Immunologists Marc Feldmann, Charles Dinarello and Tadamitsu Kishimoto have been awarded the Tang Prize in biopharmaceutical science, the head of the selection committee said at a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
The three were recognized for their contributions to the development of cytokine-targeting biological therapies to treat inflammatory diseases, according to the award citation released by the Tang Prize Foundation.
Cytokines are proteins produced by the immune system that transmit messages to cells and are contributors to inflammatory diseases, autoimmune syndromes and cancers.
Photo: CNA
Feldmann, 75, is an Australian immunologist who has contributed to the development of anti-tumor necrosis factor therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
He was the first to demonstrate that diseased joints in people with rheumatoid arthritis have far more pro-inflammatory cytokines than normal, and he identified tumor necrosis factor as the critical cytokine, the foundation said.
Dinarello, a professor of medicine and immunology from the US, is “one of the founding fathers” of cytokine studies, having purified and cloned a protein named interleukin-1 beta (IL-1B), the foundation said.
He laid the groundwork for establishing IL-1B as a potent mediator of fever and inflammatory diseases, which led to the development of therapeutics, the foundation said.
Kishimoto, 76, of Japan discovered and cloned a cytokine that regulates antibody production, later named interleukin-6, and demonstrated its involvement in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, it said.
Successive trials, with Kishimoto’s help, have led to the approval of medicines for autoimmune diseases by regulatory agencies in various countries, it said.
“The pioneering work of doctors Feldmann, Dinarello and Kishimoto is transformative,” the foundation said. “Their research led to the development of biopharmaceuticals that have benefited millions of people suffering from autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.”
The Tang Prize is a two-yearly award established in 2012 by Taiwanese entrepreneur Samuel Yin (尹衍樑) to honor people who have made prominent contributions in four categories — sustainable development, biopharmaceutical science, Sinology and rule of law.
The three winners are to share a cash award of NT$40 million (US$1.35 million) and a NT$10 million research grant, and will receive medals and certificates.
A week-long program revolving around the ceremony is to begin on Sept. 20.
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
RSS