Immunotherapy against cancer pioneers awarded

Pioneers of anti-cancer immunotherapy awarded

03/15/2015

In Frankfurt, two US researchers have received the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize. The two pioneers of immunotherapy against cancer have opened a new chapter in medicine with their development.

„Exciting new way in cancer treatment“
Two pioneers of cancer immunotherapy received the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize in the Paulskirche in Frankfurt. The prize money of 100,000 euros is shared by the Americans James P. Allison (66) and Carl H. June (61). A total of 22 of the 119 winners, who have received this award since 1952, later received a Nobel Prize. According to the news agency dpa, the Nobel laureate and foundation chairman of the Paul Ehrlich Foundation, Harald zur Hausen, says immunotherapy against tumors „the approach that leads us into the future“. It was „an exciting new way in cancer treatment“. The two distinguished scientists from the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, respectively, have been instrumental in paving the way.

Procedures are already being used clinically
In this method, the immune system is able to take action against the cancer itself, the cancer cells are not attacked as usual with toxins or X-rays. The one developed by Allison „Checkpoint inhibition“ for the treatment of black skin cancer and Junes „CART-19 therapy“ against leukemia have already been used clinically. In the eulogy, the retired professor Rolf Zinkernagel (formerly University of Zurich) said that the two researchers had suggested that what is possible until recently was not possible today. „We are facing a real breakthrough in cancer treatment - though not for all patients, at least for many.“ German doctors also rely on new immunotherapy, as recently reported. For example in the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) Heidelberg. Every year, around half a million people in this country are diagnosed with cancer. So far, the episode was usually surgery, radiation and / or chemo.

New development can spare patients side effects
The endowment prize endowed with 60,000 euros goes to Raja Atreya (39), junior professor at the University Hospital Erlangen. The researcher, who studied in Mainz, has developed a spray of antibodies and light sources that can be used to detect the target molecules of immunotherapy for Crohn's disease. This disease, which includes abdominal pain and diarrhea, is among the most common chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Laudator Prof. Jürgen Schölmerich (University Hospital Frankfurt) said that it could be found out before the start of treatment, whether the therapy works - and if not, the patient side effects and the health care costs. It is said that the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize is one of the most important awards for physicians in Germany. It is traditionally presented on the birthday of Ehrlich. The founder of modern cancer chemotherapy was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1908. (Ad)