Why are the 2017 Lasker Prizes causing controversy?

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SUMMARY

The 2017 Lasker Prizes have sparked controversy primarily due to the recognition of Michael Hall for his work on target of rapamycin (TOR) proteins, which regulate cell growth in various organisms, including humans. Additionally, the awards to Douglas Lowy and John Schiller for their development of the HPV vaccine have drawn criticism from anti-vaccine groups and conservative factions due to the political implications surrounding Planned Parenthood. The discussions highlight the intersection of scientific achievement and societal values, particularly in the context of public health and political ideologies.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of target of rapamycin (TOR) proteins and their role in cell biology
  • Knowledge of HPV vaccine development and its impact on public health
  • Familiarity with the political landscape surrounding reproductive health issues
  • Awareness of the significance of the Lasker Prizes in biomedical research
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  • Research the mechanisms of target of rapamycin (TOR) signaling pathways in cellular growth
  • Explore the development and efficacy of the HPV vaccine and its role in cancer prevention
  • Investigate the political debates surrounding reproductive health organizations like Planned Parenthood
  • Examine the history and significance of the Lasker Prizes in the context of biomedical research advancements
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Biomedical researchers, public health officials, policymakers, and anyone interested in the intersection of science and politics, particularly in the context of vaccine development and reproductive health issues.

BillTre
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The Lasker Prizes (regarded as the US’s most prestigious biomedical research awards) were announced (Science article) (The [URL='http://www.laskerfoundation.org/']Lasker Foundation's Awards Announcement)[/URL] and are interesting to me for two reasons:

1) Michael Hall, 64, of the University of Basel’s Biozentrum in Switzerland:
"discovering how a group of proteins called target of rapamycin (TOR) direct cell growth. In yeast, humans, and many other organisms, TOR proteins sense the availability of nutrients and other growth signals, such as hormones, and regulate cell size accordingly." (Target of- names often are the result of using a drug to find a bunch of specific proteins (responding or binding a drug)).
Control of cell size is something central to lots of interesting things biologically. And I never heard of these system before. I'll have find out more about it. Cell size control is important in development, cell division, and general cell morphology. There will be lots of these processes interacting with these proteins, if it is in fact a cell growth controller.

2) Two politically controversial awards:
  1. People (Douglas Lowy, 75, and John Schiller, 64; of National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD) who made the the HPV vaccine. May have already saved lives. Probably not liked by: anti-vaccine groups, those not liking changing sex norms ("conservatives?").
  2. Planned Parenthood: Obviously politically controversial, since Republicans want to defund it because they do abortions.
 
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#1 in People, HPV Vaccine, should win. Even if a person is conservative, they might still be comforted by the fact they are vaccinated. They might keep one partner for a decade, but they never know- their partner may not play by the same rules and decide to go off and make a dumb decision to have sex with someone else. Then, they will be happy they got it a few years prior!

Not all Republicans are strictly against abortion! And not all Republicans supported trump either.
 
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