2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: The Secret of Cellular Transport
20 Outubro 2013
The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to James E. Rothman (Yale University), Randy W. Schekman (University of California, Berkeley), and Thomas C. Südhof (Stanford University) for their discoveries on how cells transport molecules internally.
The transport of molecules within cells is vital for functions as diverse as the release of chemical signals by neurons, hormone production, and immune system function. Before the laureates’ work, little was known about how this process took place.
Molecules produced by cells are packaged as vesicles—small “bubbles” filled with substances. Rothman identified the genetic mechanisms that control the packaging and targeting of these vesicles. Schekman elucidated how vesicles recognize and fuse with their specific destinations, while Südhof revealed how the contents are released in a precise and synchronized manner. Together, these discoveries explain how cells maintain order and efficiency in vital processes.
These advances opened a new field in cell biology, with direct impact on our understanding of neurological, metabolic, and immune diseases. Experts point out that this was only possible because the United States, at the time, had a liberal policy of funding basic research. According to Rothman, “at that time, the only limit was your ideas.” Recent cuts to the U.S. health research budget, especially for basic research, are seen as a threat to future Nobel candidates from that country. “How many will get funding? How many will move abroad?” commented Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health.
Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of the U.S. as a scientific powerhouse? The next Nobel Prizes will certainly tell.
Figure: The complex mechanism of cellular vesicle transport. Credits: Phillipe A. Parone, CC BY 2.5
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