For the first time, women won the prestigious American Medical Prize

The most prestigious Albany Medical Prize in the United States and the second in the world (after the Nobel Prize for Medicine) was first awarded to two female scientists, Joan Steitz of Yale University and Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California. Both are honored for their work to improve disease treatments, and have the potential to open new directions in the treatment of aging disorders and degeneration.

Professor Joan Steitz (left) and colleague Elizabeth Blackburn shared a prize of $ 500,000.(Photo: Med Yale, Nature)

Professor Joan Steitz (67) is famous in the world of medicine with research that contributes to improving methods of diagnosing and treating some autoimmune diseases (diseases caused by the body's own antibodies) such as inflammation. Chronic skin (lupus), scleroderma and some forms of arthritis. She discovered the function of small ribonucleoprotein molecules that play a major role in protein production for the body's most basic biological processes.

Meanwhile, colleague Elizabeth Blackburn imprinted on discoveries of structures at the ends of chromosomes, called telomeres. Like plastic plugs for shoelaces, telomeres that play a role in keeping this chromosome from sticking to other chromosomes. Professor Blackburn also discovered an enzyme called telomerase that restores telomeres when they are worn or weakened. According to her, the more telomerase the body has, the lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In addition, chronic stress is often present when the enzyme content is low.

However, telomerase also has a downside: it can contribute to the growth of cancer cells. This finding is expected to help researchers in finding ways to remedy some types of cancer. According to James Barba, chairman of Albany Medical Center, Dr. Blackburn's work on telomerase and its impact on cellular aging may be the key to prolonging life expectancy. through the treatment of many diseases from cancer to chronic stress.