Frenchmen Luc Montagnier, the director of the World Foundation for AIDS Research and Prevention, and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, from the Institut Pasteur were recognized Monday for their discovery of the fatal Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome virus, which had killed million of people. For their valuable scientific contribution, the two were awarded half of the $1.39 billion (800,000 pound) prize money.
The other winner was German Harald Zur Hausen from the University of Duesseldorf. He was the ex director of the German Cancer Research Center, who discovered the virus that causes cervical cancer. Hausen got the remaining half of the $1.39 million prize.
According to the Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute, referring to the findings of the French scientists, "The discovery was one prerequisite for the current understanding of the biology of the disease and its antiretroviral treatment."
Hausen's discovery of the human papilloma virus, according to the assembly, "led to characterization of the natural history of HPV infection, an understanding of mechanisms of HPV-induced carcinogenesis and the development of prophylactic vaccines against HPV acquisition."
On Tuesday, the Assembly will announce the winner for the Nobel laureate for physics, then the Nobel laureate for chemistry on Wednesday, followed by the literature award on Thursday and finally the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in Oslo.
