The Nobel jury says Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren "made the remarkable and unexpected discovery" in 1982 that gastritis and peptic ulcer disease are caused by the Helicobacter pylori bacterium. They had a tough time proving the theory.
They were so determined that Marshall, in 1985, gulped a solution containing the bug and became critically ill. The medical community reluctantly believed their theory. Earlier, critics said ulcers are caused by weak lining, spicy food, and stress.
Officials say, "Thanks to the pioneering discovery by Marshall and Warren, peptic ulcer disease is no longer a chronic, frequently disabling condition, but a disease that can be cured by a short regimen of antibiotics and acid secretion inhibitors."
