Mr. President, it is fitting that the Senate has passed S. Res. 350 which honors the scientific work and accomplishments of Mario R. Capecchi, who, along with Sir Martin J. Evans and Oliver Smithies,…
Mr. President, it is fitting that the Senate has passed S. Res. 350 which honors the scientific work and accomplishments of Mario R. Capecchi, who, along with Sir Martin J. Evans and Oliver Smithies, received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their contributions to the development of gene targeting technology.
What an honor to see these great men receive this distinguished award.
As with previous Nobel winners, one of this year's recipients has waded through much difficulty in his life to go on and accomplish such an amazing feat--Dr. Mario Capecchi. I would like to take a moment to review for my colleagues some of Dr. Capecchi's background and successes.
Dr. Mario Capecchi, who has worked at the University of Utah School of Medicine for nearly 35 years, has, through both his life and work, demonstrated that hard work and determination can and will lead to good results, even in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Mario was born in Verona, Italy, in 1937. His father was an Italian soldier who, soon after Dr. Capecchi's birth, was reported missing in action while manning an anti-aircraft gun in Libya. At the age of 3, his American mother was sent to the Dachau concentration camp as punishment for her association with an anti-Fascist organization. Prior to her arrest, she sold all her belongings and gave the proceeds to a peasant family to provide housing for her son. However, 1 year later, the funds were exhausted and, at the age of 4, Dr. Capecchi was left to fend for himself on the streets of northern Italy.
After 4 years of living in orphanages and moving from town to town with different groups of homeless children, he was located by his mother who, upon her release from Dachau, had engaged in a year-long search to find her son. She found him in a hospital bed in the town of Reggio Emilia, sick with a fever and suffering from malnutrition.
In 1946, his uncle, Edward Ramberg, a prominent American physicist, arranged for Dr. Cappecchi and his mother to come to the United States. At that time, he and his mother relocated from Italy to a Quaker commune in Pennsylvania, where he would begin his education, graduating from a Quaker boarding school in 1956.
Dr. Capecchi received bachelor's degrees in both chemistry and physics from Antioch College in Ohio in 1961. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. in biophysics from Harvard University in 1967. In 1969, he became an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry at the Harvard School of Medicine, and was promoted to associate professor in 1971. Two years later, he joined the faculty at the University of Utah, where he began the work that would eventually earn him a Nobel Prize.
Dr. Capecchi, along with Drs. Evans and Smithies, received the Nobel Prize for their discoveries of methods for introducing specific gene modifications in mice by the use of embryonic stem cells. In the late 1980s, after years of research and experimentation on mouse-derived stem cells, these doctors were able to develop the first knockout mice, genetically engineered mice that have had one or more of their genes isolated and made inoperable. Knockout mice have allowed scientists to learn more about genes that have been sequenced but have unknown functions. Through the techniques developed by these three doctors, researchers are able to inactivate specific mouse genes and study the mice for any resulting differences. From this process, they are able to infer the probable functions of the individual genes.
This gene targeting technology has led to a vast expansion of our understanding of genetics. Indeed, it has impacted virtually every area of biomedicine. The successful isolation of genes has allowed researchers to determine their roles in embryonic development, adult physiology, aging and disease. In addition, the use of knockout mice has led to the production of more than 500 different mouse models of human disorders, including cardiovascular disease, neuron-degenerative disorders, cancer and diabetes.
Drs. Capecchi, Evans, and Smithies have dedicated their lives and work to bettering mankind. Dr. Capecchi has been a key advisor to me for many years and has been a great help to me and this nation with his medical and scientific work and knowledge. I have the highest praise, not only for his work and intellect, but for his dedication and perseverance.
I am joined by Senators Bennett, Dole, and Burr in introducing S. Res. 350 recognizing the work and achievements of these new Nobel Laureates and congratulating them for the honor they have received and I want each of them to know how proud I am of them and their great accomplishments. I also want the entire country to know, that this is just the beginning. The work of Drs. Capecchi, Evans, and Smithies has continued to lay the groundwork and establish a strong foundation we will need to continue developing stem cell research and someday, sooner rather than later, find therapies that will heal some of the greatest afflictions suffered by millions around the world. This is the great promise of the work of these great men and I am proud to honor them.
