Scientist dies before Noble honour

Ralph Steinman

A scientist awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine today for his discoveries about the immune system died three days ago without ever knowing of the honour.
The Nobel committee had not known of Ralph Steinman's death and it was unclear whether the prize would be rescinded because Nobel statutes do not allow posthumous awards.
Canadian Steinman, 68, who shared the prize with American Bruce Beutler and French scientist Jules Hoffmann, died on September 30 of pancreatic cancer, said Rockefeller University, adding he had been treated with immunotherapy based on his discovery of dendritic cells two decades earlier.

The cells help regulate adaptive immunity, an immune system response that purges invading micro-organisms from the body.
Nobel committee member Goran Hansson said the Nobel committee did not know Steinman was dead when it chose him as a winner and was looking through its regulations