Professor Kari Alitalo is awarded The Anders Jahre's Award for Medical Research 2010
Professor Kari Alitalo, University of Helsinki receives the prize for his research on the formation and development of lymphatic vessels in health and disease.
The Anders Jahre Senior Medical Prize for 2010 of 1,000,000 NOK is awarded to Professor Kari Alitalo, University of Helsinki who receives the prize for his research on the formation and development of lymphatic vessels in health and disease.
Pioneering discoveries
Academy Professor Alitalo has made several pioneering discoveries relating to the development and growth of lymphatic vessels in normal and cancerous tissues. He was the first to identify several growth factors needed for vessel development. Growth and spreading of cancer is dependent on blood and lymph vessels.
His discoveries have led to new promising approaches to treat cancer and metastases by inhibiting vessel growth. In contrast edema can be a consequence of lack of such vessels and may instead be treated by stimulating vessel growth. He has gained an excellent international reputation and is a world-leading scientist in the field of cancer biology.
Read more about Professor Alitalo on University of Helsinki's homepage
The Young Scientist Award
The Anders Jahre Prize for Young Scientists of 400,000 NOK is to be shared between Professor Robert Fenton, University of Aarhus and professor Mikko Niemi, University of Helsinki. Professor Fenton is awarded the prize for his research on kidney function. Professor Niemi receives the prize for his contributions in the field of genetic variations in drug metabolism.
Anders Jahre's Awards for Medical Research 2010 honor research of outstanding quality in basic and clinical medicine. The prizes are awarded by the University of Oslo and are among the largest within Nordic biomedical research.