A combination photograph shows (L-R) French virologist Francoise Barre-Sinoussi, French Professor Luc Montagnier and German Professor Harald zur Hausen.
Harald zur Hausen of Germany and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Luc Montagnier of France on Monday won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of two viruses causing severe human diseases.
Zur Hausen will share a half of the award in 10 million Swedishkronor (1.42 million U.S. dollars) and the two French scientists will share the other half, said Sweden's Karolinska Institute, which awarded the prize bearing the name of the 19th century dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel.
Zur Hausen, 72, was honored for his discovery of "human papilloma viruses (HPV) causing cervical cancer," the second most common cancer among women.
This discovery has led to characterization of the natural history of HPV infection, an understanding of mechanisms of HPV-induced carcinogenesis and the development of prophylactic vaccines against HPV acquisition, Professor Jan Andersson, a member of the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, said at a press conference.
Zur Hausen, born in 1936, is a professor emeritus and former chairman and scientific director of the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg.
Montagnier, 76, and Barre-Sinoussi, 61, were awarded the prize for their discovery of "human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)."
Their work led to the development of methods to diagnose infected patients and to screen blood products, which have limited the spread of the pandemic, Professor Andersson said.
The medicine prize is traditionally the first of the Nobels handed out each year. The Nobel Laureate for physics will be announced Tuesday, followed by chemistry Wednesday, literature Thursday, the Nobel Peace Prize Friday and the Nobel Economics Prize next Monday.
Alfred Nobel, a Swedish national, established the prizes in his will in the categories of medicine, physics, chemistry, literature and peace. The economics prize was created by Sweden's central bank in 1968.
The prizes are handed out every year on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death in 1896.
German Professor Harald zur Hausen, joint Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine 2008 is pictured in this frame grab taken from TV footage Oct. 24, 1997
French virologist Francoise Barre-Sinoussi is pictured here in 2006
French Professor Luc Montagnier speaks in Paris in this Dec. 1, 1993 file picture
Jan Andersson, member of the Nobel jury -- the Nobel Assembly at Sweden's Karolinska Institute, introduces the achivements of the winners of the 2008 Nobel prize for medicine or physiology in Stockholm, Sweden, Oct. 6, 2008
German Professor Harald zur Hausen, joint Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine 2008 is pictured in this undated handout photo
(From L-R) French television producer Christophe Dechavanne, Professor Luc Montagnier, singer Line Renaud, French Health Minister Philippe Douste Blazy and Frederic Mitterrand are seen at the start of the joint effort by the media to fight the spread of AIDS in Paris in this April 7, 1994 file picture. One German and two French scientists won the 2008 Nobel prize for medicine or physiology for their discoveries of two viruses that cause severe human diseases, the prize awarding institute said on Oct. 6, 2008. The prize of 10 million Swedish crowns ($1.4 million) recognised Harald zur Hausen of Germany for his work into the cause of cervical cancer and Francoise Barre-Sinoussi and Montagnier of France for their discovery of the virus that causes AIDS, Sweden's Karolinska Institute said.
