Discovery of how cells sense oxygen wins the 2019 medicine Nobel

Manipulating this molecular switch is being explored for cancer treatment

William Kaelin, Gregg Semenza and Peter Ratcliffe

The trio of winners for this year's Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine, William Kaelin, Gregg Semenza and Peter Ratcliffe (from left), discovered the molecular machinery that allows cells to sense and respond to changes in oxygen levels.

From left: Dana-Farber; Johns Hopkins; Univ. of Oxford

A trio of scientists has won the 2019 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for their work on how cells sense and respond to oxygen.