Originally published in Synapse on October 12, 2000.
Three winners of the Nobel Prize in medicine were announced in Stockholm, Sweden on Oct. 9. Prize winners Arvid Carlsson, Paul Greengard, and Eric Kandel were honored for their research and discoveries in “signal transduction in the nervous system,” as stated in the press release from the Nobel Assembly at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute.
Much of their research dealt with certain neurotransmitters and their actions in the brain. Specifically, the scientists shed light on the intricate mechanisms through which short-term signals are turned into long-term changes in the brain. These mechanisms now serve as targets for the development of new drugs to treat many neurological diseases.
Neurotransmitters are molecular signals that allow communication between nerve cells. They are capable of triggering cascades of biochemical reactions within neurons that result in changes in nervous system function.
The scientists’ studies have helped establish the relationship between molecules and behavior. Their work also has been instrumental in developing new drugs to treat important neurological diseases.
The members of the Nobel committee chose these three scientists as recipients of the award because their “discoveries have been crucial for an understanding of the normal function of the brain and how disturbances in this signal transduction can give rise to neurological and psychiatric diseases.”
The committee also recognizes the importance of their research in the development of new drugs, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors like Prozac.
Arvid Carlsson, from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg, is distinguished for his discovery of dopamine as a neurotransmitter. Dopamine is a major player in diseases such as schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, attention-deficit hyperactivity, and drug addiction. Dopamine studies have led to a better understanding of brain function, or dysfunction, as in the case of Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.
Parkinson’s is caused by a lack of dopamine in certain areas of the brain due to the destruction of dopamine-producing cells. Carlsson’s discovery paved the way to new treatments for the disease, particularly the drug L-DOPA, an exogenous source of dopamine. Schizophrenia, on the other hand, is associated with excess levels of dopamine in the brain.
Paul Greengard, of Rockefeller University, is acknowledged for his key discoveries in the action mechanism of certain neurotransmitters at synapses, the areas where nerve cells communicate with one another.
Greengard’s research focused on the neurotransmitters dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin and their modes of operation in slow synaptic transmission, a signal pathway important in alertness and mood.
Knowing more about the actions of these neurotransmitters provides insight into such disorders as Parkinson’s and psychological depression. Greengard’s research has been particularly important in understanding the actions of several antipsychotic drugs.
Columbia University’s Eric Kandel was honored for his discoveries in understanding how changes in synaptic efficiency are important for learning and memory. Through his research, Kandel has been able to prove that memories are formed in our brains as a consequence of both short and long-term changes in the biochemistry of nerve cells.
The awards will be presented in Stockholm, Sweden on Dec. 10. Along with the honor and prestige of the Nobel Prize, the three scientists will also share the $915,000 prize. Greengard has announced that he will donate his share to Rockefeller University’s fund to provide awards to outstanding women in the field of biomedical research.
