The 2012 Nobel Prize in Medicine has been awarded jointly to British biologist John Gurdon and Japanese stem cell researcher Shinya Yamanaka.
Mr Gurdon and Mr Yamanaka were awarded the prize for their work in discovering that mature, specialised cells can be reprogrammed to become immature cells capable of developing into any bodily tissue.
Over 40 years ago, Mr Gurdon discovered that the specialisation of cells is reversible, by replacing the immature cell nucleus in an egg cell of a frog with the nucleus from a mature intestinal cell, which developed into a normal tadpole.
In 2006, Mr Yamanaka discovered how intact mature cells in mice could be reprogrammed to become immature stem cells.
Although not present at the award announcement, both laureates were said to be delighted with their wins, according to the secretary of the Nobel Committee for Physiology or Medicine, Göran K. Hansson. “They are equally happy and looking forward to coming to Stockholm later in the year,” he said.
The Nobel Assembly paid tribute to the two recipients in a statement after the announcement.
“These groundbreaking discoveries have completely changed our view of the development and cellular specialisation. We now understand that the mature cell does not have to be confined forever to its specialised state.
“Textbooks have been rewritten and new research fields have been established. By reprogramming human cells, scientists have created new opportunities to study diseases and develop methods for diagnosis and therapy.”
The result was announced this morning from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and is the first of this year’s Nobel Prize announcements.
The Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry and peace will be announced over the next three days, while the prize in Economic Sciences will be revealed on October 15. There has been no date announced yet for the prize in Literature.
To date, there have been seven Irish Nobel Prize winners, with four of those awards awarded for Literature. Winners in this field include William Butler Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney. Awards were also offered to Ernest Walton for physics, and to Seán MacBride and John Hume for peace.