LOS ANGELES: French-Canadian scientist Michel Sadelain received a “Oscars of Science” award on Saturday in Los Angeles for his work on immune cell genetic modification as a means of combating cancer.
The genetic engineer received the Breakthrough Prize on Saturday at a lavish ceremony that was witnessed by a number of celebrities, including Jessica Chastain, Robert Downey Jr., and Bradley Cooper, as well as tech titans like Elon Musk and Bill Gates. His research has contributed to the development of CAR-T, a novel treatment that has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness against a number of blood malignancies.
Sadelain remarked, “This prize is an extraordinary recognition,” while walking the Oscars Museum red carpet. “My scientific colleagues told me for a long time that it would never work, so it’s all the more of an honor.”
Established in 2010, the Breakthrough Prize is billed as the Silicon Valley-backed equivalent of the Nobel Prize, rewarding “the world’s most brilliant minds” in disciplines such as mathematics, basic physics, and life sciences. Priscilla Chan, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sergey Brin were among the early sponsors of what became known as the “Oscars for Science.”
Along with his co-winner, Sadelain will share the $3 million prize money with Carl June, an American immunologist who also led groundbreaking research into the topic.
Through the use of a crippled virus, Sadelain created a method for genetically reprogramming human T-cells to form antigen receptors, which are structures like claws that enable the T-cells to target particular cancer cells.
