Japanese scientist wins Nobel Prize in Medicine

Yoshinori Ohsumi won for his discovery of how cells break down and regenerate, which could help in research into cancer, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's.

Scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi. Photo: Reuters

"Ohsumi's discovery has led to a new paradigm in our understanding of how cells reproduce," the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden said in announcing the award of more than $900,000 to Japanese scientist Yoshinori Ohsumi.

"His discoveries paved the way for further understanding of physiological processes, such as adaptation to starvation or response to infection," the statement said.

Ohsumi's research in a field called "autophagy" (cells "eat" themselves and regenerate) is important because it could help explain problems in a range of diseases, according to Reuters.

“Mutations in autophagy genes can cause disease, and autophagy is also implicated in several diseases such as cancer and neurological diseases,” the statement said.

Mr. Ohsumi, born in 1945 in Fukuoka, Japan, has been a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology since 2009. "I am deeply honored," he said when he learned of the award.

According to VNE