من الطحالب إلى علاج العمى.. فوز 3 علماء بجائزة نوبل للطب 2026

The Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden announced today (Monday) the awarding of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for 2026 to American Karl Deisseroth and Germans Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel, in recognition of their discoveries related to light-sensitive ion channels and the development of the technique known as "optogenetics," which has contributed to changing the way brain functions are studied.

The assembly stated that the three scientists received the prize for "their discoveries related to light-activated ion channels and optogenetics."

The prize is valued at 12 million Swedish kronor, approximately 1.2 million dollars, which will be shared among the three scientists.

A technique that allows control of nerve cells with light

Thomas Perlman, the secretary general of the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, stated that optogenetics makes it possible to activate or deactivate the activity of specific nerve cells within a living brain.

He added that this technique is currently being used in laboratories around the world to help uncover the secrets of the brain and understand how its neural networks operate.

The technique involves introducing light-sensitive proteins into specific cells, allowing researchers to control their activity using light, providing a level of precision not achievable with traditional methods of studying the nervous system.

From algae to nerve cells

The roots of the discovery date back to the early 1990s when Peter Hegemann was studying how the Chlamydomonas algae respond to light in very small fractions of a second.

Hegemann hypothesized that a single protein might be responsible for capturing light and acting as a channel that allows ions to pass through the cell membrane.

Georg Nagel tested this idea by introducing genes from the algae into frog eggs, discovering the protein Channelrhodopsin-2, which is an ion channel that opens when exposed to light.

In 2003, Hegemann and Nagel published results showing the possibility of introducing this protein into human and hamster cells, enabling the generation of electrical pulses in them using light.

Two years later, in 2005, Karl Deisseroth, who was working at Stanford University, demonstrated the potential of using the technique in the nerve cells of mice. The following year, this approach was named optogenetics.

Hopes for treating blindness and improving cochlear implants

Optogenetics is no longer limited to laboratory research, as clinical trials are currently underway aimed at restoring some vision to individuals who have lost their sight due to retinitis pigmentosa.

This research relies on introducing a light-sensitive protein into cells in the retina, with the goal of restoring their ability to respond to light.

Researchers also hope to apply the same principles to develop cochlear implants, achieving more precise stimulation of the auditory nerve compared to current devices that rely on electrical stimulation.

The three scientists were surprised by the award

Perlman stated that he spoke to the three scientists on the morning of the award announcement, noting that they expressed their happiness and astonishment at receiving it together.

According to Perlman, the three scientists confirmed that they feel particularly happy to share the prize with their colleagues, describing each other as friends.

Beginning of the Nobel Prize season

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine traditionally opens the season for announcing Nobel Prizes, followed by the prizes in physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and economics in the following days.

Since the establishment of the Nobel Prizes in 1901, several of the most significant scientific and medical discoveries in history have been honored, including the discovery of penicillin for which Alexander Fleming received the prize in 1945, and the discovery of human blood groups for which Karl Landsteiner was awarded the prize in 1930.

Last year, Americans Mary Brankov and Fred Ramsdell, along with Japanese Shimon Sakaguchi, won the Nobel Prize in Medicine for research that helped understand the mechanisms preventing the immune system from attacking healthy body cells, and the potential opportunities this knowledge could provide for treating diseases, including cancer.

The winners are chosen by specialized scientific committees appointed by the institutions responsible for awarding the prizes.

Nobel celebrations culminate in December

Most Nobel Prizes are awarded in the Swedish capital, Stockholm, while the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in the Norwegian capital, Oslo.

The Nobel celebrations peak on December 10, the anniversary of the death of the prizes' founder, Alfred Nobel, where the winners receive their awards during an official ceremony attended by the royal families of Sweden and Norway, followed by festive banquets honoring the winners.

The victory of Deisseroth, Hegemann, and Nagel reflects the importance of research in controlling neural activity with light, which has evolved over decades from studying the light response of algae to a technique used to understand the brain and explore potential therapeutic applications in neurological and visual diseases.