Nobel Prize in Medicine Awarded to Two Cancer Researchers from the USA and Japan

The Nobel Prize committee for Medicine announced in 2018 that the award goes to James Allison and Tasuku Honjo, two immunologists from the USA and Japan, whose research focuses on exploring ways to enhance the body's natural defense against cancer. Unlike traditional cancer treatments that directly target cancer cells, Dr. Allison and Dr. Honjo found ways to help the patient's immune system attack these cells more effectively. The Nobel committee stated on Monday, October 1, in Stockholm, that their studies have led to a therapeutic method that is 'revolutionary in cancer treatment and fundamentally changed the approach to cancer therapy.' The discoveries of these two scientists mainly involve cancer treatment using proteins that some cells in the immune system are responsible for producing, which act like 'brakes.' James Allison, now 70 years old, has been recognized in cancer research for about 23 years since discovering protein number four (CTLA-4) on T lymphocyte cells. Research from Dr. Allison's team eventually led to the development of a cancer treatment drug that was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2011. Tasuku Honjo, a 76-year-old professor at Kyoto University in Japan, also discovered another protein in immune system cells around the same time, which he named PD-1. According to the Nobel committee's statement, 'For over a hundred years, scientists have tried to involve the body's defense system in the fight against cancer. However, their clinical achievements were insignificant until the vital discoveries of these two laureates.' The King of Sweden will officially present the award to these two scientists, worth 9 million Swedish kronor (approximately $1.1 million), in a ceremony held in about two months. This year's ceremony will take place on December 10, coinciding with the 122nd anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death, the founder of the prize. Last year's Nobel Prize in Medicine was also awarded to three American scientists. The Nobel Prize in Physics is set to be announced on Tuesday, followed by the announcements of the Nobel winners in Chemistry, Peace, and Economics in the following days. Recently, the activities of the Nobel Literature committee have been disrupted due to allegations of sexual scandals involving some members, and for the first time, this award will not be given this year. The issue of sexual scandals in this committee became prominent following the #MeToo movement.