This year's Nobel Prize for Medicine goes to three United States-based researchers who discovered how the body protects the chromosomes housing vital genetic code.
Elizabeth Blackburn, 60, of the University of California, Carol Greider, 48, of Johns Hopkins University and Jack Szostak of Harvard Medical School jointly share the award.
Their work revealed how the chromosomes can be copied and has helped further our understanding on human ageing, cancer and stem cells.
The BBC reports their research has led others to hunt for new ways to cure cancer.
