- In full:
- Harvey James Alter
- Born:
- September 12, 1935, New York, New York (age 91)
- Awards And Honors:
- Nobel Prize (2020)
- Subjects Of Study:
- hepatitis C virus
Harvey J. Alter
-
Who is Harvey J. Alter?
Harvey J. Alter (born in New York City, 1935) is an American physician and virologist celebrated for his work on hepatitis-causing viruses, particularly his contribution to discovering and isolating the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
His research led to blood donor screening programs that prevent hepatitis transmission through blood transfusions. In 2020, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for his discovery of HCV.
Alter also helped discover the Australia antigen, which is a surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus (HBV). He helped develop an assay to detect the antigen, named HBsAg, in donor blood. The later development of a highly sensitive method of HBsAg detection in donor blood led to a dramatic decrease in transfusion-associated hepatitis (TAH).
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is a virologist?
A virologist is a scientist who studies viruses, which are infectious agents that can only multiply within living cells of animals, plants, or bacteria. Virology, the study of viruses, is a branch of microbiology.
Harvey J. Alter (1935–) is an American physician and virologist known for his contributions to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). His work led to the development of blood donor screening programs that prevent hepatitis transmission via blood transfusions. Alter shared the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with virologist Michael Houghton and virologist Charles M. Rice for the discovery of HCV.
4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What important discovery is Harvey J. Alter known for?
Harvey J. Alter is an American virologist celebrated for his groundbreaking work on hepatitis-causing viruses, particularly his contribution to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Alter's work led to the creation of blood donor screening programs, which prevented the spread of hepatitis through blood transfusions. In 2020, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice for the discovery of HCV. Earlier in his career, Alter contributed to the discovery of the Australia antigen, which is a surface antigen of the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Harvey J. Alter help improve blood transfusion safety?
Harvey J. Alter significantly improved blood transfusion safety through his research on hepatitis viruses. In the 1960s, he helped develop a test for the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), which dramatically decreased transfusion-associated hepatitis (TAH).
In the 1970s, Alter discovered a third transmissible agent causing TAH, leading him to urge blood banks to test for hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) as a surrogate marker. This further reduced TAH incidence. Later, he reported the detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in transfusion patients and, in 1990, introduced an assay for anti-HCV testing of donor blood, nearly eliminating TAH. These measures have greatly improved blood transfusion safety.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What is hepatitis C, and how was Harvey J. Alter involved in its discovery?
Hepatitis C is an infectious liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Roughly 71 million people across the globe have chronic HCV. Most people who contract HCV (70–80%) don't show any symptoms.
Harvey J. Alter, an American virologist, contributed to the discovery and isolation of HCV in the 1980s. Before its isolation, it was known as non-A, non-B hepatitis. Alter's work demonstrated that a third transmissible agent could cause transfusion-associated hepatitis. In 1989, Alter and Houghton jointly reported the detection of HCV in transfusion patients who developed non-A, non-B hepatitis. This discovery led to developing blood screening assays and therapies for chronic HCV infection. In 2020, Alter, along with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of HCV.
3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What major award did Harvey J. Alter receive for his research, and why was it significant?
Harvey J. Alter received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2020, which he shared with Michael Houghton and Charles M. Rice, for his discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV).
Alter's work is significant because it paved the way for developing blood donor screening programs, which prevent hepatitis transmission through blood transfusions, and led to the near elimination of transfusion-associated hepatitis (TAH).
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Harvey J. Alter (born September 12, 1935, New York, New York) is an American physician and virologist known for his discoveries pertaining to viruses that cause hepatitis, particularly his contributions to the discovery and isolation of hepatitis C virus (HCV). His research laid the basis for the development of blood donor screening programs to prevent the transmission of hepatitis via blood transfusion. For his discovery of HCV, he was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, shared with British-born virologist Michael Houghton and American virologist Charles M. Rice.
Alter was born to Jewish parents and was raised in New York City. He earned a bachelor’s degree (1956) and a medical degree (1960) from the University of Rochester. He remained there at Strong Memorial Hospital as a resident before transferring to Bethesda, Maryland, to work in the Clinical Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Following a yearlong residency (1964–65) at the University of Washington in Seattle, Alter worked as a fellow in hematology (1965–66) at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. He subsequently served as director of hematology research (1966–69) at Georgetown. In 1969 Alter returned to the NIH, joining the Department of Transfusion Medicine as a senior investigator, a position he held for the remainder of his career. In 1972 he became chief of the infectious diseases section and in 1987 associate director for research at the NIH Clinical Center, posts that he also maintained for the duration of his career.
Alter’s first major breakthrough came in the early 1960s while working at NIH, when he and American research physician Baruch S. Blumberg discovered the so-called Australia antigen. The researchers observed the antigen in the blood from an Australian aborigine and detected it in about 11 percent of American leukemia patients and in only a very small percentage of healthy Americans. The protein was subsequently identified as a surface antigen of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Alter helped develop an assay to detect the antigen, named HBsAg, in donor blood. The later development of a highly sensitive method of HBsAg detection in donor blood led to a dramatic decrease in transfusion-associated hepatitis (TAH).
In 1970s Alter and colleagues, during investigations of patients who developed TAH found that some patients were not positive for antigens to HBV, hepatitis A virus (HAV), or other viruses associated with the condition. Further studies, in which chimpanzees inoculated with non-A, non-B human plasma or serum developed hepatitis, led the researchers to conclude that a third transmissible agent was capable of causing TAH. In the mid-1980s Alter urged blood banks to test donor blood for hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc), which served as a surrogate marker for non-A, non-B hepatitis virus. Subsequent introduction of anti-HBc testing was associated with a further decline in TAH incidence to about 4 percent.
In 1989 Houghton and colleagues reported the isolation of a complementary DNA clone derived from the RNA genome of the non-A, non-B hepatitis agent. Later that year Alter and Houghton jointly reported the detection of HCV in transfusion patients who developed non-A, non-B hepatitis. In 1990 an assay for anti-HCV testing of donor blood was introduced, further reducing TAH incidence to just 1 percent. The later development of more sensitive assays led to the near elimination of TAH.
In addition to receiving the Nobel Prize, Alter received the Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research (2000; shared with Houghton) and the Canada Gairdner International Award (2013; shared with American virologist Daniel W. Bradley). Alter was an elected member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (2002) and the National Academy of Medicine (2002).