Cancer research or drugs treating cardiovascular illnesses could win the Nobel Prize in Medicine on Monday, offering a ray of optimism to a world currently beset by crises. Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Prizes have honoured those who have “conferred the greatest benefit on humankind,” as envisioned by prize creator Alfred Nobel. These awards highlight encouraging advances amidst the devastation of wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and a climate crisis on the brink of collapse.
The Nobel Prize in Medicine will be the first to be announced on Monday around 11:30 am in Stockholm. Among the potential laureates is Kevan Shokat, an American biologist who discovered how to block the KRAS cancer gene. This gene is responsible for a third of cancers, including difficult-to-treat lung, colon, and pancreatic tumours. Shokat’s discovery has paved the way for new treatments currently in testing, according to Annika Ostman, a science reporter at Swedish public radio SR.
Research into treating cardiovascular illnesses is also a contender. Geneticists Jonathan Cohen and Helen Hobbs have identified genes that regulate the metabolism of essential lipids such as cholesterol. Their work has led to a new class of cholesterol-lowering drugs. David Pendlebury, head of the Clarivate analytics group, mentioned their research as Nobel-worthy. Hobbs previously won the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences in 2016, sharing the honour with Swedish geneticist Svante Paabo, who later won the Nobel in 2022.
Additionally, a trio of neuroscientists researching the basal ganglia—a brain region important for motivation and reward—might also be recognized. The group includes US neuroscientist Ann Graybiel, Okihide Hikosaka of Japan, and German-born Wolfram Schultz. Davor Solter and Azim Surani, known for their work in epigenetics, are also potential candidates. Epigenetics examines how cells control gene activities without altering the DNA itself.
Last year’s Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for their work on messenger RNA technology, which was instrumental in developing groundbreaking COVID-19 vaccines.
The climax of Nobel week comes on Friday with the announcement of the Peace Prize laureate. Predictions are particularly challenging this year due to the increasing number of global crises. Possible candidates include the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), the International Court of Justice, and Afghan women’s rights activist Mahbouba Seraj. Additionally, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots has been cited due to the existential risks posed by autonomous weapons systems.
The Nobel season will wrap up on October 14 with the announcement of the economics prize. This could potentially go to research on the economics of child development, the integration of nature into the economy, or the effects of corruption on economic growth.
