Michael Houghton

Michael Houghton
Houghton in 2017
Michael Houghton
Born	1949
Birthplace	United Kingdom
Nationality	British, Canadian
Occupation	Virologist, academic
Title	Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology; Li Ka Shing Professor of Virology; Director, Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute
Employer	University of Alberta
Known for	Co-discovery of Hepatitis C virus, co-discovery of Hepatitis D genome
Education	King's College London (PhD, 1977) University of East Anglia (BSc)
Awards	Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (2020) Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research (2000) Robert Koch Prize (1993)

Sir Michael Houghton (born 1949) is a British-born virologist and Nobel Prize laureate whose work fundamentally changed the landscape of global public health. Together with colleagues Qui-Lim Choo, George Kuo, and Daniel W. Bradley, Houghton co-discovered the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989, ending a years-long search for the mysterious pathogen responsible for most cases of non-A, non-B hepatitis transmitted through blood transfusions. He also co-discovered the Hepatitis D genome in 1986. The identification of HCV led to the rapid development of diagnostic reagents to detect the virus in blood supplies, reducing the risk of acquiring HCV through blood transfusion from approximately one in three to about one in two million. It is estimated that antibody screening enabled by this discovery has prevented at least 40,000 new infections per year in the United States alone, and many more worldwide. In 2020, Houghton was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice for the discovery of the Hepatitis C virus. He holds the positions of Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology and Li Ka Shing Professor of Virology at the University of Alberta, where he also serves as director of the Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute.

Early Life

Michael Houghton was born in 1949 in the United Kingdom. Details of his childhood and family background have not been widely documented in public sources. What is known is that Houghton developed an interest in the biological sciences during his formative years, which led him to pursue higher education in the field. He grew up during a period in which molecular biology was undergoing rapid transformation, with new techniques in genetic analysis and virology emerging that would later prove central to his own career.

Houghton's early academic inclinations drew him toward the study of microbiology and virology, disciplines that were becoming increasingly important in understanding infectious diseases. The post-war expansion of British universities and investment in biomedical research created an environment in which young scientists could pursue ambitious research programmes, and Houghton took advantage of these opportunities to build the foundations of what would become a groundbreaking career in viral discovery.

Education

Houghton completed his undergraduate studies at the University of East Anglia (UEA), where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. He then went on to pursue doctoral studies at King's College London, where he worked under the supervision of Norman Carey and James Chesterton. His doctoral thesis, titled RNA Polymerases and Transcription in the Chicken Oviduct, was completed in 1977 and focused on the molecular mechanisms of gene transcription. This training in molecular biology and the analysis of nucleic acids provided Houghton with the technical expertise that would later prove essential in his efforts to identify novel viral genomes, particularly the elusive agent responsible for non-A, non-B hepatitis.

Career

Early Research and the Search for Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis

Following the completion of his PhD, Houghton entered the field of virology research during a period in which hepatitis was a major global health concern. By the 1970s, scientists had identified the hepatitis A virus (HAV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV), but a significant proportion of transfusion-associated hepatitis cases could not be attributed to either of these agents. This mysterious illness was referred to as "non-A, non-B hepatitis" and represented a serious threat to the safety of blood supplies worldwide. The causative agent proved exceptionally difficult to identify using conventional virological methods, as the virus existed in very low concentrations in the blood and could not be grown reliably in cell culture.

Houghton took up a position at the Chiron Corporation, a biotechnology company based in Emeryville, California, where he would spend a significant portion of his career conducting research aimed at identifying the non-A, non-B hepatitis agent. At Chiron, Houghton and his team embarked on an ambitious molecular cloning strategy that would take several years and require the development of novel techniques.

Co-discovery of the Hepatitis D Genome

Before his landmark work on Hepatitis C, Houghton contributed to another significant advance in hepatology. In 1986, he was part of a team that co-discovered the genome of the Hepatitis D virus (HDV), also known as the delta agent. The work, published in the journal Nature, elucidated the structure of the hepatitis delta virus genome, providing important insights into this unusual pathogen that requires co-infection with HBV to replicate. This accomplishment demonstrated Houghton's expertise in the molecular characterisation of viral genomes and laid important groundwork for his subsequent, even more consequential, work on Hepatitis C.

Discovery of Hepatitis C Virus

The discovery of the Hepatitis C virus is considered one of the most significant achievements in modern virology and public health. Working at Chiron Corporation, Houghton and his colleagues Qui-Lim Choo and George Kuo, in collaboration with Daniel W. Bradley at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), used a then-novel molecular cloning approach to identify the virus responsible for non-A, non-B hepatitis. The team constructed a complementary DNA (cDNA) library from nucleic acids found in the blood of an infected chimpanzee. They then screened this library using serum from a non-A, non-B hepatitis patient, searching for clones that encoded viral antigens recognised by the patient's antibodies.

In 1989, the team published their landmark findings in the journal Science, announcing the isolation of a cDNA clone derived from the genome of a blood-borne non-A, non-B viral hepatitis agent, which they designated as the Hepatitis C virus. This was a groundbreaking technical achievement because the virus had been identified through molecular methods without first being isolated or grown in culture — an approach that was unprecedented at the time and demonstrated the power of molecular biology in pathogen discovery.

