International prize for flu work
The 2007 International Louis D, Institut de France Grand Prize has been awarded jointly to Sir John Skehel, who retired as director of the MRC National Institute for Medical Research last year, and Professor Albert Osterhaus for their work devoted to the fight against the transmission of diseases from animals to man.
Sir John receives the Institut de France’s Grand Prize
Sir John led NIMR from 1987. He was Director of the WHO World Influenza Centre at Mill Hill from 1975 to 1994.
Sir John’s research has been fundamental to our understanding of the influenza virus. Type A flu viruses are defined by two main proteins on their surface: haemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). There are 16 types of haemagglutinin and nine types of neuraminidase. They help the virus particle bind to and infect cells in the body. Sir John’s work has been important in understanding why some viruses infect only humans and others infect only birds.
In 2004, in a landmark paper in Science, a team led by Sir John showed that the structure of the haemagglutinin of the 1918 human pandemic flu virus was able to bind to human cells even though the virus binding sites were characteristic of bird flu. The finding suggested one way in which the 1918 virus was able to adapt and spread in the human population.
In 2006, Nature published research led by Sir John which revealed the interactions between neuraminidase in H5N1 and anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu. This work is guiding the development of new anti-viral drugs and vaccines. It is of vital importance in interpreting the risks of human pandemics from new influenza strains
Sir John recently chaired the Royal Society and Academy of Medical Sciences Pandemic Influenza: Science to Policy Committee. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, Member of the Academia Europa and Fellow and Vice President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and this prize is the latest in a distinguished list of prestigious awards including the Feldberg Prize, the Robert Koch Prize, the Louis Jeantet Prix de Medecine, The Royal Society Royal Medal, and the Ernst Chain Prize.
Professor Osterhaus and Sir John will share the prize of £500,000 (€750,000).
