2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to the German scientist Harald zur Hausen and two French scientists Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier.
"The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008 with one half to Harald zur Hausen for his discovery of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer and the other half jointly to Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier for their discovery of human immunodeficiency virus or HIV," announced Hans Jörnvall on behalf of the Nobel Committee at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on Monday.
Professor Harald zur Hausen who was born in 1936 in Germany and graduated from University of Dusseldorf Germany was former Chairman and Scientific Director in German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg, Germany.
Hausen's discovery
Professor Hausen discovered the role of human papilloma virus or HPV in cervical cancer after 10 years of research. Every year there are 500 thousand new cases of cervical cancers according to the World Health Organization.
Professor Hausen discovered novel HPV-DNA in cervix cancer biopsies, and thus discovered the new, tumourigenic HPV 16 type in 1983. In 1984, he cloned HPV 16 and 18 from patients with cervical cancer. The HPV types 16 and 18 were consistently found in about 70% of cervical cancer biopsies throughout the world.
Jan Andersson, member of the Nobel Committee said Hausen's discovery is very important.
"Hausen demonstrated novel properties of HPV that have led to an understanding of mechanisms for papilloma virus-induced carcinogenesis and the predisposing factors for viral persistence and cellular transformation. He made HPV16 and 18 available to the scientific community. Vaccines were ultimately developed that provide about 95% protection from infection by the high risk HPV16 and 18 types." said Andersson.
The vaccines may also reduce the need for surgery and the global burden of cervical cancer, according to a press release at the press conference.
Discovery of HIV
Francoise Barre-Sinoussi who was born in 1947 was a PhD in virology at Pastuer Institute and professor and director at Regulation of Retroviral Infections Unit of Virology Department of Pastuer Institute in Paris.
Luc Montagnier who was born in 1932 was also a PhD in virology but at University of Paris and Professor and Director of World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention in Paris, France.
According to the Nobel Committee, the two professors did isolated research on the early stage of acquired immune deficiency or AIDs. They detected activity of the retroviral enzyme reverse transcriptase, a direct sign of retrovirus replication. In contrast to previously characterized human oncogenic retroviruses, the novel retrovirus they had discovered, now known as human immunodeficiency virus or HIV did not induce uncontrolled cell growth. Instead, the virus required cell activation for replication and mediated cell fusion of T lymphocytes.
By 1984, Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier had obtained several isolates of the novel human retrovirus which they identified as a lentivirus, from sexually infected individuals, haemophiliacs, mother to infant transmissions and transfused patients.
Andersson from the Nobel Committee who introduced the discovery said that considering the large number of infections of HIV, the discovery of HIV is very significant.
"Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier's discovery made rapid coloning of the HIV-1 genome possible. This has allowed identification of important details in its replication cycle and how the virus interacts with its host." explained Andersson.
Further more, it led to development of methods to diagnose infected patients and to screen blood products, which has limited the spread of the pandemic.
The combination of prevention and treatment has substantially decreased spread of the disease and dramatically increased life expectancy among treated patients.
Andersson said the discovery of HIV can provide ideas for future vaccine development as well as for therapeutic approaches targeting viral latency.
He said that in China vaccines to HIV which can be similar to vaccines to Hepatitis B is in clinic testing.
The successful antiretroviral therapy results in life expectancies for persons with HIV infection now reaching levels similar to those of uninfected people.
Since 1901, there have been 35 women in the world who have won Nobel Prize, Barrie-Sinoussi is the 35th woman who has won such a prestigious prize. And Marie Curie from France won twice the prize, once in physics in 1903 and once in chemistry in 1913.
The total amount of Nobel prize is 10 million Swedish kronor and about 1.42 million US dollars.
The prize will be presented on December 10.
By Xuefei Chen People's Daily Online correspondent in Stockholm.
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