Tu: artemisinin is the gift to the people of the world of traditional Chinese medicine

Treasure from medicine in mining, with one individual plant grass to change the world

Time: the 2015-10-06 source: People's Daily

The Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for the jury announced the winners. The People's Daily reporter Chung-hua liu was taken

"Artemisinin is traditional Chinese medicine the gift to the people of the world."

On October 5, a researcher at the Chinese academy of traditional Chinese medicine tu won the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine in 2015. At that time, each big news sites, circle of friends is the 85 - year - old old woman refresh. The outside world, she was surprisingly calm, "the discovery of artemisinin, is a successful example of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) collective excavation, thus winning China's scientific career, an honor of traditional Chinese medicine to world."

"Congratulations, tu, congratulations to China!"

5, 10, of the karolinska institute in Sweden Nobel hall, filled with the journalists from around the world. 11 when 30 points, the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine committee general secretary, urban lindahl, and three of the judges enter the hall. Lindahl has announced in Swedish, English, and awarded to one half of the 2015 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for Chinese medicine tu, the other half to the Irish researchers William Campbell and Japanese scientists think big village. The reason of bear the palm of tu is "about malaria is the discovery of new treatments. Lindahl announced at the same time, the big screens photos and introduction, let the world know the Chinese scientists - in this photo, tu is wearing glasses, the corners of the mouth slightly grinned, in the introduction write "was born in 1930, China's traditional Chinese medicine academy of sciences, Beijing, China".

Then, the contribution of the judges were introduced the award-winning scientists: tu discovered artemisinin - a malaria can significantly reduce the mortality of patients with drugs. In the late 1960 s, the commonly used to treat malaria drugs - chloroquine and quinine have failed, but malaria patients continues to grow. At that time, China's tu turned to the traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and found that the extract has curative effect in the plant artemisia annua l. Tu reading classic, find a way to extract, and the material named artemisinin. Artemisinin represents a kind of new antimalarial carrier, can quickly kill them in the early years of the development of the malaria parasite, therefore in the treatment of severe malaria has produced unprecedented curative effect.

Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for the judges to Anderson in with the financial times in an interview with expressed congratulations, "congratulations, tu, congratulations to China! This is the first time in the history of the Nobel Prize for medicine reward parasites disease areas. Because of the contribution of the three scientists, ten million people received symptomatic treatment drugs, it has the milestone significance."

Tu is the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for the first Chinese winner, and twelfth female winner of the award. "Due to malaria deaths up to two hundred million people a year, she with amazing perseverance discovered artemisinin, was the first confirmed that artemisinin can be effective against malaria in the animal body and the human body. Scientists artemisinin malaria infection can be the decline in death rates of 20%, her research contribution to human life and health. Her research is different from all other scientific research, open a new window for scientific research personnel." Anderson said: "about Chinese herbal medicine of traditional Chinese medicine has a wealth of knowledge, and western scientists can from the Angle of molecular biology of Chinese herbal medicine was analyzed. Tu both traditional Chinese medicine knowledge, also understand the pharmacology and chemistry, she perfectly combine these together. So the eastern and western medical research work together, to get fruitful results."

Artemisinin is the embodiment of the Chinese medicine benefit mankind

On October 4, 1971, 191 pairs of eyes staring nervously artemisinin samples the final result of the antimalarial experiment. Along with the test results, laboratory erupted: the sample of the malaria parasite inhibition rate reached 100%. 44 years later, on October 5, 2015, tu gain the Nobel Prize.

Artemisinin, north and south are all very common kind of plants, lush to grow in the wild, plain appearance, but holds the magic cure patents. Tu is with one individual plant grass has changed the world.

Tu's name from the book of songs "youyou life is music, and eat wild artemisia". Song dynasty zhu note said, "" artemisia annua. Name is father, at the time, and nobody expected verses that strains in the weeds will change the girl's life.

At the end of 1930, tu was born in ningbo, zhejiang province. She is the only girl of five children at home. As a student professional students, tu was admitted to Peking University school of medicine, he has been wedded and plants such as natural medicine research and development of application. In 1955 into the traditional Chinese medicine research institute (now China academy of traditional Chinese medicine), in addition to attended a two and a half years of "class" western medicine's departure to study TCM, she almost no long time away from dongzhimen, near the building.

