- Jun 24, 2003
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Went to 3 researchers who discovered the virus that causes Hepatitis C. Harvey Alter at the NIH; Michael Houghton at the Univ. of Alberta, Canada; and Charles Rice, now at Rockefeller Univ. in NYC. They each receive 1/3 of the $1.1 million prize.
When I was in school (early 70s) the disease was called non-A, non-B hepatitis. It was suspected to be a viral infection, but the exact cause was still unknown. Hep C is a smallish, enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus of 9,500 nucleotide bases. (SARS-CoV-2 is also a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. But by contrast, has about 30,000 bases.) Hep C is largely an STD, acquired by body fluid exposure. It's now the most common blood-borne infection in the US. It's potentially more serious than Hep A or B. Because 70% of patients, if untreated, will develop chronic liver inflammation. Which can lead to cirrhosis, and is also the leading cause of liver cancer. But OTOH, 90% of Hep C infections can be cured with various anti-viral drugs.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2020
When I was in school (early 70s) the disease was called non-A, non-B hepatitis. It was suspected to be a viral infection, but the exact cause was still unknown. Hep C is a smallish, enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus of 9,500 nucleotide bases. (SARS-CoV-2 is also a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. But by contrast, has about 30,000 bases.) Hep C is largely an STD, acquired by body fluid exposure. It's now the most common blood-borne infection in the US. It's potentially more serious than Hep A or B. Because 70% of patients, if untreated, will develop chronic liver inflammation. Which can lead to cirrhosis, and is also the leading cause of liver cancer. But OTOH, 90% of Hep C infections can be cured with various anti-viral drugs.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2020