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Tripping Lightly Down the Prostaglandin Pathways
The mysterious and complex family of prostaglandins constitutes one of the most intriguing discoveries in the history of modern medicine. Discovered in 1936 by von Euler, prostaglandins derive their name from the fact that they were first detected in human seminal fluid. It was not until the advent of more sophisticated instruments 40 years later that these compounds could be studied in depth. Researchers discovered that the original substance is just one of a family of compounds present in every cell of the body; in fact, prostaglandins are found throughout the animal kingdom, even in species as lowly as insects, shellfish and corals.