Awards to be presented at special event during annual meeting of the International Society of Interferon and Cytokine Research (ISICR) in Florence, Italy, October 9th
The 23rd"Milstein Awards" ceremony will be held at the 2011 annual meeting of the International Society of Interferon and Cytokine Research (ISICR) on Sunday, October 9, in Florence, Italy. The Milstein Awards recognize achievements by biomedical research scientists who have made outstanding contributions to interferon and cytokine research, either in a basic or applied field.
Interferons and cytokines are involved in all biological processes and play a critical role in the development and progression of many diseases including cancer, viral diseases such as hepatitis and influenza, and autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis and lupus. Indeed, interferon has been called "evolution's first and perhaps most important invention for the survival of animals."1
"Given that more than half of the communicable diseases affecting human beings around the world are caused by viruses—and given the role that interferon plays in antiviral responses, it is critically important that we continue to probe the nature of interferon and other cytokines," said Leonidas Platanias, M.D., Ph.D., President of ISICR. "The ISICR is very proud to be a part of the annual Milstein Awards celebration."
"The worldwide interferon and cytokine community is very grateful to the Milstein family for continuing to support this critically important research," added Sidney Pestka, M.D., a 2001 Milstein Laureate and founder of PBL InterferonSource, the world's largest supplier of interferon-related products, services, information, and know-how. Dr. Pestka was the first to develop a genetically engineered biotherapeutic, the interferon-based drug Roferon A, in 1986 for treatment of hairy cell leukemia. "From the beginning the Milstein family recognized interferon's great potential to help treat a wide range of debilitating illnesses including hepatitis (B and C), multiple sclerosis, viral infections, and cancer. Indeed, the Milstein Awards represent the pinnacle of scientific achievement in the field of interferon and cytokine research."
The annual award is named after Seymour and Vivian Milstein. The Milstein family—Vivian and the late Seymour, son Philip and daughter Connie—are well-known philanthropists in the United States and abroad. For over 50 years they have provided essential support for institutions and organizations at a time when funds from government agencies were drying up. Among the research- and healthcare-focused institutions they have championed are the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center; Columbia University and the University's College of Physicians and Surgeons; Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center; the Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services; and CURE (Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy).
About ISICR
The International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research (ISICR) based in Bethesda, Md., is a non-profit organization of scientists devoted to research in the fields of interferon, cytokine and chemokine cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry and the clinical use of these biologically important molecules. Membership in the society is open to all individuals interested in interferons, cytokines and chemokines.
1 J. E. Darnell Jr., Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY (Interferon: The 50th Anniversary, 2007)
Contacts:
ISICR
Leonidas Platanias, +1-312-503-4267
President