Five Nobel Prizes who influenced public health worldwide working on malaria, penicillin, DDT, transplantation immunity, HPV

Fabrice Colas -

Sir Ronald Ross 

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1908

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1902 was awarded to Sir Ronald Ross for his work on the transmission of malaria.

The research work of Sir Ronald Ross helped:  

  • establish the link between mosquitoes and malaria transmission, which allowed to develop prevention measures like mosquito control or insecticide use;
  • identify potential targets for treatment and prevention, which lead to the development of antimalarial drugs;
  • raise awareness of the disease and its impact, leading to increased funding and research in the field.

As a result of Ross's work and subsequent research on this subject, the incidence and mortality rates due to malaria reduced significantly in many parts of the world, even though the disease remains a major public health challenge, notably in developing countries.

References :

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1902
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1902 was awarded to Ronald Ross “for his work on malaria, by which he has shown how it enters the organism and thereby has laid the foundation for successful research on this disease and methods of combating it”
NobelPrize.org

Sir Alexander Fleming, Ernst Chain, and Sir Howard Florey

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1945

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1945 was awarded to Sir Alexander Fleming, Ernst Chain, and Sir Howard Florey for their discovery of penicillin and its potential as a cure for bacterial infections, which revolutionized the field of medicine and saved countless lives. Indirectly, penicillin also paved the way for the development of other antibiotics and other medical advances.

Relatively safe and well-tolerated with few serious side effects, penicillin helped:

  • treat bacterial infections such as pneumonia, sepsis, or meningitis, hereby reducing mortality due to these infections;
  • treat infections like bacterial endocarditis or syphilis which were difficult or impossible to treat previously;
  • reduce the need for more invasive or potentially dangerous treatments like surgery or other antibiotics.

References :

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1945
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1945 was awarded jointly to Sir Alexander Fleming, Ernst Boris Chain and Sir Howard Walter Florey “for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various infectious diseases”
NobelPrize.org

Paul Müller, for the discovery of the insecticidal properties of DDT

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1948

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1948 was awarded to Paul Müller for his discovery of the insecticidal properties of DDT.

This discovery led to the widespread use of DDT as a pesticide, which helped to control the spread of insect-borne diseases such as malaria and typhus.

DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) is a relatively inexpensive and easy to produce synthetic insecticide. It has been widely used since the second half of the 20th century to control the spread of insect-borne diseases such as malaria and typhus. DDT has helped:

  • to eliminate insect-borne diseases such as malaria, typhus, and yellow fever, thereby saving millions of lives;
  • to control the spread of insect-borne diseases without causing significant harm to humans, making it a safer alternative to many other insecticides.
  • to increase crop yields, thereby helping improve food security and reduce malnutrition in the world;

Negative consequences of DDT  include its potential to harm non-target species as well as the development of resistance to the insecticide by some insect populations.

Nowadays, DDT is highly regulated and only used in limited circumstances when other control measures are not effective.

References :

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1948
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1948 was awarded to Paul Hermann Müller “for his discovery of the high efficiency of DDT as a contact poison against several arthropods”
NobelPrize.org

Sir Peter Medawar, for work on transplantation immunity

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1964

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1964 was awarded to Sir Peter Medawar for his work on transplantation immunity.

His research helped to understand the immune system's rejection of transplanted tissues and organs, leading to the development of effective immunosuppressive drugs that are used in organ transplantation.

💡
The number of organ transplants performed worldwide has increased over time, as medical advances have improved the safety and success of transplantation procedures. In the early years, only a few thousand transplants were performed each year. However, as the field developed, the number of transplants has increased significantly, and today, tens of thousands of organ transplants are performed each year. Despite this increase, the demand for organs continues to outpace the supply, and many people on transplant waiting lists do not receive organs they need.

References :

  1. Billingham, R. E., Brent, L., & Medawar, P. B. (1953). ‘Actively acquired tolerance’of foreign cells. Nature, 172(4379), 603-606.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1960
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1960 was awarded jointly to Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet and Peter Brian Medawar “for discovery of acquired immunological tolerance”
NobelPrize.org

Harald zur Hausenm, for his discovery of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008 was awarded to Harald zur Hausen for his discovery of the human papillomavirus (HPV) as the cause of cervical cancer.

This discovery led to the development of HPV vaccines, which have the potential to prevent many cases of cervical cancer.

💡
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global incidence rate of cervical cancer is approximately 13.3 cases per 100,000 women. However, this rate varies between regions and countries, with the highest rates occurring in developing countries. In some of these countries, the incidence rate exceeds 50 cases per 100,000 women. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, with an estimated 570,000 new cases and 311,000 deaths each year. It is now a preventable and treatable disease. Effective screening and vaccination programs help reduce its incidence and mortality.

References :

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2008 was divided, one half awarded to Harald zur Hausen “for his discovery of human papilloma viruses causing cervical cancer”, the other half jointly to Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier “for their discovery of human immunodeficiency virus”
NobelPrize.org