The Nobel Assembly said in a news release on Monday that the three scientists had “made a final discovery that led to the identification of the novel’s virus.”
It said all three “made a significant contribution to the fight against blood-borne hepatitis, a major global health problem that causes cirrhosis and liver cancer in people around the world.”
Globally, an estimated 1.1 million people are infected with the chronic hepatitis C virus, according to the World Health Organization. A significant number of people with chronic infections will develop cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Gilbert Thompson, a professor of clinical lipidology at Imperial College London, told CNN: “It’s been a long time coming. It was a step. ”
Thomas Pearlman, secretary of the Nobel Assembly, said he had to call the winners several times before Terter and Rice finally arrived.
“I woke them up and they were very surprised. They were definitely not sitting by the phone because I had called them many times before without any answer,” he said after the announcement.
“But once I got to them they were very surprised and really happy and speechless, so it was really fun to talk to them.”
U.S. Systematic studies of hepatitis associated with hemorrhage by scientist Terter showed that an unknown virus was a common cause of chronic hepatitis.
Houghton – a British scientist – uses an undated strategy to isolate the genome of a new virus called hepatitis C.
Rice, another American, provides conclusive evidence that the hepatitis C virus alone can cause hepatitis.
Alfred Nobel – the inventor of dynamite – created a fund in 1895 to give those who serve humanity the greatest part of their destiny. Today, Nobels recognizes significant achievements in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, peace and economics. Between 1901 and 2019, about 600 awards were given.
Noble said part of its funding would be “dedicated to the person who made the most important discoveries in the field of physiology or medicine.”
The main inscription on one side of the Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine and Literature is the same: “Inventas Vitam Juvat Exclusions per Arts,” such as loosely translated: “And those who made life on Earth better by their newly discovered mastery.”
The Nobel Prizes in Medicine, Physics and Chemistry are an integration of scientific achievement – honoring great minds and life-changing discoveries.
The next two will be announced on Tuesday and Wednesday, followed by the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday, the Peace Prize on Friday and the Prize in Economic Science on Monday.
.
