of chelating agents to remove heavy metals from the body. Chelation therapy has a long history of use in clinical toxicology and remains in use for some very specific medi ...
in
coronary artery disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic heart disease (IHD), myocardial ischemia, or simply heart disease, involves Ischemia, the reduction of blood flow to the myocardium, heart muscle due to build-up o ...
and the
Gonzalez regimen Nicholas James Gonzalez (December 28, 1947 – July 21, 2015) was a New York-based physician known for developing the Gonzalez regimen (or Gonzalez protocol), an alternative cancer treatment. Gonzalez's treatments are based on the belief that panc ...
in
pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of panc ...
. Donald M. Marcus and Arthur P. Grollman, in a 2006 ''Science'' opinion article, claimed that the center funded "proposals of dubious merit", and that its research strategy was "shaped more by politics than by science". Straus responded that the center had "made important contributions in a field that is fraught with controversy and challenges" and that it was "applying the same scientific standards to the conduct of research and its review as used by other NIH institutes".


Awards and honors

Straus was an elected fellow of the
American Society for Clinical Investigation The American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), established in 1908, is one of the oldest and most respected medical honor societies in the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United St ...
, the
Association of American Physicians The Association of American Physicians (AAP) is an honorary medical society founded in 1885 by the Canadian physician Sir William Osler and six other distinguished physicians of his era for "the advancement of scientific and practical medicine." ...
and the
Infectious Diseases Society of America The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is a medical association representing physicians, scientists and other health care professionals who specialize in infectious diseases. It was founded in 1963 and is based in Arlington, Virginia. ...
(IDSA). He was honored with the National ME Fund Award of the Netherlands in 1999, IDSA's John F. Enders Lectureship in medical virology in 2005, and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons's gold medal for Distinguished Achievements in Medicine in 2007. He also received five US Public Health Service medals. In 2009, NCCAM founded a lecture series, the Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture in the Science of Complementary Therapies, as a memorial to him.


Personal life

Straus's wife, Barbara, worked in education; the couple had a son and two daughters. In November 2004, Straus was diagnosed with a brain tumor, from which he died at
Potomac, Maryland Potomac () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, named after the nearby Potomac River. Potomac is the seventh most educated small town in America, based on percentage of residents with postsecondary degr ...
in 2007, aged 60.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Straus, Stephen 1946 births 2007 deaths Physicians from New York City Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Science alumni Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons alumni National Institutes of Health people Vaccinologists HIV/AIDS researchers Influenza researchers Lyme disease researchers American molecular biologists American virologists American immunologists American medical researchers Alternative medicine researchers Deaths from brain cancer in the United States Deaths from cancer in Maryland Scientists from New York (state)