[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 163 (Thursday, November 29, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2171]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. LELAND HARTWELL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JIM McDERMOTT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 29, 2001

  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, It is an honor for all of us in Seattle 
to have Dr. Leland Hartwell among us. We are very fortunate to have him 
as the president of the renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research 
Center. Additionally, Dr. Hartwell is a professor of genetics and 
medicine at the University of Washington.
  I am very proud to extend my warmest congratulations to Dr. Hartwell 
on winning the Nobel Prize for Medicine. This prize is reflective of 
many years of hard work and achievement, and a lifetime commitment to 
saving lives. He won the most prestigious prize in medicine through 
pioneering research in the genetics of yeast cells, which are much 
easier to study than human cells.
  When Dr. Hartwell first began studying baker's yeast cells over 30 
years ago, he and other scientists were not all that confident that the 
research would apply to human cells, According to Hartwell, the most 
sophisticated technology they used was often a toothpick. But hard work 
and determination prevailed.
  Dr. Hartwell used genetics to study how cells function, to determine 
which genes cause cells to divide. That understanding, in turn, is 
helping researchers understand how cells mutate and perhaps how to 
prevent or reverse cancerous cell changes. He discovered more than 100 
genes involved in cell-cycle control, and documented the existence of 
cell-cycle ``checkpoints.'' These points ensure that steps in the 
process have been completed properly before it proceeds. Interestingly, 
he discovered that cancer cells bypass the checkpoints.
  Indeed, Dr. Hartwell's investigation into complex cellular mechanics 
paved the way for others to better understand how mistakes in the 
process result in cancerous cell growth, Advances in clinical therapies 
build upon the knowledge gained from his research.
  Without the fundamental research, advances in science and medicine 
could never be achieved. I wish to thank Dr. Hartwell for his 
dedication to curing disease and improving human life.

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