Congratulations to Professor Philip A. Rea, Professor of Biology, Belldegrun Distinguished Director of the Vagelos Program in Life Sciences & Management, whose article “Gliflozins for Diabetes: From Bark to Bench to Bedside,” published in American Scientist, has won the Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Technical/Scientific Content.
Gliflozins are medications used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by inhibiting renal sodium-linked glucose transporters (SGLTs), responsible for urinary glucose reabsorption. In this way, they lower blood glucose levels. Despite the long-standing association between the disease and renal function, these drugs are a relatively recent development. The gliflozins, examples of which are dapagliflozin (Forxiga®), empagliflozin (Jardiance®), and canagliflozin (Invokana®), owe their name to the discovery of phlorizin, a glucoside of phloretin, that was originally isolated from the bark of apple tree roots nearly two hundred years ago. Professor Rea’s article outlines how fundamental bench-level research into the mechanistic basis of sodium-coupled glucose transport and the influence of phlorizin and its derivatives on this process fueled translational research that eventually resulted in the development, in the early 2010s, of one of the most commonly prescribed classes of oral medications for treating T2DM, a chronic disease affecting at least half a billion people worldwide.
The Jesse H. Neal Awards are the most prestigious awards for specialist journalism and content creation. Now in its 70th year, the Neal Awards honor the brightest, most tenacious, innovative journalists, content creators, and designers for their passion and exceptional work. Professor Rea’s article was selected from hundreds of entries by a panel of over 100 editors.
