Tamar Kahn
11 November 2008
Cape Town — Rhodes University's Prof Tebello Nyokong has won the Africa-Arab State 2009 L'Oréal-Unesco Award for Women in Science for her pioneering research into photodynamic therapy.
The technique uses specially developed dyes to direct deadly light on to cancer cells, and is being researched all over the world as an alternative to chemotherapy, the standard treatment for cancer.
"It feels like a Nobel Prize," Nyokong said. "It is a great honour to be a laureate representing African and Arab states, areas that are not known for their scientific achievement. Nyokong said she hoped the award would enable her to "play an ambassadorial role", promoting science in Africa and the Arab states.
The award is given in alternate years to outstanding women working in life and material sciences, and carries a $100000 prize. It was launched 10 years ago, and was the first international prize dedicated to women in science. Nyokong is the third South African scientist to be recognised by the award's jury: University of Cape Town's Prof Jennifer Thomson won the award for her work on genetic engineering, while Wits University's Prof Valerie Mizrahi was recognised for her tuberculosis research.
Nyokong's work is focused on devising specialised drugs that gravitate towards cancer tumours in the body, enabling scientists to target the rogue cells with red light. The dye is injected into the bloodstream or applied directly to the skin, and is turned into a cancer killer when red light shines on it.
Although dyes have been developed overseas, more research is needed to establish the best ones for the local environment, said Nyokong.
"We need something suitable for African conditions, where we have a very strong sun. Any amount of the drug on healthy tissue (such as the skin) is affected by even the smallest amount of sunlight, even indoors."
Nyokong stressed that her research on new dyes for photochemotherapy was still at a relatively early stage, and it would be many years before the products she was investigating -- if successful -- reached the market. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's Biophotonics group was testing the dyes on artificial skin, and animal trials were under way in China, she said.
If the trials were successful, the next step would be to test safety in a small number of human volunteers.
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