Three Europeans Win the 2008 Nobel for Medicine
By Lawrence K. Altman
Today, three European scientists who discovered viruses that cause cervical cancer and AIDS share the Nobel Prize this year for medicine. This article talked about what the scientists did to achieve this prize. Harald zur Hausen from Germany is receiving half the reward for discovering H.P.V. which is the human papilloma virus. The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm is where they decide on the winner for the prize came to the conclusion that the discovery of H.P.V. led to the development of a vaccine against cervical cancer. This is second most comment cancer among women. The other half of the reward will be shared equally between Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier of France. They discovered H.I.V. which is the virus that causes AIDS. 25 million people have died from AIDS since 1981 and 33 million more are still living with it. I also learned that the two types of H.P.V are consistently found in about 70% of cervical cancers. There are about 100 human papilloma viruses known today, 40 infect the genital tract and 15 of them put women at high risk for cervical cancer. Papilloma virus is in about 5 % of cancers worldwide. Scientist are now working with blood samples to figure out H.I.V. and AIDS. “Never before has science and medicine been so quick to discover, identify the origin and provide treatment for a new disease entity,” the Karolinska Institute said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/health/07nobel.html?ref=science
1 comment:
3 parts of the current event that were presented well were:
1- introducing the types of viruses
2- presenting the people who won the noble prize for medicine
3- the facts about the viruses and its vaccines
2 things that could make this better:
1- proof reading
2- what was the most interesting fact you've learned?
1 thing that I thought was interesting is that i never knew that the papilloma virus is in about 5% of cancers worldwide.
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