Two scientists have discovered a new ‘revolutionary’ way of treating cancer, and as a result, they appropriately have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine.
Scientists James P Allison and Tasuku Honjo discovered found that the body’s immune system could be turned on cancers.
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Professor Allison found in his research that a protein operates as a brake on the immune system. Prof. Allison also discovered that the prospect of releasing a brake as well as the immune cells in order to attack tumors.
The professor is confident this could be the new way to treat terminally ill patients.
Can you imagine? A new cure for cancer?! Talk about 2018 being our year…
The Nobel committee said the following:
“[Professor Honjo] discovered a protein on immune cells and revealed that it also operates as a brake, but with a different mechanism of action. Therapies based on his discovery proved to be strikingly tumorive in the fight against cancer. Cancer kills millions of people every year and is one of humanity’s greatest health challenges. By stimulating the inherent ability of our immune system to attack tumour cells this year’s Nobel Laureates have established an entirely new principle for cancer therapy.”
They continued on…
“For more than 100 years scientists attempted to engage the immune system in the fight against cancer. Until the seminal discoveries by the two laureates, progress into clinical development was modest. Checkpoint therapy has now revolutionised cancer treatment and has fundamentally changed the way we view how cancer can be managed.”
Professor Allison said he was solely looking to expand human knowledge when he stumbled upon the discovery he said in a statement.
Like all great discoveries happen – by accident!
The professor shared:
“I’m honoured and humbled to receive this prestigious recognition. A driving motivation for scientists is simply to push the frontiers of knowledge. I didn’t set out to study cancer, but to understand the biology of T cells, these incredible cells that travel our bodies and work to protect us.”
The Nobel Prizes for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature as well as peace are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.
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The award ceremony will fall on the fifth anniversary of the death of Swede Alfred Nobel who was the inventor of dynamite.
That’s, well…dynamite if you ask me!
It was said that in Nobel’s will, he placed most of his massive fortune to be put in a fund where the interest would be ‘annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.’
Though it is unclear why the awards were created in the first place, it is believed Nobel did this out of regret for using his inventions during the war.
But I don’t think you have to worry anymore Nobel, I think you have made up for it with the future cure to cancer.
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