Prof. Dr. Barry Marshall, who found the reason of ulcer and therefore was awarded Nobel Prize, has come to Turkey. Saying “I want to get the second Nobel when I develop a vaccine for ulcer”, Marshall stated that ulcer vaccine would be tried on humans 3 years later.
ISTANBUL- Of 10 persons, 8 ones in Turkey and 4 ones in Europe carry a kind of bacteria called ‘helicobacter pylori’. This bacterium is considered to be the main reason of gastritis, stomach ulcer, duodenum ulcer and stomach cancer. This is communicated by contaminated drinking water, fruits and vegetables not washed thoroughly. Australian Prof. Dr. Barry Marshall, who has made one of the greatest discoveries of the century by detemining that helicobacter pylori causes ulcer and so has been awarded the Nobel Prize due to this research, has come to Turkey to share his experiences with his colleagues.
Marshall, 55, realized this important discovery 25 years ago. He said he did not avoid drinking a solution containing ‘helicobacter’ microbe in order to prove his thesis.
‘I communicated the disease to myself’
Ulcer was before thought to be caused by excessive acid production in stomach, stress and cigarette. A considerable number of scientists believed that as an unchangeable fact. When we discovered that ulcer’s reason was actually helicobacter pylori, they did not believe us. Then I took a sample of helicobacter pylori from our patient’s stomach and drank it mixing into a solution and, as I expected, I got sick. Later I cured myself using antibiotics and proved my thesis.
Prof. Dr. Marshall achieved to win the Nobel Prize in 2005 with his friend Dr. Robin Warren.
Ulcer will be history soon
Expressing that his current target is getting the Nobel for a second time, Marshall, “Being awarded Nobel is as important for me as going to the paradise. I want it again by developing a vaccine against helicobacter pylori. We are trying hard to form the DNA map of the bacterium. The vaccine we developed will be tried on human beings 3 years later. When it is ready, it will be applied to both adults and children. The generation after us will not suffer from this sickness any more.” said. Professor stated that Turkish government should deal with infrastructural investments to reduce the rate of helicobacter pylori and provide the public with clean drinking water.
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