Tu Youyou's Inspirational Speech
Quotation: Inspirational words always give people the power to move forward. When we fail and hesitate, listening to inspirational speeches, especially some successful people's speeches, may become our strength to continue to move forward. Here is the inspirational speech of Tu Youyouyou that I found for you. I hope it can make everyone full of strength and courage to go forward!
Dear Mr. President, Honorable Laureates, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Today I am extremely honored to be able to speak at Karolinska Institutet, and the title of my report is: Artemisinin? A Gift of Chinese Medicine to the World.
Before I begin, I would like to thank the Nobel Prize Jury, the Nobel Prize Foundation, for awarding me the Physiology or Medicine Prize for XX years. This is not only an honor bestowed on me personally, but also a commendation and encouragement to the entire team of Chinese scientists. In just a few days, I y felt the warmth of the Swedish people, and I would like to express my gratitude.
Thank you William c. campbell and sat.
Thank you William c. campbell (William. Campbell) and satoshi ōmura (ōmura Ji) two just made a wonderful report. What I want to talk about now is the story of Chinese scientists who struggled to find a new anti-malarial drug from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) forty years ago under difficult circumstances.
You may have read about the discovery of artemisinin in many reports. Here, I will only give an overview. This is a brief summary of the work of the antimalarial drug research team of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ITC) in that year, in which the work done by our team is marked on the blue background, and the work done by other collaborative teams across the country is marked on the white background. The transition from blue background to white background indicates the work participated by both the Institute and the collaborating organizations.
The team at the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ITC) began research on anti-malarial Chinese medicines in 1969. After much iterative screening work, the work focused on the Chinese medicine Artemisia annua from 1971. After many more failures, in September 1971, the extraction method was redesigned to use low-temperature extraction, ether reflux or cold immersion, and then alkaline solution to get rid of acidic parts of the method of sample preparation. on October 4, 1971, Artemisia ether-neutral extracts, i.e., samples labeled 191 #, at a dose of 1.0 grams / kg of body weight for 3 consecutive days, orally administered, murine malaria efficacy evaluation showed that 100% inhibition. In the monkey malaria experiment from December of the same year to January of the following year, the result of 100% inhibition was also obtained. The breakthrough in the antimalarial efficacy of the neutral extract of artemether was the key to the discovery of artemisinin.
From August to October 1972, we carried out a clinical study on the neutral extract of Artemisia annua ether, and all 30 cases of falciparum malaria and Plasmodium vivax were found to be effective. In November of the same year, we successfully isolated and crystallized an antimalarial effective monomer compound from the site, later named ? Artemisinin?
In December 1972, we began to explore the chemical structure of artemisinin, through elemental analysis, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and spin analysis and other technical means, to determine the molecular formula of the compound is c15h22o5, molecular weight of 282. It is clear that artemisinin is a nitrogen-free sesquiterpene compound.
April 27, 1973, by the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, analytical chemistry further review of the molecular formula and other relevant data. 1974, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biophysical Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has carried out collaborative structural research of artemisinin. The structure of artemisinin was finally determined by x-ray diffraction. It was confirmed that artemisinin is a new type of sesquiterpene lactone containing peroxylates. The stereostructure was published in the Chinese Science Bulletin in 1977 and was included in Chemical Abstracts.
Derivatives were prepared to study the functional groups in the structure of artemisinin from 1973. After the reduction reaction of sodium borohydride, the existence of carbonyl group in the structure of artemisinin was confirmed, and dihydroartemisinin was invented. After the structure-effect relationship study, it was clear that the peroxy group in the structure of artemisinin is the antimalarial active group, and the murine malaria potency of some dihydroartemisinin hydroxyl derivatives was also increased.
The molecular structures of artemisinin and its derivatives dihydroartemisinin, artemether, artesunate, and artemether are shown here. Until now, no other structural types of artemisinin derivatives other than this one have been reported for clinical use.
In 1986, artemisinin received a new drug certificate from the Ministry of Health. In 1992, it received a new drug certificate for dihydroartemisinin. The clinical efficacy of the drug is 10 times higher than that of artemisinin, further reflecting the artemisinin-like drugs? High efficiency, quick effect, low toxicity? The characteristics of the artemisinin class of drugs.
