This year’s awardees of the Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine, Professor Kazutoshi Mori and Professor Peter Walter, have discovered the cellular signalling pathway — the so-called “Unfolded Protein Response” — by which cells regulate protein production in the endoplasmatic reticulum.

We have all heard of insulin, the regulator of blood sugar level, or of the antibody molecules made by the immune system as a defense against infection. Along with thousands of other proteins, these molecules are produced by cells of our body in a specialized protein factory for export into the extracellular fluids. This factory is called the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), a membrane-enclosed compartment within the cell that is filled with molecular machinery for protein assembly and packaging. Proteins that pass through the ER on their way out are subject to intense scrutiny. They are only discharged after clearing an extensive quality control system, similar to the construction of cars or TV sets. Mistakes or imbalances in production can jam the assembly line and are the cause of a broad variety of diseases, including type II diabetes, cystic fibrosis and certain forms of cancer. Thus, the protein production capacity of the ER must be carefully regulated and adjusted to demands.

The Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine is pleased to host The Shaw Prize Lecture in Life Science and Medicine where Professor Mori and Professor Walter will share the details of their ground-breaking discovery and its impact on our understanding of health and disease.