Tu Youyou’s first Nobel Prize reflects the great contribution of traditional Chinese medicine to mankind

　　The Karolinska Institute of Sweden announced on the 5th in Stockholm that the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine will be awarded to Chinese female pharmacologist Tu Youyou and two other scientists William Campbell and Satoshi Omura in recognition of their achievements in research on the treatment of parasitic diseases.

　　This is the first time that a Chinese scientist has won the Nobel Prize in Science for scientific research conducted in China. It is the highest award so far received by the Chinese medical community and the highest award for traditional Chinese medicine achievements. This year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has a total prize of 8 million Swedish kronor (approximately US$920,000). Tu Youyou will receive half of the prize, and two other scientists will share the other half of the prize.

　　As usual, the press conference to announce this year's Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was held in the "Nobel Hall" of Karolinska Institute. At 11:30 local time (17:30 Beijing time), Urban Lundahl, Secretary of the Selection Committee for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, announced the list of winners and the reasons.

　　Zilat, chairman of the Nobel Prize Selection Committee for Physiology or Medicine, told Xinhua News Agency: "Chinese female scientist Tu Youyou isolated artemisinin from traditional Chinese medicine and used it to treat malaria, which shows that traditional Chinese herbal medicine can also bring new inspiration to scientists. ”She said that through the purification of modern technology and the combination with modern medicine, the achievements of Chinese herbal medicine in treating diseases are "remarkable".

　　In the 1960s and 1970s, under extremely difficult scientific research conditions, Tu Youyou's team cooperated with other institutions in China. After arduous efforts and drawing inspiration from classical Chinese medicine documents such as "Elbow Prescriptions", they pioneered the discovery of artemisinin and created a new method of treating malaria. Hundreds of millions of people around the world have benefited from this "Chinese miracle drug."

　　At present, artemisinin-based compound drugs have become the standard treatment for malaria, and the World Health Organization has included artemisinin and related drugs in its essential medicine list.

　　The Nobel Prize Selection Committee said that diseases caused by parasites have plagued mankind for thousands of years and constitute a major global health problem. The application of artemisinin discovered by Tu Youyou has significantly reduced the mortality of malaria patients; Campbell and Satoshi Omura invented abamectin, which fundamentally reduced the incidence of river blindness and lymphatic filariasis. This year's researchers have developed "revolutionary treatments for some of the most harmful parasitic diseases." These two achievements provide "powerful new treatments" for millions of people infected with related diseases every year. The results in improving human health and reducing patient pain are immeasurable.