Recently, a number of researchers have been awarded major prizes for their seminal contributions that have revolutionized treatments for obesity, HIV, cancer and autoimmune diseases. These awards highlight outstanding advances in medicine and their impact on public health.
Medical research has revolutionized the world The Truth Archive
In recent decades, medical research has generated innovative solutions to health challenges, highlighting the importance of international collaborations and ongoing research to solve global health problems. From obesity treatments to the fight against HIV and understanding the mechanisms by which the body defends itself against disease, these discoveries have had a significant impact.
The Lasker Prizes, given on Thursday, September 19, 2024, are highly respected in the field of biomedicine and are often considered an indicator of future Nobel laureates. They highlight not only extraordinary achievements, but also entire teams of researchers who have played essential roles in these advances.
Among the award-winning research is the creation of drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, which contribute not only to the regulation of blood sugar, but also to significant weight loss.
Laureates of the 2024 Lasker Prizes, precursors to the Nobel Prizes Photo Collage
Revolution in the world of obesity – GLP-1 hormone
The Lasker-DeBakey Award for Clinical Medical Research was awarded to a group of researchers consisting of Dr. Joel Habener, Svetlana Mojsov, and Lotte Bjerre Knudsen, for their work on the GLP-1 hormone that has revolutionized obesity treatments. The hormone plays a crucial role in regulating blood sugar and appetite.
The novelty lies not in the discovery of the hormone itself, but in how it has been modified and used effectively to treat a major global problem such as obesity.
Each of these researchers was instrumental in a key moment: the discovery of the new hormone, the identification of the shorter, biologically active form of GLP-1, and ultimately the demonstration that this active form leads to weight loss.
The history of the discovery of GLP-1 began in the 1970s, when Dr. Habener, an endocrinologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, decided to focus on diabetes research, and investigated the gene responsible for glucagon, a hormone that increases blood sugar. The discovery of a glucagon-like protein, with the help of angler fish (lofiiform or pediculate fish), later named GLP-1, was a turning point.
In 1983, another researcher, Graeme Bell of the Chiron Corporation, confirmed the existence of this mysterious peptide in hamsters.
Dr. Mojsov was instrumental – drawing on his advanced knowledge of protein chemistry – in synthesizing the active form of GLP-1 and identifying its secretion in the gut. Collaborating with other researchers, he learned that this active form stimulates the production of insulin in the pancreas, demonstrating its effectiveness in regulating blood sugar.
Later, Lotte Bjerre Knudsen, a researcher at Novo Nordisk, attached GLP-1 to a fatty acid to prolong its effect, resulting in liraglutide, approved in 2014 as an obesity treatment under the name Saxenda.
This paved the way for new innovations that contributed to the development of GLP-1 successors. Scientists at Novo Nordisk then created GLP-1 analogues, leading to the development of semaglutide, used for diabetes and obesity, which demonstrated an average weight loss of 15%, breaking previous barriers in obesity treatments.
The discovery led to the development of drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic, which revolutionized obesity treatments by helping patients manage their weight more effectively.
Recognizing excellence in the fight against HIV
In the field of infectious diseases, Quarraisha and Salim Abdool Karim were recognized for their outstanding contributions to the fight against the HIV epidemic in Africa.
The two South African infectious disease experts are being awarded the Lasker-Bloomberg Award for Public Service.
These researchers have conducted pivotal studies that have shown how the virus spreads rapidly, affecting young women in particular. After decades of effort, they recently achieved remarkable results with an injectable antiviral drug, providing total protection against new infections.
They conducted research for decades in Durban, where they founded the Center for the South African AIDS Research Program and supported the training of two generations of African scientists.
Studies in New York in the late 1980s gave them a clear view of the devastating effects of untreated HIV, while the South African government suppressed talk of the virus. Back home, they conducted the first research that highlighted the rapid spread of HIV among the population.
Recently, Abdool Karims’ research center participated in a clinical trial for an injectable antiviral drug given once every six months that showed promising results in providing total protection against new infections among young women.
Breakthroughs in Cancer and Autoimmune Diseases
The Albert Lasker Prize for Basic Medical Research was awarded to Dr. Zhijian Chen for the discovery of an enzyme that detects foreign DNA in cells or abnormal DNA associated with cancer and attaches to it. This signals the immune system to react, causing an inflammatory response.
This discovery has the potential to contribute to new treatments for cancer and autoimmune diseases by signaling the immune system to respond appropriately.
These achievements not only change treatment paradigms, but also offer real hope to patients around the world.
