Stockholm - Researchers Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak of the US have won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Medicine, it was announced in Stockholm on Monday. Their discoveries were important for knowledge about cancer, aging and inherited genetic diseases, Professor Hans Jornvall of the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute told Swedish radio.
The three scientists solved a fundamental problem in biology on "how chromosomes can be copied in a complete way and how they are protected against degradation," the Nobel Assembly said.
The trio were to share the award worth 10 million kronor (1.4 million dollars).
The statement said the trio were cited for the discovery of "how chromosomes are protected by telomeres and the enzyme telomerase."
The discovery had "stimulated the development of new therapeutic strategies," the Nobel Assembly said.
With Monday's announcement, 10 women out of a total of 195 laureates have won the Nobel physiology or medicine prize since 1901. The prize was not awarded on nine occasions, notably during the two World Wars.
"I was just thrilled," Greider told Swedish radio's science desk, saying she was doing laundry when she received the telephone call about the award from the Karolinska Institute.
Born 1961, Greider is professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, US. She said she was pleased for the "recognition for curiosity-driven research" and had also sent a congratultaory e-mail to Blackburn.
Blackburn, born 1948 in Hobart, Tasmania has both US and Australian citizenship, the Karolinska Institute said, adding that she is professor of biology and physiology at the University of California in San Francisco. She thought she was"still dreaming" when she got the call at 3 am, she told Swedish radio.
She added that she felt at the time she made the discovery that it was "an important result."
In 1982 Blackburn and Szostack published an article on cloning yeast telomeres.
DNA molecules are like long strands that carry genes packed into chromosomes. Telomeres are the caps on the ends of the molecules.
Blackburn and Szostak discovered how a unique DNA sequence in the telomeres protected chromosomes from aging, while Blackburn and Greider identified the temomerase enzyme.
Szostak, born 1952 in London, is professor of genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, US.
The medicine prize is the first of the 2009 Nobel awards to be announced. The award ceremony is on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death. Nobel, inventor of dynamite, endowed the awards.
Prizes are also awarded for physics, chemistry, literature, peace and economics. The physics prize is due to be announced on Tuesday.