In 1981, the World Health Organization, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme jointly convened the fourth meeting of the Scientific Working Group on Malaria Chemotherapy in Beijing, where a series of reports on artemisinin and its clinical applications triggered a warm response. My report was ? Chemistry of Artemisinin? In the 1980s, thousands of Chinese malaria patients were effectively treated with artemisinin and its derivatives.
After listening to this presentation, one might think that this is just an ordinary drug discovery process. But the process of discovering artemisinin from the traditional Chinese medicine Artemisia annua, which has been used in China for more than 2,000 years, was quite arduous.
A clear goal, adhere to the belief is a prerequisite for success. 1969, the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine of the Academy of Chinese Medicine to participate in the national ?523? anti-malaria research program. The leadership of the hospital research decision, I was instructed to be responsible for and set up the project group, undertake the research and development of anti-malarial Chinese medicine. At that time, this project belonged to the confidential key military projects. For a young researcher, the opportunity to accept such a heavy responsibility, I realized the trust of the country on me, and y felt the heavy responsibility and arduous task. I am determined not to dishonor my mission, work hard and do my best to complete the task!
The intersection of disciplines prepares for the success of research discoveries. This is a photo of me when I first arrived at the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine. On the left is the famous biopharmacologist Lou Zhizen, who guided me in identifying herbs. From 1959 to 1962, I attended a class for western doctors to study Chinese medicine, and systematically learned the knowledge of Chinese medicine. The chemist Louis Pasteur said? Opportunity favors the prepared person? An old saying goes: All the past is a prelude. However, a prelude is a kind of preparation. When the anti-malaria program gave me the opportunity, the overture in Western studies provided me with good preparation for artemisinin research.
Information collection and accurate parsing are the basis for successful research discoveries. After accepting the task, I collected and organized traditional Chinese medicine books, visited famous old Chinese doctors and collected their prescriptions and traditional Chinese medicines used for malaria prevention and treatment, and at the same time accessed a large number of folk prescriptions and medicines. Based on the collection of more than XX internal and external prescriptions of plants, animals and minerals, I compiled the "Malaria single prescription collection", which is mainly composed of 640 Chinese medicines. It was the collection and analysis of this information that formed the basis for the discovery of artemisinin, which is what makes the research of new Chinese medicines different from the research and development of botanical medicines in general.
A key literature revelation. When I was faced with a research dilemma, I revisited the ancient Chinese medicine books to further reflect on the Eastern Jin Dynasty (3rd-4th century AD) Ge Hong's "After Elbow Prepared Emergency Formula" about ? Artemisia annua, a grip, with two liters of water to impregnate, twisted to extract the juice, as much as possible to take it? This is a good example of how to stop malaria. This reminded me that the extraction process may need to avoid high temperatures, which led to the change to a low boiling point solvent extraction method.
On the use of artemisia as medicine, the earliest in the Mawangdui No. 3 Han Tomb of the Pali book "fifty-two disease formula", followed by "Shennong Ben Cao Jing", "Supplementary Lei Gong concoctions will be viewed", "Compendium of Materia Medica" and other canonical books have Artemisia curing the disease of the record. However, although there are many ancient books, there is no clear classification of the plant species of Artemisia annua. When artemisia resources varieties confused, pharmacopoeia contains 2 varieties, there are 4 other confusing varieties are also in use. Subsequent in-depth study found that: only artemisia annua l. a contain artemisinin, anti-malarial effective. This objectively increases the difficulty of discovering artemisinin. Coupled with the fact that the content of artemisinin in the original plant is not high, as well as the influence of medicinal parts, origin, harvesting season, purification process, the success of Artemisia annua ether neutral extract is indeed hard to come by. Chinese traditional Chinese medicine is a rich treasure, it is worthwhile for us to think more and explore to improve.
Perseverance is needed in the face of adversity. The lack of ventilation and exposure to large amounts of organic solvents affected the health of some researchers. In order to get to the clinic as soon as possible, on the `basis' of animal safety evaluation, members of the research team and I took the active site extracts ourselves to ensure the safety of clinical patients. When the clinical trial of artemisinin tablets was unsatisfactory, the problem of disintegration was finally identified after hard persistence and in-depth investigation of the cause. The use of artemisinin monomer capsules was changed, thus confirming the antimalarial efficacy of artemisinin in time.
