Aina Muceniece

Aina Muceniece (23 March 1924 – 14 February 2010)[1] was a Latvian immunologist who discovered that an echovirus might be a useful treatment for melanoma.

Aina Muceniece
Born(1924-03-23)23 March 1924
Katlakalns, Riga, Latvia[1]
Died14 February 2010(2010-02-14) (aged 85)
Jelgava, Latvia[1]
Alma materLatvian State University, Faculty of Medicine
OccupationScientist, inventor of RIGVIR

Life and work

Aina Muceniece was born in Katlakalns, Latvia. She graduated 1941 from the Vilis Olavs School of Commerce in Riga and worked as a nurse during World War II in Yaroslavl, USSR. After the war, she studied medicine at the Latvian State University, where she earned a doctor's degree in 1974. Muceniece achieved habilitation (Dr.habil.med.) in 1992.[2]

Muceniece's scientific career began at the August Kirhenstein Institute of Microbiology, Latvian Academy of Sciences (Latvian: LZA Augusta Kirhenšteina Mikrobioloģijas institūts), first as a senior laboratory assistant, later as a senior research associate.[2] Muceniece's laboratory started to study enteroviruses in the 1960s, and the research led to the identification of an echovirus that had possible use to treat melanoma, which became RIGVIR.[3] Production and research was discontinued in 1999 and restarted after national registration in Latvia in 2004.[3]

Muceniece also worked at the Pauls Stradiņš Hospital and the National Oncology Center as an immunology consultant from 1977 to 2003.[2]

In 2002 she was made an honorary member of the Latvian Association of Oncologists.[4] In 2005 Muceniece received the Cross of Recognition for meritorious service to the Republic of Latvia.[5]

Before she died in 2010, she published 190 papers and three monographs.[2]

References
  1. "Aina Muceniece". Latvian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  2. "Aina Muceniece" (in Latvian). Latvian Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  3. Ritums, Eduards (October 2016). "When Science Takes A Back Seat". Skeptiskā biedrība. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  4. LETA (15 February 2010). "Mūžībā aizgājusi medicīnas doktore un pretvēža medikamenta «Rigivir» izgudrotāja Muceniece" (in Latvian). Zemgales Ziņas. Retrieved 20 April 2018. 2002.gadā saņēmusi apbalvojumu kā Latvijas onkologu asociācijas goda locekle
  5. Gavare, Jana (27 June 2009). "Latvija var! Medicīna ir mīlestība" (in Latvian). Dienas Bizness. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2018. Apbalvojumi: LR Atzinības krusts par sevišķiem nopelniem Latvijas valsts labā (2005)
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