Aaron Ciechanover, Avram Hershko and Irwin Rose have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2004 for “...helping to understand how the human body gives the 'kiss of death' to rogue proteins to defend itself from diseases like cancer” (Reuters, 6 October 2004).

These scientists — the former two from Israel, the latter from the US — discovered ubiquitin-mediated protein degradation, a process in which 'doomed' cellular proteins are marked for destruction by the addition of a ubiquitin tag.

“What the three scientists found 'started out as a simple biochemical curiosity,' said Keith Wilkinson, an Emory University biochemist. 'It has turned out to be of profound importance in understanding the regulation of the cell.'” (The Seattle Times, 7 October 2004).“

The protein-destroying process the scientists discovered was completely unexpected, because scientists had thought such destruction was not regulated, said Lars Thelander, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. Thelander said researches now hope they will be able to manipulate the protein degradation system in two different ways — either to prevent it from destroying proteins that boost the immune system, or to get rid of proteins that help cause diseases.” (The Washington Post, 6 October 2004).

This is the first time that a Nobel science prize has been awarded to Israeli scientists. Ciechanover said, “It is more the honor for Israel, for myself, that a small country can make it.” And, as for the prize money, “I have never thought of money; we earn very small salaries in Israel,” he said (Reuters, 6 October 2004).