Late Nobel Medicine Laureate Ralph Steinman Will Keep Award

The World

Canadian scientist Ralph Steinman will keep his Nobel prize for medicine, the Nobel Foundation has said, after his death on Friday threw it into doubt.

The rules state “work by a person since deceased shall not be considered.”

But the foundation said it was unaware of Steinman’s death from pancreatic cancer and that the award had been made “in good faith.”

Steinman was announced the joint winner on Monday, along with Bruce Beutler and Jules Hoffman.

Steinman received the award for revolutionizing the understanding of the immune system.

He discovered the dendritic cell, which helps the body fight off infection.

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!