Dr. Motoda named for fundamental cancer stem cell discovery DURHAM, N.C. and SEOUL, Korea, June 19
DURHAM, N.C. and SEOUL, Korea, June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The journal STEM
CELLS(R) announces that Lena Motoda, M.D., Ph.D. won the 3rd Annual STEM
CELLS(R) Young Investigator Award. Co-sponsored by The International Stem Cell
Symposium, the $10,000 prize is annually given to a young scientist who is the
principal author of a research paper published in STEM CELLS judged to be most
important by a worldwide jury. A medical graduate of The University of Tokyo,
Dr. Motoda received her Ph.D. degree for her Young Investigator Award winning
research conducted at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, National
University of Singapore, with the mentorship of Associate Professor Motomi
Osato and Professor Yoshiaki Ito. Dr. Motoda is currently in the Department
of Pediatrics, Toranomon Hospital, Tokyo.
STEM CELLS published Dr. Motoda's landmark paper that describes the
importance of "RUNX1" as a molecular guardian of stem cells that produce blood
cells. RUNX1, a transcription factor protein, protects these vital cells from
cancer-inducing molecular insults by maintaining fail-safe cellular
mechanisms. This may offer new therapeutic options for blood cell
malignancies like leukemia and lymphoma. The article is freely available
online: http://stemcells.alphamedpress.org/cgi/content/full/25/12/2976 .
Professor Miodrag Stojkovic, co-editor of STEM CELLS, remarked that, "Dr.
Motoda's discovery demonstrates, once again, why it is essential to understand
basic molecular mechanisms since these revelations may both help prevent
disease and enable the development of novel and hopefully more effective
therapeutic options." To which Professor Donald Phinney, STEM CELLS' other
co-editor, remarked, "The manuscript by Motoda and her colleagues is an
excellent example of how molecular mechanisms that regulate stem cell
self-renewal, cell proliferation, and cell death are inextricably linked and
how the perturbation of these pathways can cooperate to promote malignancies."
The 3rd annual award, presented on June 20th during the 6th Annual
International Stem Cell Symposium, in Seoul, Korea, is considered one of the
most important in this fast paced research arena. "The journal STEM CELLS is
the oldest and most respected journal devoted to stem cell research and
regenerative medicine. The International Stem Cell Symposium, now in its
sixth year, is pleased to partner with this world-class journal," said
Professor Il-Hoan Oh, Director of The Catholic University of Korea's Cell &
Gene Therapy Institute and chair of the Symposium's organizing committee.
The International Stem Cell Symposium (http://www.cic.re.kr/symposium) has
been organized annually by faculty of The Catholic University of Korea at
which the most promising basic and clinical research dealing with stem cells
and their therapeutic applications is critically discussed by cutting-edge
researchers.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080619/CLTH010LOGO )
STEM CELLS(R) (http://www.StemCells.com), the international journal of
cell differentiation and proliferation, publishes original articles and
concise reviews describing basic laboratory investigations of stem cells and
the translation to patient care. The Journal covers all aspects of stem cells
and regenerative medicine. In its 26th year of publication, STEM CELLS is the
first journal devoted to this fast-paced field of research. Its Impact Factor
of 7.924 places it in the top 3% of all high-impact international journals.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080422/CLTU133LOGO-a )
SOURCE The AlphaMed Company, Inc.
