The Hindu : Front Page : Insight likely into defeating cancer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 05, 2006
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Insight likely into defeating cancer

Benefits have taken root, says scientist

STOCKHOLM: American Roger D. Kornberg, whose father won a Nobel Prize nearly 50 years ago, was awarded the prize in chemistry on Wednesday for his studies of how cells take information from genes to produce proteins, a process that could provide insight into defeating cancer and advancing stem cell research.

Disturbances in that process, known as transcription, are involved in many human illnesses, including cancer, heart disease and various kinds of inflammation. Understanding transcription also is vital to the development of treatments using stem cells.

``Knowledge about the transcription process is also fundamental for understanding how stem cells develop into different kinds of specific cells, with well-defined functions in different organs,'' the Royal Swedish Academy said in its citation.

Stem cells are of vital interest to researchers because they can be developed into any kind of functioning cell in a living object.

``Understanding more about how transcription is regulated is therefore one of the necessary steps, if we want to realise the full potential of stem cells in medicine,'' the Academy said.

Mr. Kornberg said the benefits to medicine from his research had taken root. ``There are ... already many therapies, many drugs that are in development in trials or already available and there will be many more,'' he said. ``Significant benefits to human health are already forthcoming. I think there will be many many more.''

The 59-year-old, who works at Stanford University, said he remembered travelling to Stockholm with his father for the Nobel Prize award ceremonies. — AP

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