Nobel Prize for Medicine awarded to scientists for parasite studies

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Three scientists have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their work in finding new drugs to address parasitic diseases such as malaria and elephantitis. Winners of the Nobel Prize were William Campbell from Ireland, who shared half the prize with Satoshi Omura from Japan for their work in discovering avermectin, while the other half of the prize was awarded to Tu Youyou, who discovered artmesisinin and is the first Chinese scientist to be awarded a Nobel Prize.

According to the New York Times, Dr. Campbell and Dr. Omura developed the drug avermectin, from which ivermectin is derived. Ivermectin is a drug that has helped eradicate river blindness and elephantitis. The World Health Organization cites both ivermectin and martemisinin in their list of essential medicines, and both drugs are being distributed at very low costs or for free.

Dr. Campbell of Ramelton, Ireland has a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin and has worked at the Merck Institute for Therapeutic Research for decades before moving to Drew University in Madison, New Jersey to take part in a prgram where retired industrial scientists direct research of individual undergraduates. Dr. Omura, on the other hand, has a Ph.D.s from the University of Tokyo, in pharmaceutical sciences and chemistry and is emeritus professor at Kitasato University in Tokyo.

Reuters reports that Dr. Tu Youyou, chief professor at the China Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, was awarded with half of the Nobel Prize for her work in discovering artimisinin while poring over traditional Chinese medicine in search for malaria treatment. She studied several herbal remedies in malaria-infected animals and isolated an agent from Artemisia annua. After getting inconsistent results, she consulted ancient texts and found a way to extract the active component of the Artemisia herb.

"Tu was the first to show that this component, later called Artemisinin, was highly effective against the malaria parasite, both in infected animals and humans," the Nobel Committee said.

"We now have drugs that kill these parasites very early in their life-cycle," Novel Committee chair Juleen Zierath said. "They not only kill these parasites but they stop these infections from spreading."

The Nobel Assembly also said, "These two discoveries have provided humankind with powerful new means to combat these debilitating diseases that affect hundreds of millions of people annually. The consequences in terms of improved human health and reduced suffering are immeasurable."

The Nobel Prize for Medicine is the first of several awarded each year. Recipients will receive 8 million Swedish crowns equivalent to $960,000. The awarding of achievements began in 1901 following the will of inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel.