AsianScientist (Oct. 2, 2014) – Professor Tadashi Yamamoto of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has been presented with the Tomizo Yoshida Award from The Japanese Cancer Association (JCA) for his achievements in the field of cancer research.
The largest association of its kind in Japan, the JCA grants five awards a year in different fields of cancer research. The award, a basic science prize named after the late Japanese cancer researcher Tomizo Yoshida, was presented to Prof. Yamamato during the JCA’s annual meeting in September 2014.
The work that is being recognized is Prof. Yamamoto’s analysis of two specific proteins designated ERBB1 and ERBB2, which are encoded by the erbB family of cancer-causing genes. He first determined their genetic structures, and further analyzed how the altered expression of these proteins affects tumor growth and survival rates in cancer patients.
“In the beginning the research used chickens as a model organism and characterized the erbB oncogene, a gene that induces the transformation of normal cells into cancerous cells. Later, it turned out that the two related proteins, ERBB1 and ERBB2, contribute to development of human tumors,” says Prof. Yamamoto.
“It wasn’t very obvious that the proteins were associated with so many types of cancers. But after much successful research, we now know that these two proteins are contributing factors to many types of cancers.”
Prof. Yamamoto’s current work at OIST is a continuation of the research he is being recognized for. He now studies how ERBB1 and ERBB2 transmit signals within individual cells.
Before his arrival at OIST, Prof. Yamamoto worked at the University of Tokyo as well as the University’s Institute of Medical Science where he was director for four years. He now heads the Cell Signal Unit at OIST.
“At my age many people feel they should make a choice,” said Prof. Yamamato at the awards ceremony, showing a picture of a road with two different paths: one labeled drug development and the other labeled basic research.
“One path is to try developing medicine or application and the other is to dig for more knowledge. And digging for more knowledge is what I am doing here.”
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Source: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.
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