Howard Temin was a UW-Madison scientist who shared the 1975 Nobel Prize for his discovery of “reverse transcriptase,” which described how tumor viruses act on the genetic material of cells to make copies of themselves before integrating into the host genome.
The National Institutes of Health helped to pay for his research, which revolutionized how science approached genetics and treatment of diseases such as cancer. It even has a grant named for him today.
Grants from NIH also prompted the development of Gleevec, a landmark drug that dramatically improved outcomes for many patients with a type of blood cancer called chronic myelogenous leukemia. Over time, more NIH-funded research led to second-, third- and even fourth-generation drugs that changed the face of cancer research.
Read the full story here: https://wisconsintechnologycouncil.com/insidewis-nih-funded-research-produces-cures-treatments-and-jobs-even-if-it-takes-time/