October 2, 2018.
The Nobel Prize for Medicine was awarded on October 1 and rewards two men who paved the way for modern cancer immunotherapy: James Allison and Tasuku Honjo.
Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded on October 1
Two men have just received the prestigious Nobel Prize in medicine awarded on October 1. The American James Allison and the Japanese Tasuku Honjo were recognized for their work and their discoveries which largely contributed to advance research and treatments for people living with cancer.
Each of their sides, their discoveries of immunotherapy treatments for malignant tumors “ by inhibiting negative immune regulation Are a revolution and have helped to better understand how to attack cancer cells while preserving the immune system of the sick person.
Discoveries that changed the lives of patients
Revolutionaries for their time, the two researchers advanced with their teams despite the fears and reluctance of those around them: ” Despite the lack of interest from the pharmaceutical industry, Allison Continues Intense Efforts to Develop Treatment in Men », Explains the Nobel committee.
The drugs discovered allow the development of anti-PD-L1 antibodies, a protein found in tumor cells, and act as checkpoint inhibitors. These treatments have changed the daily life of sick people. ” With anti-PD1, the response rate increased to 40%. Today, some of our patients are still in complete remission with more than five years of follow-up., and even ten years for the first treated with ipilimumab. ” explains Caroline Robert, head of the dermatology department at the Institut Gustave-Roussy (Villejuif) in Le Monde.
Maylis Choné
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