United Press International - October 7, 2002

The committee cited the scientists for their work in the "genetic regulation of organ development and programmed cell death," research considered important in understanding how viruses and bacteria infect cells.

The prize will be formally presented Dec. 10 -- the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel who established the awards -- in Stockholm. It carries a cash award of about $1.1 million. It will be shared equally among the three scientists.

Brenner, 75, is a professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif. Horvitz, 55, is at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Sulston, 60, works at the Sanger Center at Cambridge University.

Nearly 30 years ago Brenner published a paper saying that specific gene mutations could be induced in a certain genome, meaning mutations could be linked to specific genes and to their particular effects on organ development.

Sulston, working off Brenner's research, discovered that cells die in a "programmed cell death." He described the steps in cellular death.

Horvitz took the research further in what the Swedish Academy described as a "series of elegant experiments" in which he was able to identify "death genes" in cells. While the scientists had mostly worked with a small worm, Horvitz found a similar "death gene" in human cells.

The laureates' work is important in the study of diseases, such as cancer, in which cells that would normally die off continue to survive. It is also expected to have benefits at the other end of the cell-life spectrum, where too many cells die off as in AIDS and strokes, neurodegenerative diseases and myocardial infarction.

Last year, the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine was shared by Leland Hartwell, of the United States; and R. Timothy Hunt and Paul Nurse, both of the United Kingdom. They were honored for their discoveries concerning the control of a cell's lifecycle. The work is expected to advance research into cancer treatments.

Monday's announcement kicks off a week of 2002 Nobel Prize proclamations. On Tuesday, the prize for Physics is to be announced and Wednesday will see both the Chemistry and Economics honors announced. A date for naming the Literature award winner has yet to be determined, but the announcements will conclude Friday with the Norwegian Nobel Committee revealing the winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.

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