STOCKHOLM (AP) — Two scientists have won the Nobel Prize in medicine for their discoveries into how the human body perceives temperature and touch. The revelations could lead to new ways of treating pain or even heart disease. Americans David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian separately identified receptors in the skin. Thomas Perlmann of the Nobel Committee announced the winners Monday. The committee said Julius used capsaicin, the active component in chili peppers, to help pinpoint the nerve sensors allowing skin to respond to heat. Patapoutian found pressure-sensitive sensors in cells that respond to mechanical stimulation.
2 win medicine Nobel for showing how we react to heat, touch
