Aaron Ciechanover MD

Prof. Aaron Ciechanover belongs to a small elite group of Israeli scientists whose studies have gained the widest possible international recognition. The discovery of the Ubiquitin system, which is responsible for the degradation of proteins in the cell, won him the Nobel Prize for Chemistry along with Prof. Avraham Hershko and Prof. Irwin Rose. The system is responsible for maintaining quality control in the cell by disposing of damaged proteins, and aberrations in the system where these proteins are accumulated, which have been implicated in the etiology of numerous diseases, certain malignancies and neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. The joint study of the three scientists is expected to have far-reaching consequences on the quality of human life and the capacity to save lives by developing drugs to treat aberrations in the system. One drug against cancer is already in wide use.