Markets rocked as US says Israel has struck Iran    Israel carries out strike inside Iran, US says as region braces for further escalation Explosions heard near military base    7,700 commercial disputes resolved via Taradhi platform, says Ministry of Justice    Dhul Qadah 29 is the last day for Umrah pilgrims to leave the Kingdom 90-day duration of visa begins from the date of entering the Kingdom; Hajj Ministry clarifies    'Saudi hospitality sector to generate SR42 billion investments and 120,000 jobs by 2030'    Chinese workers disagree with West over mass production claims    IMF forecast: Saudi economy to record 2nd highest global growth rate in 2025    Centuries-old defensive moat and fortification wall unearthed in Historic Jeddah    EU's Josep Borrell warns Middle East 'on edge of regional war'    Indonesia issues tsunami alert after volcano erupts on remote island    US Senate kills the articles of impeachment against Alejandro Mayorkas    Poignant shot from Gaza wins World Press Photo of the Year 2024    Al Ain ends Al Hilal's record streak with a 4-2 win in AFC Champions League semi-final    Saudi Pro League postpones Al-Hilal vs. Al-Ahli match; Al-Ahli rejects rescheduling    50% traffic fine reduction takes effect    'Zarqa Al Yamama': Tickets now available for Saudi Arabia's first opera premiering April 25    AFC postpones Al Ain vs Al Hilal semi-final match due to weather conditions    Turki Alalshikh announces groundbreaking 5 vs 5 Riyadh Season bout featuring international boxing stars    Diriyah Biennale Foundation announces shortlist for AlMusalla Prize, set to revolutionize musalla architecture    Fourth Gulf Film Festival kicks off in Riyadh, scaling up Saudi movie industry Event extends over 5 days with the screening of 29 diverse films    JK Rowling in 'arrest me' challenge over hate crime law    Trump's Bible endorsement raises concern in Christian religious circles    Hollywood icon Will Smith shares his profound admiration for Holy Qur'an    We have celebrated Founding Day for three years - but it has been with us for 300    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Nobel Prize in Medicine: Joint award goes to scientists who discovered Hepatitis C virus
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 05 - 10 - 2020

The 2020 Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology has been jointly awarded to the three scientists who discovered the Hepatitis C virus.
Americans Harvey J Alter and Charles M Rice, and British-born Michael Houghton were revealed on Monday as this year's laureates for the medical breakthrough touted as saving millions of lives.
In a statement, the Nobel Assembly said the isolation of Hepatitis C had marked a "landmark achievement in the ongoing battle against viral diseases" and had resulted in the creation of specific testing regimen and cures to tackle the illness around the world.
Born in 1935 in New York, Alter carried out his prize winning studies at the US National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, where he remains active.
Rice, meanwhile, was born in 1952 in Sacramento, California, later working at the Washington University in St Louis before moving to Rockefeller University in New York.
Michael Houghton was born in the UK in 1950, and undertook his studies at the Chiron Corporation in California before moving to the University of Alberta in Canada.
This year's prize comes at a particularly significant time for those working in the medical field, given the additional spotlight brought by coronavirus.
But despite the pandemic's huge effect on the world and its highlighting of the importance of science and medical research, the 2020 winner was not expected to be COVID-related.
This is due to winners usually being picked from discoveries made years ago, and whom provided the basis of practical applications commonly used today.
The discovery of Hepatitis C in the late 1980s came as scientists grew increasingly concerned that tests for the Hepatitis B virus accounted for only a minority of the hepatitis cases resulting from blood transfusion.
Hepatitis A, meanwhile, is not a blood-borne illness and can be spread through close personal contact.
To isolate the unknown infectious agent, Alter was able to demonstrate that an as-yet-unknown virus was the cause of chronic hepatitis, while Houghton used an untested strategy to isolate the genome later called Hepatitis C.
Charles Rice completed the discovery by gathering evidence to prove Hepatitis C alone could cause chronic hepatitis.
The bodily effect of Hepatitis C is devastating when left untreated, and can ultimately be life-threatening. Primarily attacking the liver, the virus can lead to serious scarring, known as cirrhosis, or cause deadly liver failure and cancer.
Alter, Houghton and Rice are now set to receive a gold medal for their Nobel award, along with prize money of 10 million Swedish kronor (€956,000) from a bequest left by Swedish inventor Alfred Novel 124 years ago. This amount was recently increased to adjust for inflation.
Announcing the recipients, Thomas Perlmann, the Secretary-General of the Nobel Committee said he had managed to reach Alter and Rice by phone to inform them of the news.
He said: "I had to call a couple of times before they answered. They seemed very surprised and very, very happy." — Euronews


Clic here to read the story from its source.