During his distinguished career spanning over four decades, Richard Adamson, PhD, has used state-of-the art approaches to distinguish between safe and unsafe doses for humans in many ways. This article highlights some of these accomplishments.
Richard Adamson Receives 2016 SOT Founders Award
For newborns, Dr. Adamson demonstrated that not only weight was a factor in administration of a dose to infants but also allowing for the development of drug metabolizing enzymes in the infant was a major factor to reduce sensitivity to drugs. In the use of antibiotics in surgical procedures and myasthenia gravis, he and his colleagues demonstrated the synergy between some antibiotics and neuromuscular blocking agents as very important interactions between muscle relaxants.
In studying absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of folic acid antagonists, he found dichloromethotrexate (DCM) was metabolized by liver enzymes and methotrexate (MTX) was generally excreted by the kidneys. This suggested that DCM was the better folic acid antagonist for use when renal function is impaired, or in the case of immunosuppression such as cases of kidney transplantation
In working with the National Research Council, Dr. Adamson was invited to a committee to investigate the safety of platinum catalytic converters in cars. The committee concluded that the platinum and palladium emitted from automobiles was small and the chemical form and lack of methylation by microorganisms posed no known threat to the environment or individuals.
Also, his work with a Department of Health and Human Services committee reviewed the benefit and risks of the use of fluoride for the prevention of dental cavities. The committee supported the use of fluoride in drinking water, toothpastes, mouth rinses, and fluoride dietary supplements at optimal levels. Dr. Adamson also investigated the carcinogenic potential of food additives, food contaminants, and pesticides. His long-term study of the use of saccharin without toxic effects led in part to various regulatory agencies removing saccharin from their lists of carcinogens.
In addition, he helped determine that the Mustargen, Oncovin, Procarbazine, and Predisone (MOPP) combination chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s disease caused toxicity due partly to the use of procarbazine, which led to the development by oncologists of other first line therapies for Hodgkin’s disease. Furthermore, working with Japanese investigators, he found that heterocyclic amines resulting from cooking meat were carcinogenic and determined that certain methods of cooking could reduce their formation. More recently, he has spoken out about the safety and benefits of caffeine consumption.
Dr. Adamson has been a steadfast member of the Society since joining in 1973, including service as the Society of Toxicology (SOT) liaison to the American Association for Cancer Research. Among his many awards and honors, in 1989, he was presented with the SOT Arnold J. Lehman Award.