Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine on Monday for their discoveries into how the human body perceives temperature and touch, revelations that could lead to new ways of treating pain or even heart disease.
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Americans David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian separately identified receptors in the skin that respond to heat and pressure, and researchers are working on drugs to target them. Some hope the discoveries could eventually lead to pain treatments that reduce dependence on highly addictive opioids. But the breakthroughs, which happened decades ago, have not yet yielded many effective new therapies.
"This really unlocks one of the secrets of nature," said Thomas Perlmann, secretary-general of the committee, in announcing the winners. "It's actually something that is crucial for our survival, so it's a very important and profound discovery."
The committee said their discoveries get at "one of the great mysteries facing humanity": how we sense our environment.
