For Harald Stenmark, the Eric K. Fernström's Nordic prize came as a surprise but with a lot of gratification.
“It is a very pleasant surprise! I hope that this leads to the importance of basic research being noticed. Basic research is an important cog in the wheel, even if it sometimes takes time,” says a proud award winner.
Stenmark is a professor and cancer researcher at the Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oslo and Oslo University Hospital.
Misregulation of processes in the cell's membrane system
Harald Stenmark's research career started with a doctoral thesis on diphtheria toxins, a strong poisonous protein made by the diphtheria bacteria.
“When the poison protein enters the innermost part of the cells, it kills them. The idea then was to use the toxins to eliminate cancer cells,” says Stenmark.
Since then, interest in the transport of substances into and out of cells has been a common thread throughout Stenmark's research career.
The body's cells are surrounded and encapsulated by a protective membrane that is dynamic in nature. This membrane is constantly influenced by signaling proteins and other substances.
“We are trying to understand the connections between the erroneous events in the cell's membrane system and cancer development,” he says.
What mechanisms are involved when a healthy cell changes into a cancer cell?
Harald Stenmark has made several ground-breaking discoveries about the mechanisms involved in switch from a healthy cell to a cancer cell.
The focus has been on receptors, the specialized receivers on the cell membrane that pick-up signals from other cells, and how they interact with growth factors.
“Growth factors are substances that are secreted from cells and can cause other cells to, for example, grow or divide,” he explains.
The growth factors do this by binding to a receptor on the surface of the receiving cell leading to internalization. They are then transported to endosomes, the cell's sorting station. Eventually, they are then broken down by the cells' cleaning system, the lysosomes.
This mechanism is important.
Extremely high levels of growth factors and their receptors can cause the cell to receive excessive stimulation resulting in rapid cell division that can be harmful and lead to cancer.
“That is why we are very interested in this biochemical process, i.e. what happens when the growth factor is broken down. This knowledge can be important for diagnosis, and thus improved treatment results, for cancer patients,” says Stenmark.
Discovery and mapping the FYVE domain
An important research contribution from Stenmark’s group has been the discovery and mapping of what is known as the FYVE domain, which is found in around 30 different proteins in the body.
The researchers have shown that the FYVE domain binds to a tumor suppressor, called PI3P. Tumor suppressors affect the ability of cancer cells to attack and spread in the body by slowing the growth of tumors.
FYVE domain proteins are mainly found in the cell’s sorting station, the endosomes, where the substances that the cell needs, or must get rid of, are sorted and taken care of.
Research in modern times relies on teamwork
Moving forward in research requires strong commitment, passion and perseverance. For Stenmark, the award is a confirmation, not only for his own research work, but for the entire research group.
“Modern research is teamwork. I have a large research group today, encompassing of 30 researchers and have been lucky enough to recruit talented people. I have not always sat by myself and thought about the discoveries we have made; my philosophy is to give a large degree of academic freedom to those who do research in the group,” he says.
Important contributions for future cancer treatment
The Institute of Clinical Medicine (Klinmed) is very proud that Fernström's Nordic prize goes to Professor Harald Stenmark.
“Professor Harald Stenmark is one of our most respected and recognized researchers, and head of the Center for Cancer Cell Reprogramming (CanCell), a center for outstanding research,” says Head of Institute Dag Kvale at Klinmed, and continues:
“Stenmark has made several ground-breaking contributions within basic cell biology cancer research which will be important for development of future cancer treatments. We congratulate Harald Stenmark on a very well-deserved and prestigious award!”
One of the largest medical awards in the Nordics
Dean Hanne Flinstad Harbo at the Faculty of Medicine also wishes to send congratulations to the award winner.
“We heartily congratulate our professor Harald Stenmark on receiving this very prestigious award. The Eric K. Fernström Foundation's Stora Nordiska Pris is one of the largest medical awards in the Nordics, and it is a great recognition to receive this award,” says Harbo.
“This joins a series of prestigious awards that have been awarded to Professor Stenmark for his studies on processes in cell membranes and how misregulation of such processes affects the development of cancer. The Faculty of Medicine is proud and happy to be the host institution for the outstanding research led by Professor Stenmark. We wish you continued success with important, ground-breaking research!”
About Eric K. Fernström's Nordic prize
The Eric K. Fernström Nordic Prize is awarded annually by the Eric K. Fernström Foundation at the Faculty of Medicine at Lund University. The prize is awarded to an outstanding medical researcher from one of the Nordic countries.
This year, the prize is worth SEK 500,000, and will be awarded on Research Day on 8 November in Lund.
The award was announced by a press release from the Faculty of Medicine at University of Lund. Read the original press release here (in Swedish).