Augusto Odone | Lorenzo's Oil inventor, 80

Augusto Odone, a former World Bank economist who defied skeptical scientists to invent a treatment to try to save the life of his little boy, died Thursday in his native Italy.

Mr. Odone's treatment, derived from natural cooking oils, became known as Lorenzo's Oil, which was also the title of a movie depicting the relentless efforts by Mr. Odone and his late wife, Michaela, to try to find a cure for their son's genetic neurological disease.

Cristina Odone told the Associated Press on Friday that her father had lived for many years with a series of medical problems and had died of organ failure precipitated by a lung infection. "What was so remarkable about my father is that he would never accept a death sentence, either for his own son or for himself," she said.

Lorenzo was diagnosed with adrenoleukodystrophy, or ALD, when he was 6. Doctors predicted he would not survive childhood.

Mr. Odone took early retirement. After scouring medical journals and consulting scientists and doctors, he taught himself enough science that in 1987 he came up with a concoction derived from natural cooking oils. He turned to a British scientist to produce an edible version.

ALD is caused by a genetic defect that destroys the sheath covering nerve fibers. It is characterized by the buildup of substances in the blood called long-chain fatty acids. Lorenzo's Oil is believed to return acid levels to normal when the condition is diagnosed early.

Michaela Odone died of lung cancer in 2000. Lorenzo died in 2008 at age 30. - AP