Two French researchers have been recognized for their commendable work in discovering a human AIDS virus. A German scientist has researched how the papilloma virus can cause cervical cancer. They were given the prestigious Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine for the year 2008.Incidentally it also sets to rest the dispute as to who discovered the virus. Monta- gnier and his colleague Francoise Barre-Sinoussi were awarded for the discovery of the AIDS virus.
A $ 1.4 million prize was awarded for the discovery of the genital warts virus. This virus causes about 500,000 cases of cerviacl cases annually.
Zur Hausen says “I’m not prepared for this We’re drinking a little glass of bubbly right now.”
Monatagnier and Barre –Sinoussi were honored and praised as it is believed that never ever before “science and medicine been so quick to discover, identify the origin, and provide treatment for a new disease entity.”
There has been a bitter dispute over who discovered the HIV.There was considerable mud slinging and bitterness and accusations about misusing the samples.The dispute was important because it involved milions of dollars in the form of licensing fee apart from the scientific primacy.The controversy reached a stage where President Reagan and the French prime Minister Jacques Chirac had to intervene and it was decided to divide the royalty equally.
Zur Hausan also had problems initially, like all new theories. It was disbelieved
Zur Hausen’s work was far less controversial, although his proposal that human papilloma virus, known as HPV, causes cervical cancer was initially disparaged.It took him 10 years to discover HPV 18. This with HPV-16 were cloned .It was discovered that the two together caused 70 of cervical cancers.
