Stockholm [Sweden], October 4 (ANI): David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian jointly won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021 for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch, the award ceremony group announced on Monday.
David Julius used capsaicin, a pungent compound from chili peppers that evokes a burning sensation, to identify a sensor in the nerve endings of the skin that responds to heat.
Ardem Patapoutian used pressure-sensitive cells to detect a new class of sensors that respond to mechanical stimuli in the skin and internal organs.
These groundbreaking discoveries launched intense research activities that led to a rapid increase in the understanding of how the nervous system feels about heat, cold and mechanical stimuli.
The laureates identified critical missing links in understanding the complex interplay between the senses and the environment, the Nobel Committee reported.
The identified ion channels are important for many physiological processes and disease states.
The Nobel Prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and is worth SEK 10 million (USD 1.15 million). (ANI)