Thursday, October 15, 1998
Nobel Prize recipient to be honored
REACTION: Professor, nitric oxide research will be focus of
ceremony
By Dennis Lim
Daily Bruin Contributor
His name has traveled the world in hundreds of press releases,
newspaper articles and countless television broadcasts, but not
until Tuesday did Dr. Louis Ignarro, one of three winners of the
Nobel Prize in Medicine, have a chance to speak for himself.
On Tuesday, Ignarro, a UCLA professor in the School of Medicine,
held a press conference over the phone from Naples, Italy, where he
was lecturing. He answered questions from reporters about the
impact of his work, future endeavors and the honor of winning the
Nobel Prize.
"I’m proud to think that my research is going toward a solution
to problems that plague an enormous number of people," said
Ignarro.
"The whole drive of my research has been to find a cure for the
problems that people face."
Ignarro received the Nobel Prize for his research on nitric
oxide, not to be confused with nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
Nitric oxide is a substance used to treat conditions such as
cardiovascular disease, impotence and shock.
Despite the unsolicited fame he has received, Ignarro said he
was proud to help find a cure for a medical problem that plagues
nine percent of all males.
"I’m not at all ashamed that my work has been associated with
Viagra," Ignarro said.
"As a scientist, it is my obligation to try and understand the
physiology of the human body, and impotency is a part of the human
body."
When he began his research, Ignarro said that he never imagined
the possibility of winning a Nobel Prize for it.
"It was actually the exact opposite – I thought my research
would never lead to a Nobel Prize," Ignarro said.
"Everyone knew that nitric oxide was a major pollutant, and
people would ask me why I would even study it when it was so
lethal," he continued.
Ignarro began studying nitric oxide in 1978, when he heard of
related research being conducted by Dr. Ferid Murad. Murad was also
awarded the Nobel Prize with Ignarro on Monday. Murad’s research
suggested that nitric oxide may have physiological effects.
Murad’s research, along with that conducted by Dr. Robert
Furghott (also recognized Monday), was conducted independently,
though all three focused on the effects of nitric oxide.
Dr. Valentin Fuster, president of the American Heart
Association, agreed with the decision to give Ignarro the Nobel
Prize, saying that Ignarro’s discovery was "one of the most
important in the history of cardiovascular medicine."
Dr. Gerald Levey, dean of the UCLA School of Medicine said both
he and the school were proud of Ignarro’s accomplishments.
"His scientific discoveries have aided an enormous number of
patients by enhancing our knowledge of the regulation of vascular
tone and blood flow,"said Levey.
Ignarro plans to continue his research on the effects of nitric
oxide on the human body.
"There’s a lot more to do in this field," Ignarro said.
"Now I have an increased motivation to increase the size and
productivity of my lab. I want to look into the effects of nitric
oxide on stroke, hypertension, diabetes and Alzheimer’s," he said.
"This field is just beginning to open up."
A celebration is planned to honor Ignarro next Monday. A time
and a location have not yet been disclosed, but organizers plan to
hold the ceremony close to the School of Medicine.
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