The identification of HCV had immediate and profound implications for public health. The team at Chiron rapidly developed diagnostic blood tests based on the viral antigens they had identified. These tests enabled blood banks and transfusion services worldwide to screen donated blood for HCV, dramatically reducing the risk of transfusion-transmitted hepatitis. Prior to screening, the risk of acquiring HCV from a blood transfusion was estimated at approximately one in three; after the introduction of antibody testing, this risk was reduced to approximately one in two million. It is estimated that HCV antibody testing has prevented at least 40,000 new infections per year in the United States alone, and many more worldwide.

Continued Research and Vaccine Development

Following the discovery of HCV, Houghton continued his research into the biology of the virus and the development of potential therapeutics and vaccines. He remained at Chiron Corporation for a number of years, contributing to ongoing efforts to understand HCV replication, pathogenesis, and immune evasion. The discovery of HCV also paved the way for the development of direct-acting antiviral drugs that can now cure more than 95 percent of HCV infections, though Houghton has noted that a vaccine remains essential for the global elimination of the disease.

Move to the University of Alberta

Houghton subsequently moved to Canada to join the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where he was appointed to several prominent positions. He holds the title of Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology, one of the most prestigious research chairs in the Canadian academic system, as well as the Li Ka Shing Professor of Virology. He also serves as director of the Li Ka Shing Applied Virology Institute at the university.

At the University of Alberta, Houghton has continued to focus on HCV vaccine development, working to develop a prophylactic vaccine that could prevent new infections worldwide. His research group has pursued approaches using recombinant viral proteins to elicit broadly neutralising antibodies against the diverse genotypes of HCV. The work is considered essential because, despite the availability of highly effective antiviral treatments, the majority of the estimated 58 million people living with chronic HCV infection globally remain undiagnosed and untreated, and reinfection remains possible in the absence of a vaccine.

The Gairdner Award Controversy

In 2013, Houghton was selected to receive the prestigious Canada Gairdner International Award, but he declined the honour. Houghton stated that he turned down the award because his key collaborators — Qui-Lim Choo and George Kuo, who were instrumental in the discovery of HCV — were not also recognised. The decision drew widespread attention in the scientific community and was considered highly unusual, as the Gairdner Award is one of the most respected prizes in biomedical research and is frequently seen as a precursor to the Nobel Prize. Houghton's refusal was seen as a principled stand on behalf of his collaborators and highlighted ongoing debates within the scientific community about how credit for collaborative discoveries is assigned.

Personal Life

Houghton has maintained a relatively private personal life and has not made extensive public disclosures regarding his family or personal affairs. He holds both British and Canadian connections through his work at the University of Alberta. Houghton has been described as a dedicated researcher who has spent decades pursuing the goal of developing a vaccine against Hepatitis C. He was knighted for his contributions to science, bearing the honorific "Sir."

After being awarded the Nobel Prize in 2020, Houghton publicly credited his collaborators Qui-Lim Choo and George Kuo for their roles in the discovery of HCV, consistent with his earlier decision to decline the Gairdner Award on the grounds that they had not been included.

Recognition

Michael Houghton has received numerous awards and honours over the course of his career in recognition of his contributions to virology and public health.

Nobel Prize

On 5 October 2020, the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institutet announced that Houghton had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice "for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus." The Nobel Committee noted that the discovery was of "decisive importance in the fight against blood-borne hepatitis" and that the identification of the virus made possible blood tests and new medicines that had saved millions of lives.

Other Awards

Prior to the Nobel Prize, Houghton received a number of other significant awards, including:

• The Robert Koch Prize (1993), awarded by the Robert Koch Foundation in Germany for outstanding achievements in biomedical sciences.
• The Albert Lasker Award for Clinical Medical Research (2000), one of the most prestigious awards in American medicine, shared with Harvey J. Alter for the discovery of the virus that causes Hepatitis C.
• The William Beaumont Prize in Gastroenterology, awarded by the American Gastroenterological Association.
• Recognition from the AABB (formerly the American Association of Blood Banks) for contributions to transfusion medicine.
• A Hep-DART Award for achievement in hepatitis research.

In 2019, Houghton received an honorary degree from his undergraduate alma mater, the University of East Anglia.

Legacy

The discovery of the Hepatitis C virus is considered one of the landmark achievements in 20th-century medicine and public health. Before HCV was identified, blood transfusion carried a substantial risk of transmitting a chronic, potentially fatal liver infection. The work of Houghton and his colleagues transformed transfusion medicine by enabling the development of screening tests that have effectively eliminated HCV from blood supplies in developed nations. The Nobel Committee noted that the discovery of HCV "revealed the cause of the remaining cases of chronic hepatitis and made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives."

Beyond diagnostic testing, the identification of HCV opened the door to the development of direct-acting antiviral agents that can cure the vast majority of chronic HCV infections. These drugs, which target specific proteins encoded by the HCV genome, represent one of the most successful examples of rational drug design in the history of infectious disease medicine. However, Houghton and others have emphasised that a vaccine will be necessary to achieve the goal of global HCV elimination, as treatment alone cannot reach the millions of undiagnosed and untreated individuals, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

Houghton's decision to decline the Gairdner Award in 2013 because his collaborators Qui-Lim Choo and George Kuo were not included also drew attention to the question of how scientific credit is allocated for collaborative discoveries, a topic of ongoing discussion within the research community.

At the University of Alberta, Houghton has built a research programme focused on developing an HCV vaccine, continuing the translational mission that has characterised his career. His appointment as Canada Excellence Research Chair in Virology underscored Canada's investment in virology research and the university's commitment to addressing global infectious disease challenges.