Three scientists have been awarded with the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discovers regarding how cells adapts to oxygen’s differences. The award was given to US scientists William Kaelin and Gregg Semenza and the british Peter Ratcliffe. They will also share the prize of nine million swedish krona (832.523 €).
According to the Medical Journal, the Nobel Committee explained that the three scientists were able to “identify the molecolar machinery that regulates gene activity in response to oxygen variations. The fundamental importance of oxygen has been known for centuries, but the process of the cells adapting to varying oxygen levels was still a mistery.”, it added.
Their work set the foundation for understanding how oxygen levels affect cellular metabolism and physiological function, which “paves the way for the development of new strategies to combat anemia, cancer and many other diseas.”, said the explanation from the Karolinska Institute.
