Today the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded jointly to Robert J. Lefkowitz and Brian K. Kobilka (United States) "for studies of G-protein-coupled receptors". The protein receptors allow the body to detect and respond to external signals. Almost half of all medications act on G-protein-coupled receptors, so understanding them helps us develop better drugs.
Scientists suspected that cell surfaces contained some form of hormone receptors. Lefkowitz used radioactivity to identify receptors, including the receptor responsible for reacting to adrenaline. Kobilka's research showed that many receptors look alike, leading to the discovery of the G-protein-coupled receptor family.
Nobel Prize Info
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2012 Nobel Prize in Physics
2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
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