William G. Kaelin Jr.

William Kaelin Jr. shared the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his discovery of how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability through the VHL-HIF-prolyl hydroxylase oxygen-sensing pathway. His characterization of VHL as a tumor suppressor in clear cell renal cell carcinoma provided molecular understanding of this common cancer type. The pathway he elucidated has become a major therapeutic target, leading to development of HIF-2alpha inhibitors and novel anti-angiogenic agents. His work exemplifies the translation of basic tumor suppressor biology into clinical therapeutics.