Four Japanese Researchers Receive Esteemed Lasker Awards in the U.S.

Four Japanese researchers received a prestigious U.S. medical science award, often seen as a precursor to a Nobel Prize, for their advancements in sleep regulation and hemophilia A treatment. The Lasker Award in the basic medical research category was awarded to Masashi Yanagisawa from the University of Tsukuba and Emmanuel Mignot from Stanford University. They were recognized for discovering orexin, a brain peptide that helps maintain wakefulness. Their work has led to new medications that block orexin receptors, facilitating natural sleep without the risks of dependence associated with traditional sleep aids.