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Atlanta 2006/10/02 -With the Nobel Prize he received today, Craig C. Mello, Ph.D., of the University of Massachusetts becomes the 39th American Cancer Society-funded researcher to receive the highest accolade in medicine.
Dr. Mello and Andrew Z. Fire, Ph.D. have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of RNA interference (RNAi) - a method of gene silencing using double-stranded RNA. Dr. Mello received a Junior Faculty Research Award (JFRA) from American Cancer Society on July 1, 1995. Dr. Fire serves as mentor to a Society-funded postdoctoral fellow, Steven Johnson, Ph.D., who has been working in Dr. Fire's laboratory since 2004.
Dr. Mello’s work focused on the recent discovery of a new class of essential “molecules” that define a cell’s behavior. Small RNAs control which genes “turn on” or “off” during cell development. Ignored by scientists earlier, they are much smaller than the well-known RNA molecules that are involved in producing the protein products of gene expression. Dr. Mello’s work helped lead to the discovery that very small double-stranded RNAs, now called interference RNA (RNAi), inhibited gene expression. This led to the RNA alphabet that has emerged, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Some small RNAs seem to act like an “immune system” for the genome, protecting against harmful DNA or viruses that could disrupt it. Researchers, including several Society grantees, are now using small RNA strategies in their research to understand how minor disruptions in the small RNA machinery could lead to cancer.
“The Nobel Prize bestowed on Dr. Mello once again points to strength of the American Cancer Society's research program, whose record of funding Nobel Laureates is unmatched in the non-profit sector” said John R. Seffrin, Ph.D., national chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. “The 39 Society-funded researchers, funded for the most part early in their careers when support is particularly hard to get, point to the integrity of the Society’s peer-review process and the credibility of its research grant program.”
The American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering and preventing cancer through research, education, advocacy and service. Founded in 1913 and with national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society has 13 regional Divisions and local offices in 3,400 communities, involving millions of volunteers across the United States. For more information anytime, call toll free 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
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David Sampson
Director, Media Relations
American Cancer Society
213 368-8523
david.sampson@cancer.org
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