In 1969, tu's institute of traditional Chinese medicine has received a "Chinese herbal medicine of antimalarial" research and development tasks, that is a big part of military plan, code 523. 39, tu reimbursing, began to conquer the difficult process of malaria.

Since January 1969, after more than 380, more than 190, more than 2000 samples card, tu and team in rat parasites, for model, discovered artemisinin malaria parasite inhibition rate can reach 68% of the rat. However, the subsequent experiment results show that the artemisinin parasite inhibition rate was only 12% - 12% of the rat. Tu analysis, the reason of inhibition rate couldn't get on, could be extracted in low concentration of active ingredients.

Why artemisinin in the laboratory can't effectively suppress malaria? Is extraction method has a problem, or have a problem doing the experiment mouse? Tu heart has unwilling, she moved from ancient literature to STH. One day, the eastern jin ge hong "elbow backup nasty party" attracted the attention of tu in a few words: "ACTS a hold to 2 litres of water stains, wring juice, best of clothing." Why is this different and commonly used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) method? The original fresh juice with artemisinin inside!

"Temperature! This is the difference temperature! Very likely in the case of high temperature, the active constituents of artemisia annua is broken off. So, before the experiment methods are wrong." Tu immediately to switch to the boiling point lower ether experiment, finally discovered artemisinin. From 12% to 12%, ether was used to extract artemisinin, this seemingly very simple extraction process, is precious. The scene, tu remember: "so happy! Was saved ten million lives, this is the most comforting thing. Artemisinin is our inventions of China, and integrated excavated from traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Chinese medicine is the embodiment of the mankind. We are proud."

Tu does not stop, in 1992, about the high cost of artemisinin, shortcomings and so on to malaria is difficult to cure, she invented a double hydrogen artemisinin and the antimalarial efficacy for the former is 10 times "upgrade".

In September 2011, tu get a "Nobel Prize vane" of the reputation of the lasker award.

The honour belongs to Chinese scientists

"Scientific research is not to contend for." She said, when you work hard. Very low wages, but they don't consider these, consciously to work overtime, for rapid advance work.

China institute of traditional Chinese medicine academy of sciences, the original director Jiang Tingliang researcher said, when doing artemisinin animal experiments, which have found a phenomenon such as transaminase eleations. Tu and her two colleagues decided to try personally, confirmed the drug safety, and then to patients in clinic. When the research conditions of crude environment is poor, cheng fang ether soak artemisinin vats, constantly issued pungent smell... Later, tu has toxic hepatitis.

Tu himself unexpectedly, after more than 40 years, artemisinin research can be international recognition. "Won the prize, you are the pride of the Chinese science, I believe that this will encourage more Chinese scientists constantly climb the world peak of science, for the human civilization and more bigger contribution to people's welfare." Bai of the Chinese academy of sciences, said in the message.

"We should learn from tu, a researcher at the grindstone, study, perseverance, persistent style of work, remove the impetuous, indifferent to fame and wealth, always around science target down-to-earth hard work." China's traditional Chinese medicine academy of sciences, said zhang bl.

National health and family planning commission, the state administration of traditional Chinese medicine in the congratulation, according to tu's award, suggests that the international medical community deep concern for the Chinese medicine research, show the profound meaning of traditional Chinese medicine to maintain human health, shows the academic spirit and innovation ability of Chinese scientists, is the pride of the Chinese medicine and health.

"This is an honor of traditional Chinese medicine to world." Tu said. "it belongs to the scientific research team in every one of us, belongs to the group of Chinese scientists." Tu stressed that Chinese medicine is a great treasure, through inheritance, innovation, develop, and the essence of it can better know the world, makes a bigger contribution for the world medicine. We Chinese efforts by the international recognition, the key is to really solve the problem, has saved many lives. Continuous understanding of traditional Chinese medicine with modern scientific method, this is our generation and the next generation of scientists.

According to Beijing on October 5 (xinhua) 5, the all-china women's federation sent a letter to the Chinese female pharmacists tu, congratulations on she won the 2015 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.

The all-china women's federation said in the letters, how tu won the 2015 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, this is the glory of all Chinese people, but also the pride of all Chinese women, the all-china women's federation on behalf of hundreds of millions of women across the country, warm greetings and high respect to her.