La Jolla Professor Receives Sweden's Sjoberg Prize For Cancer Research

LA JOLLA, CA – A La Jolla-based professor and cancer researcher was named as an inaugural recipient of Sweden's Sjoberg Prize for Cancer Research and awarded $500,000, the Salk Institute announced Tuesday.

The prize given to researcher Tony Hunter was bestowed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which will honor awardees on March 31 in Stockholm.

The academy cited Hunter for groundbreaking studies of cellular processes that have led to the development of new and effective cancer drugs.

"It is a great honor to have been selected as an inaugural recipient of the Sjoberg Prize," Hunter said in a statement released by the Salk Institute. "I have been fortunate to work in an inspiring and collaborative scientific community both at Salk and around the world, with excellent mentors, colleagues and students, all of whom contributed greatly to the breakthrough for which I am being honored."

Hunter studied how normal cells become tumor cells, demonstrating that a special process was necessary -- called tyrosine phosphorylation of proteins.

The discovery led to the development of a new type of cancer treatment -- tyrosine kinase inhibitors, which, according to the Salk Institute, revolutionized the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia and also are of great benefit in several other forms of cancer.

"Tony is an internationally recognized leader in the field of cancer research," said Salk President Elizabeth Blackburn.

"He has made enormous contributions to our understanding of cancer's basic biology and his research has led to life-saving therapies," Blackburn said. "We are delighted that his pioneering accomplishments are being honored with this important new award."

The Sjoberg Prize is awarded by the Sjoberg Foundation, which was established in 2016 with a donation by the late Swedish businessman Bengt Sjoberg. Hunter shared the initial honor with immunologist James Allison of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

By City News Service / Image by Carol M. Highsmith via Wikipedia, used under Creative Commons