Griffith Hack Client Wins Nobel Prize for Medicine

TWO AUSTRALIAN SCIENTISTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED THE NOBEL PRIZE FOR MEDICINE FOR THEIR DISCOVERY THAT STOMACH ULCERS CAN BE CAUSED BY A BACTERIAL INFECTION.

Griffith Hack client Professor Barry Marshall, and his colleague Dr Robin Warren, showed in 1982 that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori played a pivotal role in the development of both stomach and intestinal ulcers.

Until H. pylori was discovered it was thought that stress and lifestyle were the major causes of stomach and intestinal ulcers. It was also thought that the only treatment for ulcers was bed rest, a bland diet and the inhibition of gastric acid production in patients using antacids. Unfortunately, in most instances, H. pylori was not eradicated using these methods and many patients relapsed. This led to further complications and in the chronically affected patients, drastic measures including surgery to remove ulcerated tissue, were undertaken.

Professor Marshall and Dr Warren showed patients could only be properly cured when H. pylori was eradicated from the stomach.

Please see the latest edition of Breakthrough for the full story.

View Full News Archive

top