The International Prize “Lombardia è Ricerca” with the theme “Innovative models of care, therapy, and prevention” has been won by two American doctors and scholars, Steven A. Rosenberg and Carl H. June, for their work in the fight against cancer. The 1 million euros prize must be used for 70% of study and analysis activities and conducted in Lombardy. The award was presented by the President of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana, and the councilor with responsibility for University, Research, and Innovation, Alessandro Fermi, at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan during the Research Day in memory of Umberto Veronesi.
The winners
Carl H. June, an oncologist and immunologist, currently a professor at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, also directs the “Center for Cellular Immunotherapies” in Philadelphia. June has been able to genetically modify T cells by transforming them into chimeric cells expressing a receptor for tumor antigens (CAR-T cells).
Steven Rosenberg is a surgeon and immunologist who works at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. He was the first to use immune cells to cure melanoma, a skin tumor for which there was no therapy at the time. Further studies by Rosenberg and Carl June have allowed a decisive step forward.
Pennsylvania-Lombardy collaboration on CAR-T cells
June has decided to allocate the funds to create a continuous collaboration initiative between the Philadelphia hub and the network that is emerging in Lombardy for the development of CAR-T therapies and advanced therapies, promoted by public Scientific Institutes for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care (Irccs), National Cancer Institute (Int), San Gerardo and San Matteo Polyclinic, to which private Irccs such as San Raffaele and the European Institute of Oncology (Ieo) can also join. Around this nucleus will be built the “Lombard network,” which can also include other centers offering advanced therapies to their patients.
The collaboration between Lombardy and Pennsylvania aims to create a network for biomedical research, treatment, and production in the experimental and academic field of CAR-T and advanced therapies, promoting research, development, and production of academic products aimed at therapeutic use.