March 2, 2004
La Jolla, CA – Tony Hunter, professor of molecular and cell biology at the Salk Institute, has received two major awards for cancer research.
The American Cancer Society presented Hunter with its most prestigious award, the Medal of Honor, on Feb. 28 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. The society’s Medal of Honor recognizes outstanding contributions in the areas of clinical research, basic research and cancer control.
Hunter has also received the Landon-AACR Prize for Basic Cancer Research. The $200,000 award by the American Association for Cancer Research recognizes Hunter’s accomplishments in discovering how cells turn cancerous and how that process can be thwarted. The award will be presented at the AACR’s annual meeting on March 29, 2004, in Orlando, Fla.
Hunter is known specifically for discovering how phosphate molecules can stimulate cell growth when they are attached to proteins by enzymes called tyrosine kinases. Hunter’s pioneering work has led to the development of several anti-cancer drugs that block the activity of specific tyrosine kinases. Many of these drugs are now undergoing clinical trials, and one – a drug called Gleevec – has been approved to treat a specific type of leukemia.
“I’m honored to have received these prestigious awards,” said Hunter. “I hope that this recognition underscores the vital importance of basic research in developing new treatments for cancer, and that it heralds an era of cancer treatments that can specifically halt cancer cells with a minimum of adverse effects.”
El Instituto Salk de Estudios Biológicos, ubicado en La Jolla, California, es una organización independiente sin fines de lucro dedicada a los descubrimientos fundamentales en las ciencias de la vida, la mejora de la salud y las condiciones de vida de las personas, y la formación de las futuras generaciones de investigadores. El Dr. Jonas Salk fundó el instituto en 1960 gracias a una donación de terrenos por parte de la ciudad de San Diego y al apoyo financiero de la Fundación March of Dimes para los Defectos Congénitos.
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