Tony Hunter and Raymond N. DuBois awarded Landon-AACR Prizes for Cance...( ielded several anti-cancer drugs that b...)

"I'm honored to have received this prestigious award from the Landon Foundation and the AACR," said Hunter. "I hope that this recognition underscores the vital importance of basic research in developing new treatments for cancer, and that it heralds an era of cancer treatments that can specifically halt cancer cells with a minimum of adverse effects."

Raymond DuBois is being honored for his groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of the role of an enzyme called cyclooxygenase-2 or COX-2 in cancer and the potential for COX-2 inhibition in preventing and treating cancers. Dr. DuBois was the first to report the link between COX-2 and colon cancer, which set in motion later work that defined potential mechanisms and chemopreventive strategies to inhibit this enzyme's activity. Dr. DuBois performed the bench research that formed the underpinnings for this line of studies, and he then carried his findings into clinical trials. Several COX-2 inhibitor drugs, which suppress inflammation in the body, have either been approved or are being tested in patients to combat tumor formation and growth.

"I was surprised and humbled to learn that I'd been chosen to receive the Dorothy P. Landon Prize for Translational Cancer Research. It's a tremendous honor," said Dr. DuBois.

"Throughout my career I have been very fortunate to be associated with outstanding laboratory staff, students, postdocs and collaborators who have kept the faith and made this work possible.

"Recognition, such as this Landon award, is important to promote translational research activity and we are acutely aware of the need to hasten our efforts to better understand strategies and targets for cancer prevention so that we may save lives and reduce
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Contact: Warren Froelich
froelich@aacr.org
215-440-9300
American Association for Cancer Research
1-Mar-2004