- Born:
- 1947, Skopje, Yugoslavia [now in the Republic of North Macedonia] (age 79)
Svetlana Mojsov
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Who is Svetlana Mojsov?
Svetlana Mojsov, born in Skopje, Yugoslavia (now North Macedonia), in 1947, is a Macedonian American chemist celebrated for her groundbreaking work on peptide hormones, particularly glucagon-like peptides (GLPs), which regulate glucose metabolism.
Mojsov's academic journey includes a bachelor's degree in physical chemistry from the University of Belgrade in 1971 and a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Rockefeller University in 1978, where she synthesized glucagon under Nobel laureate Bruce Merrifield. Her postdoctoral studies focused on refining glucagon synthesis methods.
Her research at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School identified GLP-1 as an incretin hormone, stimulating insulin release in response to food intake. Mojsov's discoveries paved the way for GLP-1 receptor agonists, used in type 2 diabetes treatments. She is a co-inventor on patents for GLP-1, licensed to Novo Nordisk, which developed successful diabetes and weight management drugs like liraglutide and semaglutide.
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Where was Svetlana Mojsov born and what is her background?
Svetlana Mojsov was born in 1947 in Skopje, Yugoslavia (now in the Republic of North Macedonia). Raised in Skopje, she attended the University of Belgrade, earning a bachelorās degree in physical chemistry in 1971. She then pursued a Ph.D. at Rockefeller University in New York City, joining the lab of biochemist Bruce Merrifield. In 1978, Mojsov earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry after synthesizing glucagon and began postdoctoral studies in Merrifieldās lab, refining glucagon synthesis methods.
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What is Svetlana Mojsov known for in the field of chemistry?
Svetlana Mojsov (born in 1947) is a Yugoslavian-born Macedonian American chemist celebrated for her groundbreaking work on peptide hormones that regulate physiological processes. Her research particularly emphasized glucagon-like peptides (GLPs), hormones critical in glucose metabolism. These insights have significantly influenced treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Mojsov's work at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School led to the identification of two distinct GLPs, GLP-1 and GLP-2, and the characterization of their functions. She specifically identified GLP-1 as an incretin hormone, which stimulates insulin release in response to food intake.
Her discoveries paved the way for GLP-1 receptor agonists, drugs that mimic GLP-1 to enhance insulin secretion, reduce blood sugar, and promote satiety. Mojsov is listed as a co-inventor on patents for the use of GLP-1 (7-37) as a medication for type 2 diabetes.
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What important scientific discoveries or inventions is Svetlana Mojsov associated with?
Svetlana Mojsov is known for her contributions to understanding peptide hormones that regulate physiological processes, especially glucagon-like peptides (GLPs). Her work identified GLP-1 as an incretin hormone, which stimulates insulin release upon food intake.
Mojsov's research paved the way for GLP-1 receptor agonists, used in type 2 diabetes treatments. These drugs mimic GLP-1, enhancing insulin secretion, reducing blood sugar, and promoting satiety. In 2006, she was listed as a co-inventor on patents for using GLP-1 (7-37) as a type 2 diabetes medication.
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How did Svetlana Mojsov's work contribute to medicine or human health?
Svetlana Mojsov's work significantly contributed to medicine and human health through her research on glucagon-like peptides (GLPs). In the mid-1980s, Mojsov and her team identified GLP-1 as an incretin hormone, which stimulates insulin release in response to food intake.
Her discoveries paved the way for developing GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of drugs that mimic GLP-1. These drugs enhance insulin secretion, lower blood sugar levels, and promote satiety. These agonists, including liraglutide and semaglutide, are now widely used in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity.
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What impact has Svetlana Mojsov's research had on science and society today?
Svetlana Mojsov, a Macedonian-American chemist, has significantly impacted science and society through her work on glucagon-like peptides (GLPs). Mojsov's research identified GLP-1 as an incretin hormone that stimulates insulin release, which paved the way for GLP-1 receptor agonists. These drugs, which mimic GLP-1, enhance insulin secretion, lower blood sugar, and promote satiety and are now widely used to treat type 2 diabetes and aid in weight management. Mojsov's work has led to the development of drugs like liraglutide and semaglutide.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Svetlana Mojsov (born 1947, Skopje, Yugoslavia [now in the Republic of North Macedonia]) is a Yugoslavian-born Macedonian American chemist known for her pioneering contributions to the discovery and understanding of peptide hormones that regulate physiological processes. Her work has been especially influential in the study of glucagon-like peptides (GLPs), a class of hormones that play a central role in glucose metabolism and that have informed the development of treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Education and early career
Mojsov was raised in Skopje, the capital city of North Macedonia (then part of Yugoslavia). She pursued higher education in Europe, attending the University of Belgrade, where she earned a bachelorās degree in physical chemistry in 1971. She subsequently embarked on Ph.D. studies at the Rockefeller University in New York City. At Rockefeller, she joined the laboratory of American biochemist Bruce Merrifield, who later won the 1984 Nobel Prize for Chemistry for developing a revolutionizing method for polypeptide synthesis. Mojsov herself became interested in peptide hormones and metabolic regulation, and in 1978, after successfully synthesizing glucagon, she graduated with a Ph.D. in biochemistry. She then began postdoctoral studies in Merrifieldās laboratory, making refinements in methods of glucagon synthesis.
GLP-1 and GLP-1 receptor agonists
In 1983, after serving as a research associate at Rockefeller, Mojsov joined the faculty at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where she was a member of the endocrine unit and an assistant professor in biochemistry. Her research increasingly centered on the proglucagon gene, which produces GLPs, and she began to suspect that GLPs had an important role in the gutās response to glucose. In 1986ā87 Mojsov and colleagues demonstrated the existence of two distinct GLPsāGLP-1 and GLP-2āand characterized their functions. Her research specifically identified GLP-1 as an incretin hormone, a type of hormone that stimulates insulin release in response to food intake.
Mojsovās discoveries laid the groundwork for the development of GLP-1 receptor agonists, a group of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes. These drugs mimic the action of GLP-1, enhancing insulin secretion, reducing blood sugar levels, and promoting satiety. In 2006 she was included as a co-inventor on patents demonstrating the use of GLP-1 (7-37), a truncated form of the GLP-1 hormone, as type 2 diabetes medications. The patents were issued to Massachusetts General Hospital, which subsequently licensed them to Novo Nordisk, a pharmaceutical company specializing in diabetes treatments. Novo Nordisk went on to develop highly successful GLP-1 receptor agonists, including liraglutide and semaglutide, which today are widely used for diabetes and weight management.
Later career and honors
From 1983 to 1990, while in Massachusetts, Mojsov was an associate of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In 1990 she returned to Rockefeller, initially as an assistant professor and later (from 2002) serving as a research associate professor.
Mojsov was recognized for her discoveries with multiple awards and honors, including the 2024 Lasker-DeBakey Clinical Medical Research Award (shared with Joel Habener and Lotte Bjerre Knudsen) and the 2024 Tang Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science (shared with Habener and Jens Juul Holst). Mojsov, along with Habener and scientist Dan Drucker, was listed among the 100 most influential people of 2024 by Time magazine.