Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi, 71, has been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discoveries of mechanisms for "autophagy" or cell break down.
The Nobel Assembly at Sweden's Karolinska Institute said Ohsumi's discovery of how cells break down and recycle their content could lead to a better understanding of diseases like cancer, Parkinson's and type 2 diabetes. Ohsumi will receive $933,000.
"I am extremely honored," he told Japanese media.
Last February, Ohsumi was awarded the Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences, also for his work on autophagy. This prize recognizes breakthrough research in pure or applied life science research that is distinguished by its excellence, originality and impact on our understanding of biological systems and processes.
For his Nobel Prize, the Institute said "Ohsumi's discoveries led to a new paradigm in our understanding of how the cell recycles its content."
"His discoveries opened the path to understanding the fundamental importance of autophagy in many physiological processes, such as in the adaptation to starvation or response to infection. Mutations in autophagy genes can cause disease, and the autophagic process is involved in several conditions including cancer and neurological disease."
The Institute said Ohsumi's work on autophagy is important because it can help explain what goes wrong in a range of diseases.
"Mutations in autophagy ("self eating") genes can cause disease, and the autophagic process is involved in several conditions including cancer and neurological disease."
The prize for Physiology or Medicine is the first of the Nobel prizes awarded each year.
Prizes for achievements in science, literature and peace were first awarded in 1901 in accordance with the will of dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel.
In 2015, Ohsumi received two of Japan's highest awards for scientific achievement: the Keio Medical Science Prize and the International Prize for Biology.
The Keio Medical Science Prize is a Japanese prize in medical sciences awarded to scientists who made significant contributions to the field of medical sciences or life sciences.
The International Prize for Biology is an annual award for outstanding contribution to the advancement of research in fundamental biology. The prize is one of the most prestigious honors a natural scientist can receive.
Ohsumi is currently a professor in Tokyo Institute of Technology 's Frontier Research Center.