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Nobel Medicine Prize for discovering cause of peptic ulcers
Oct 4, 2005, 00:41, Reviewed by: Dr.
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"This discovery has revolutionized our understanding of ulcer disease and gives us insight into potential causes of stomach cancer. Defining the role of H. Pylori in the development of ulcers and stomach inflammation has not only allowed gastroenterologists to offer more effective treatments to patients, but it has also allowed for the development of more targeted, effective therapies."
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By American Gastroenterological Association,
Australian gastroenterologist Barry Marshall and pathologist Robin Warren were awarded the 2005 Nobel Medicine Prize today for discovering that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is responsible for stomach inflammation and ulcers. Each year, there are nearly half a million people newly diagnosed with ulcers in the U.S., an annual cost to the health care system of $2 billion.
"This discovery has revolutionized our understanding of ulcer disease and gives us insight into potential causes of stomach cancer," says American Gastroenterological Association President David A. Peura, MD. "Defining the role of H. Pylori in the development of ulcers and stomach inflammation has not only allowed gastroenterologists to offer more effective treatments to patients, but it has also allowed for the development of more targeted, effective therapies."
The Nobel Assembly of Stockholm's Karolinska Institute awarded $1.29 million to Marshall and Warren for their 1982 discovery that went against the established causes of ulcers. For years, ulcers were considered functions of acid in the stomach or a results of stress and lifestyle factors. While the idea of bacteria being present in the stomach has been around for more than 20 years, much of the medical community believed that bacteria could not survive in the stomach's hostile environment. These researchers showed that H. pylori survives in such an environment and leads to ulcer disease. The findings led to the conclusion that once the bacteria is eradicated, ulcer disease is cured. 
- American Gastroenterological Association
www.gastro.org
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) is dedicated to the mission of advancing the science and practice of gastroenterology. Founded in 1897, the AGA is the oldest medical-specialty society in the United States. The AGA's 14,500 members include physicians and scientists who research, diagnose and treat disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and liver. On a monthly basis, the AGA publishes two highly respected journals, Gastroenterology and Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. The AGA's annual meeting is Digestive Disease Week, which is held each May and is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery.
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