I think Alfred Nobel would have been happy “- Dagens Medicin

Jan Andersson, professor of infectious diseases. Image: Carl-Magnus Hake

– Not for any of the three laureates, it was about discoveries that immediately was groundbreaking. It required patience and a willingness to not give up because their efforts would come to benefit, says Jan Andersson to Dagens Medicin after the announcement of this year’s medicine prize.

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine goes in 2015 to hand the Irishman William Campbell and Japanese Satoshi Omura for the development of breakthrough medicines to treat roundworm parasites, and the Chinese language Youyou Tu for her discoveries about malaria drug artemisinin.

As for the development of drugs to treat worm infections had Satoshi Omura devoted eight years to refine techniques to cultivate the soil bacteria, and screening for antimicrobial substances, says Jan Andersson. Of about 45 000 different bacterial cultures, he chose then out of thirty who partner William Campbell would test on the pharmaceutical company Merck in the United States.

Even Campbell, it was about a stubborn work bore fruit, according to Jan Andersson. At a critical moment in the animal experiments, it was a single mouse was infected with the parasitic worm Nematospiroides dubius and because of this was about to die.

– But Campbell insisted on testing one of the new antique-microbial substances and the mouse survived. Then they proceeded in other tests and ultimately had developed drug avermectin which was later modified into it today using ivermectin, says Jan Andersson.

But that ivermectin could be used to treat humans was not a matter of course . At Merck thought of as this mainly as a medicine for animals.

– However William Campbell insisted that the drug is also being evaluated as a treatment for worm infection in humans, says Jan Andersson.

it comes to the discovery of the drug artemisinin he highlights that Youyou Tu for several years worked with varying results when she tried to clean up the active substance in sweet wormwood, which has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine against malaria.

– She decided to go back and redo the experiments but under other conditions. Suddenly she gets a stable product with 100 percent activity. She let herself nor discouraged by that it was cardiac events when artemisinin was tested on mice, but managed to get around it, says Jan Andersson.

Today, artemisinin-based drugs basically in the treatment of malaria since the parasite has developed resistance to other drugs.

After Tu Youyou received Lasker Award in 2011 as it became clear views that the other Chinese scientists involved in the research should have been praised.

Was it more difficult to sort out who would be the price of artemisinin, compared with the drugs against parasitic worms?

– No, it was not. It is roughly the same challenge every year no matter who the winner, says Jan Andersson.

This is just one example of many Nobel Prize gone to the area of ​​infection. Why are there so many Nobel prizes there?

– If you fail to identify an infectious agent, and then find a treatment can indeed often cure the disease and are able to even eradicate it. It makes a great importance for humanity, while infectious diseases have historically been a major public health problem, says Jan Andersson, who is himself a professor of infectious diseases.

There were an unusual number of journalists from China at the press conference. Can information on price has been leaked?

– We made the same reflection as you, but no, we are not aware of any leak. But we interpret it as a huge increase in interest and that the number of media in China has grown strongly in recent years, says Jan Andersson.

Finally, you did not reach Youyou Tu morning but how did the other two prize winners Satoshi Omura and William Campbell?

– With tremendous surprise and joy. They had not expected this, says Jan Andersson and adds.

– I also think Alfred Nobel would be glad when he is in his will was referring to discoveries that have made the greatest benefit to mankind. This is about diseases that may affect 3.4 billion people on Earth.

  Back to Science