- What was known before the research
- What was discovered
- What are the possible applications of the discovery
The 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology / Medicine was awarded to a group of researchers who studied the mechanisms of adaptation of cells to an environment with little or no oxygen.
Although the research was carried out 20 years ago, the results could only be recognized this year, due to the advancement of technologies, which made it possible to prove the group's discovery.
What was known before the research
The investigation by the group of researchers started under the premise that during physical activity, or when the person is in a high altitude environment, it is normal for the amount of oxygen circulating in the blood to decrease.
When this happens, the hormone erythropoietin, also called EPO, is the one who perceives the decrease in oxygen and starts to stimulate a greater production of red blood cells so that a greater amount of oxygen is captured, being possible that the distribution of this gas to the tissues occur without major problems.
Once this mechanism was already known, the researchers decided to focus on how the EPO production and release mechanism is regulated, to try to understand whether it was possible to take advantage of this mechanism to help the body produce more red blood cells. in the blood.
What was discovered
After several molecular studies to identify the regulatory mechanism for the hormone erythropoietin, the researchers found that there are two groups of proteins that actively participate in the hormone regulation process: HIF and VHL proteins.
The proteins of the HIF group are responsible for perceiving the low amount of circulating oxygen, stimulating the production and release of EPO. On the other hand, the group of proteins belonging to the VHL group interact with HIF proteins and decrease the release of EPO, this mechanism being important to regulate the amount of erythropoietin produced, especially when a greater amount (or ideal amount) of oxygen is identified current.
What are the possible applications of the discovery
From this discovery, it is also possible to study the role of these new proteins in serious chronic diseases that cause anemia, such as cancer. In this type of disease, the low amount of circulating oxygen favors the worsening of the person's condition, since in some types of cancer the tumor cells proliferate more easily in a low oxygen environment, which ends up worsening the prognosis.
Based on the discovery of this group of researchers, more research is being carried out in order to develop drugs that can act directly on the VHL protein group, favoring the production of EPO and regulating the amount of oxygen in the blood, which can be beneficial for the treatment of cancer, in addition to being a more effective therapy to treat various types of anemia.