Team spirit, selfless cooperation to accelerate the transformation of scientific discoveries into effective drugs. March 8, 1972, the National Office of 523 held a professional meeting of anti-malarial drugs in Nanjing, on behalf of the Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I reported on the meeting of Artemisia annua no. 191 extracts of malaria, monkey malaria, the results of the meeting by the meeting of great concern. On November 17th of the same year, at the national meeting held in Beijing, I reported the results of all 30 cases with clinically significant effects. From then on, opened the artemisinin anti-malaria research prelude to a national collaboration.
Today, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks again to all the members of the team of the Academy of Chinese Medicine engaged in the 523 antimalarial research in that year, bearing in mind their active commitment and outstanding contributions in the research, discovery and application of artemisinin. I would like to thank the national 523 program units, including the Shandong Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yunnan Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the Academy of Military Medical Sciences for their collaborative efforts, and I would like to sincerely congratulate my fellow collaborators on their multifaceted accomplishments and dedication to the service of malaria patients. I would like to express my sincere respect to the National 523 Office for their tireless efforts in organizing the anti-malaria project. Without the team spirit of selfless cooperation from all of you, it would not have been possible for us to contribute artemisinin to the world in a short period of time.
Malaria remains a serious challenge to the world's public health, and as Margaret Chan, Director General of the WHO, has said about malaria control, we are impressed by what is being accomplished globally to reduce malaria cases and deaths. However, according to statistics, malaria still threatens 3.3 billion people in 97 countries and territories, 1.2 billion of whom live in high-risk areas where the prevalence rate is likely to be higher than 1 in 1,000. in xx, statistics show that globally, malaria affected 198 million people in xx, and malaria caused 580,000 deaths, 78% of which were in children under the age of 5. 90% of malaria deaths occurred in the hardest-hit areas, where malaria is a serious health problem. Ninety percent of malaria deaths occur in Africa, the hardest-hit region. 70% of African malaria patients are treated with artemisinin-based combination therapies (acts). However, between 56 million and 69 million children with malaria still do not receive acts.
Plasmodium resistance to artemisinin and other antimalarials. Resistance to artemisinin has emerged in the Greater Mekong region, including Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. In many areas along the Cambodian-Thai border, P. falciparum has developed resistance to most antimalarials. See the map of artemisinin resistance reported this year, where the red and black colors indicate local P. falciparum resistance. As you can see, resistance has emerged not only in the Greater Mekong Basin, but also in a few parts of Africa. These situations are serious warnings.
The World Health Organization's XX Global Plan for Containing Artemisinin Resistance. This program was put in place to protect the effectiveness of ACTS against falciparum malaria. Given that artemisinin resistance has been demonstrated in the Greater Mekong Basin, the potential threat of spread is being examined. The more than 100 experts involved in the program believe that the chances of containing or eliminating artemisinin resistance before it spreads to highly infected areas are actually quite limited. The task of containing artemisinin resistance is urgent. To protect the efficacy of acts against falciparum malaria, it is my sincere hope that antimalarial workers around the world will take seriously WHO's global program to contain artemisinin resistance.
Before concluding, I would like to say a little more about Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine is a great treasure trove that should be diligently explored and improved.? Artemisinin was unearthed from this treasure trove. Through the antimalarial drug artemisinin research experience, y impressed by the Chinese and Western medicine have their own strengths, the two organic combination, complementary advantages, when there is a greater potential for development and good prospects for development. Nature has provided us with a large number of plant resources from which pharmaceutical researchers can develop new drugs. Chinese medicine from Shennong tasted a hundred herbs, in the development of thousands of years has accumulated a lot of clinical experience, for the medicinal value of natural resources have been organized and summarized. Through inheritance and development, exploration and improvement, there will be some discoveries and innovations, so as to benefit mankind.
Finally, I would like to share with you a famous poem in the Tang Dynasty, written by Wang Zhilu? Climbing to the Stork's Tower? Please go to the next level when you have the opportunity to appreciate the charm of Chinese culture and discover the treasures contained in traditional Chinese medicine!
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all my colleagues, peers, and friends at home and abroad who have contributed to the discovery, research, and application of artemisinin.
We are y grateful to our families for their understanding and support.
Thank you all for coming to the meeting!
Thank you all!
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