[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 81 (Wednesday, June 21, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING SCIENTISTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER MEDICAL CENTER

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 21, 2006

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor three champions of 
medical research and health care innovation in this country, Doctors 
William Bonnez, Richard Reichman and Robert Rose, virologists in the 
Infectious Diseases Division of the Department of Medicine at the 
University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC).
  The URMC has a long legacy of medical innovation and groundbreaking 
research. These three doctors have continued that tradition with their 
research into the human papillomavirus (HPV), laying the groundwork for 
the recent FDA approval of a cervical cancer vaccine that will protect 
against two of the most prevalent cancer-causing strains of HPV.
  After years of research and clinical trials during the 1990s, Doctors 
Bonnez, Reichman, and Rose were able to create a ``virus-like 
particle'' that imitated the real papillomavirus. Though it was not 
infectious, the virus-like particle induced the immune system to 
respond as if a real virus were launching an attack. This breakthrough 
at the URMC, created the foundation for other scientists to build upon. 
The fruits of URMCs basic research were reaped on June 8, 2006, when 
the Food and Drug Administration approved Gardasil, the vaccine 
designed to block strains of the sexually transmitted HPV known to 
cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases.
  Every year approximately 5.5 million people contract sexually 
transmitted HPV infections from their partners. In fact, three out of 
every four sexually active people will get an HPV infection at some 
point during their lifetime. In some age groups, such as sexually 
active men and women under the age of 30, it is estimated that 40 
percent of people are currently infected. HPV causes about 9,700 new 
cases of cervical cancer in women annually. In addition, each year, 
cervical cancer kills nearly 4,000 women in the U.S. and more than 
288,000 women worldwide. Through the work of Doctors Bonnez, Reichman, 
Rose and others, we will see these statistics drop dramatically in the 
years ahead, and millions of lives worldwide will be saved.
  As a microbiologist I understand the critical importance of 
developing new vaccines to fight the diseases that plague our Nation 
and countries around the world. And when there are major medical 
breakthroughs, like the approval of Gardisil, we should celebrate the 
years of basic research that went into development of this life saving 
vaccine. That is why it gives me great pleasure to come before the 
House of Representatives to recognize and pay tribute to the tireless 
efforts made by three doctors--William Bonnez, Richard Reichman and 
Robert Rose--at URMC.

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