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Nobel prize for viral discoveries Nobel prize for viral discoveries
(10 minutes later)
The scientists who discovered HIV will share the Nobel prize for medicine with the expert who linked human papillpoma virus (HIV) to cervical cancer. The scientists who discovered HIV will share the Nobel prize for medicine with the expert who linked human papillpoma virus (HPV) to cervical cancer.
Frenchmen Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier were recognised for their groundbreaking work in uncovering the virus responsible for Aids.Frenchmen Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier were recognised for their groundbreaking work in uncovering the virus responsible for Aids.
Harald zur Hausen, of Germany, received the prize for making the link between the HPV and cervical cancer.Harald zur Hausen, of Germany, received the prize for making the link between the HPV and cervical cancer.
In the UK, recent estimates suggest about 63,500 people have HIV. He received half of the prize with the Frenchmen splitting the other half.
Approximately one in three of these doesn't know they have the virus. Many people with HIV don't have any symptoms for many years after initial infection. In its citation, the Nobel Assembly said Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier's discovery was vital in enabling scientists to begin to understand the biology of a virus which has killed millions of people worldwide.
HIV is often transmitted through unprotected sex. More than 25 million people have died of HIV/AIDS since 1981.
There's no cure for HIV, but the discovery of the virus has led to effective treatments that have greatly increased the life expectancy of someone with HIV. Globally, over 40 million people are living with HIV.
The pair's work in the early 1980s made it possible to clone the HIV-1 genome.
"This has allowed identification of important details in its replication cycle and how the virus interacts with its host," the citation said.
"Furthermore, it led to development of methods to diagnose infected patients and to screen blood."
The assembly said zur Hausen "went against current dogma" to discover that HPV caused cervical cancer - the second most common cancer among women.
HPVHPV
About 3,000 UK women are diagnosed with this type of cancer every year UK.About 3,000 UK women are diagnosed with this type of cancer every year UK.
The discovery of the link between HPV and cervical cancer has led to the development of vaccines to immunise young girls against HPV.The discovery of the link between HPV and cervical cancer has led to the development of vaccines to immunise young girls against HPV.