This Tuesday, Carl H. June received the Doctor Juan Abarca International Prize for Medical Sciences, also known as the Abarca Prize. His pioneering research and work in CAR-T cell therapy (Chimeric antigen receptor), a revolutionary strategy in which the immune system itself is used to treat cancerwere worthy of the prestigious international award.
The research carried out in June has not only been used to treat hematological cancers, but is currently also being applied to other pathologies such as solid cancers, certain autoimmune diseases, such as lupusand many other non-oncological diseases.
The winner of the IV edition of the Abarca Prize was received this Tuesday morning by King Felipe VI in a private audience at the Zarzuela Palace, where he was congratulated for the progress of his work. In fact, advances in CAR-T have been compared to those made at the time by antibiotics, chemotherapy or genetic research.
From left to right, Elena Abarca, vice president of HM Hospitales, Juan Abarca, president of HM Hospitales, Felipe VI, Carl H. June, winner of the Abarca Prize and Alberto Muñoz Terol, president of the HM Hospitales Research Foundation (FiHM ) .
The American immunologist, director of the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania, received the award from the hands of the Secretary of State for Health, Javier Padilla, and Elena Abarca, vice president of HM Hospitales. “I am very grateful to receive the Abarca Prize, My heart is full of gratitude, not only for this recognition but for each step that has brought us here.“, said the excited professor in his speech.
During his speech, the doctor wanted to thank his family, the anonymous laboratory professionals, doctors and patients for this award. “Receiving this award is not just a personal milestone. It reflects the collective spirit and tireless dedication of countless people, researchers, doctors, patients and families, who dare to dream of a world where cancer is no longer a formidable enemy but a defeated adversary,” he underlined.
June highlighted how CAR-T research was a team effort between different scientific disciplines and an example of what can be achieved collaboratively. “just like a cycling peloton cooperates to reduce the impact of the wind during a race”. The winner emphasized that we are on the frontier of a paradigm shift in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. “CAR-T cells are a beacon of hope for many cancer patients and a testament to what can be achieved by merging knowledge,” he said.
The winner also highlighted that the Spanish CAR-T model “represents an innovative and exciting approach that aligns well with the principles of academic research, public health benefit and excellence.” June also assured that this price It is not only a recognition, but also a call to continue: “Our journey is far from over, the fight against cancer is a marathon.” And this highlighted the need to make CAR-T more accessible and increase its application to other diseases.
Science and politics
Javier Padilla, Secretary of State for Health, highlighted in his speech at the ceremony the vital importance of science for any self-respecting society. “We are at a time when everyone who devotes themselves to politics must be totally and absolutely aware that there is no good policy without good science“.
Padilla explained that science is a clear example of a “purely realistic discipline, but coming from a reality that does not yet exist.” CAR-T therapies are a good example since they didn’t even exist a few years ago. “For this reason, I think it is particularly relevant to make a justification of science as a relay race in which it is about taking over from those who came before, building on existing knowledge and taking it to new places and then passing the baton. Dr. June will give up everything he has done so that, later, the therapies of the future can be built that can reach other people,” declared the Secretary of State.
Padilla wanted to thank Dr. June for his presence and “emphasis on his translation ability.” “The prize awarded today recognizes the ability to have ensured the continuity from the most basic realm of fundamental research to the bedside. This complete cycle must be recognized and must be taken as a model to be able to develop in other areas,” he said.
June’s career
Dr. June began his research studying the CD28 molecule in the 1980s, as the master control switch for T cells. He led the development of the first CAR-T cell therapy, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017, and known by the generic name tisagenlecleucel (trade name Kymriah, from Novartis). There are currently six different CAR-T cell therapies approved in the United States to treat various forms of blood cancers, including certain lymphomas, leukemias and myelomas.
In a pediatric environment, Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of leukemia and 60% of those affected are under the age of 20.. In adults, leukemia is chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 30% of cases. It generally affects people over the age of 65, an important aspect given the trend towards increasing life expectancy and the aging of the population. Today, 85% of pediatric patients who receive CAR-T immunotherapy treatment respond positively, a figure that reaches between 50% and 50%. and 70% in the case of adults.
In the decades since it began its CAR-T cell research in June, the field has grown exponentially with nearly a thousand trials underway worldwide. June’s lab continues to drive innovation in personalized cell and gene therapies, developing new strategies make CAR-T cell therapy more effective for all blood cancersfor solid tumors and even for diseases other than cancer. He also made fundamental contributions to HIV research, developing the first method to expand T cells outside the body and demonstrating that the cells could be safely reinfused into the patient, thereby improving their immune function.
Jury and guests
The award ceremony of the 4th edition of the Abarca Prize brought together many public figures such as José María Álvarez Palletepresident of Telefónica, Elena Henriquez Moonpresident of GSK Spain, Carlos Murillopresident of Pfizer Spain, Iñaki PeraltaCEO of Sanitas, or Pedro J. Ramirezpresident of EL ESPAÑOL.
During the event, Silvia G. Prioricardiologist and researcher and president of the international jury of the prize, highlighted the values for which June was chosen as this year’s winner. The rest of the jury is made up of winners from previous editions such as Douglas Meltonwinner of the third edition of the Abarca Prize and Philippe J. Sansonetti, microbiologist, professor and director of the microbial molecular pathogenesis unit at the famous French research center Institut Pasteur and winner of the II edition of the Abarca prize.
In addition, the Spanish paleontologist was also part of the jury. Juan Luis Arsuagadirector of the Joint Center of the UCM-Carlos III Health Institute for Human Evolution and Behavior and co-director of the Sierra de Atapuerca sites, professor Federico de MontalvoDoctor of Law and President of the Bioethics Committee of Spain from 2019 to 2022, Professor Pura Muñoz-Cánovesdegree in pharmacy and doctor in biological sciences and researcher at Altos Labs of the San Diego Institute of Science (United States) and holds a Ph.D. Sandra Myrna Diaz, senior researcher at CONICET of the Multidisciplinary Institute of Plant Biology (IMBIV), awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Princess of Asturias Prize for Scientific and Technological Research ( 2019).
