Biochemist honoured

Press, 23 August 1984, Page 12

Biochemist honoured

PA Wellington A Christchurch biochemist, who pioneered a drug to treat sufferers of a smokers’ disease, has won a prestige award at the Institute of Chemistry conference in Wellington. ' Professor Robin Carrell, of the clinical biochemistry department of Christchurch Hospital, won the Pharmacia award for his work on developing a protein which may prevent premature emphysema, mostly caused by cigarette smoking. The disease, which causes shortness of breath, eventually affects 10 per cent of the population in old age. But it is only a serious handicap to people in their 30s or 40s. Professor Carrell said he

had redesigned, by genetic engineering, the blood protein molecule that protects the lungs against the development of emphysema. He said it had been shown that cigarette smoking made the protein ineffective against the disease. The genetic engineering work had been carried out by companies in France and the United States. Initial tests had shown the redesigned protein did what it was designed to do. But testing has not yet been done on humans. Professor Carrell said he was confident drugs could be developed in the next 10 years to prevent development of emphysema. “But it is best not to smoke,” he said.