Scribd
Upload
35 views5 pages

Model 4 Prestentation

Uploaded by

odette.zhou2007
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
35 views5 pages

Model 4 Prestentation

Uploaded by

odette.zhou2007
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 5

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2015

Tu Youyou
Born: 30 December 1930, Zhejiang
Ningbo, China
P rize motiva tion: “for h er
di s c o v eri es c o n c erni ng a n o v el
therapy against Malaria”
I ntr oduction
Background:
• Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused
by Plasmodium parasites transmitted to
humans through the bites of infected female
Anopheles mosquitoes.
• It remains a significant global health
challenge, particularly in tropical and
subtropical regions. The most common
symptoms of malaria include fever, chills,
headache, which typically appear 10 to 15
days after the mosquito bite. If not promptly
treated, malaria can lead to severe
complications and even death.
Time line
• 1960s:
- Tu Youyou began her research at the China Academy
of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Beijing.
- She led a team tasked with finding a treatment for
malaria, a significant health problem in China at the
time.

• 1970s:
- Tu Youyou and her team embarked on a
comprehensive search for potential antimalarial
compounds from traditional Chinese herbal medicine.
- Through meticulous experimentation, Tu Youyou
discovered a promising compound in the plant
Artemisia annua, or sweet wormwood.
- She isolated and purified this compound, later named
artemisinin, and demonstrated its potent antimalarial
properties.
• 1980s:

- Tu Youyou's work on artemisinin led to the development of artemisinin -based


combination therapies (ACTs), which have become the frontline treatment for malaria
worldwide.

- Her research significantly transformed the treatment of malaria, saving millions of


lives globally.

-Tu Youyou's contribution was recognized with numerous awards and honors, including
the Lasker Award in Clinical M edicine in 2011 and the Nobel Prize in Physiology or
M edicine in 2015, which she shared with two other scientists.

• Present:

- Artemisinin -based drugs remain crucial in the fight against malaria, particularly in
regions where the disease is endemic and drug resistance is a concern.

- Tu Youyou's work continues to inspire researchers in the search for new antimalarial
drugs and in the broader field of drug discovery and development.

-
Sac r ific e sh e made

• Personal Safety: Du rin g h er research , Tu You you p erson al l y vol u n teered to test
p oten tial an timal arial comp ou n d s on h ersel f to en su re th eir safety b efore ad min isterin g
th em to p atien ts. Th is act d emon strated h er commitmen t to en su rin g th e efficacy an d
safety of th e d ru g s sh e was d evel op in g , d esp ite p oten tial risks to h er own h eal th .

• Intensive Research:Tu You you an d h er team con d u cted exh au stive research , often
workin g l on g h ou rs an d facin g n u merou s ch al l en g es in th eir q u est to fin d a cu re for
mal aria. Th is commitmen t req u ired sacrifices in terms of p erson al time, l eisu re, an d
famil y l ife.

• Scientific Isolation :Tu You you 's research on artemisin in in itial l y faced resistan ce
with in th e scien tific commu n ity. Desp ite th is, sh e p ersisted in h er work, often facin g
isol ation an d criticism from h er p eers. Her d etermin ation to p u rsu e h er research
d esp ite ch al l en g es d emon strates h er wil l in g n ess to sacrifice p erson al recog n ition for
th e g reater g ood of fin d in g a treatmen t for mal aria.

You might also like