For what they gave the state Prize for science
"Machines" made of molecules and medical genetics
The State Prize in the field of science and technology for 2017 marked works in various fields of great practical importance and showing important trends in the development of Russian science, the Kremlin said on Friday during the ceremony of the announcement of the decree of the President of the Russian Federation on the award of these prizes. The text of the decree was announced by Andrei Fursenko, Assistant to the President for Science and Education.
The prize was awarded to physicists Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Alfimov and corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Gromov and Alexander Chibisov for their work in the field of chemical molecular "constructors", Academician Ivan Dedov for his work on fundamental endocrinology and biologist Evgeny Rogaev for the discovery of genes associated with hereditary human diseases.
The cycle of works of the head of the scientific direction of the Center for Photochemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences of the Federal Research Center "Crystallography and Photonics" Mikhail Alfimov, the head of this center Sergey Gromov and the chief researcher of the center Alexander Chibisov is devoted to supramolecular chemistry – an interdisciplinary field of science that studies complex chemical systems connected into a single whole through relatively weak intermolecular interactions, similar to those that exist in living cells.
Academician Dedov, Director of the National Medical Research Center of Endocrinology of the Ministry of Health, was awarded the prize for a series of works on fundamental endocrinology and the introduction of an innovative model of personalized medicine in healthcare.
Evgeny Rogaev, Head of the Laboratory of Evolutionary Genomics at the Vavilov Institute of General Genetics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was awarded the prize for the discovery of genes and molecular genetic mechanisms responsible for hereditary human diseases, including Alzheimer's disease.
Molecular "machines"
As Fursenko explained, the works of Alfimov, Gromov and Chibisov have an international priority and have not only fundamental, but also practical significance. According to him, the photoactive supramolecular "machines" developed by the laureates make it possible to assemble molecular complexes necessary in biology, medicine, when creating new materials. The energy source for such "machines" is light, which can be easily adjusted both in wavelength and intensity.
In fact, these developments correspond to the paradigm of new, nature-like technologies, Fursenko stressed. "We are moving to those areas of science that allow us to treat nature as carefully as possible, creating the substances we need and acting in accordance with the laws of nature," the presidential aide said.
Breakthrough in Diabetes treatment
As for the work carried out under the leadership of Dedov, thanks to them, Russia entered the top ten leading countries in the fight against diabetes, Fursenko said. He stressed that the results of these works make it possible to improve the quality of life of patients, which is of very important social importance. Dedov is one of the most cited Russian scientists in the field of medicine in the world, the presidential aide noted.
In essence, Dedov created a new scientific direction of personalized medicine in endocrinology. Moreover, we are talking not only about the treatment of diabetes, but also tumors of the thyroid and parathyroid glands, pituitary gland, adrenal glands, endocrine infertility, rare endocrine diseases.
In particular, under the leadership and with the participation of Dedov, a number of international studies were carried out to identify the diagnostic significance of the so-called immunogenetic and molecular genetic markers of diabetes mellitus. As a result, it was possible to radically change and improve approaches to the treatment of this serious ailment.
Genes of Alzheimer's disease and "royal" hemophilia
Rogaev's works have also become universally recognized in world science. The first most famous result of his research, carried out with co-authors, was the discovery of two genes associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. And the research carried out by the laureate in the future formed the basis for identifying the mechanisms of regulation of biological processes in cells and allow purposefully searching for drugs with which to treat this disease.
In addition, Rogaev revealed which genetic features lead to rare hereditary and neuropsychic ailments, congenital cataracts, as well as baldness.
The widely known result of Rogaev's work was the establishment of the genetic nature of a rare hereditary form of hemophilia – a disease in which blood does not clot, Fursenko noted. "Evgeny Rogaev was an expert in identifying the remains of the royal family," the presidential aide recalled.
It is known that the only son of Nicholas II, Tsarevich Alexei, suffered from hemophilia. Having examined the remains of family members of the last Russian emperor, Rogaev established what form of hemophilia the tsarevich had, and found its genetic cause.
The state prize awarded to Rogaev underlines the fact that domestic specialists in the field of molecular genetics have begun to receive more and more world-class results, Fursenko added. Earlier, foreign experts recognized that it is Russia that has made the greatest progress in recent years compared to other countries in significant publications on biomedicine, he noted.
By tradition, the awarding of the state prize winners will be held in the Kremlin on Russia Day, June 12.
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