Delivery of the Lilly Foundation for Biomedical Research award 2012 F. Xavier Bosch, researcher at IDIBELL/ICO and world leader in human papilloma virus and cervical cancer, has received the Lilly Foundation for Biomedical Research award 2012 in the preclinical research category. Dr. Felipe Casanueva, scientific director of CIBERobn, who has contributed to international understanding of the obesity, has been awarded in the clinic research category.
The academic event of the delivery of the Lilly Foundation for Biomedical Research award 2012 that took place last June 28th in Madrid was chaired by Ana Mato, the Minister of Health, and Jose Antonio Gutierrez, the Honorary Director of the Lilly Foundation. Also participated Carmen Vela , Secretary of State for Research, Emilio Lora-Tamayo, president of the National Research Council (CSIC), and Javier Ellena, President of the Lilly Foundation.
Preclinical research award: HPV and cancer
In Spain, the uterus or cervix cancer affects about two million women. In most cases, it is caused by certain subtypes of human papilloma virus (HPV). In addition, it is estimated that this viral family is responsible for 5 per cent of all human tumors.
The vaccines that protect against HPV offer high effective range, between 70% and 90%. F. Xavier Bosch , head of the group on Viruses and Cancer at IDIBELL and Director of the Research in Cancer Epidemiology program at the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), considered “an achievement of science the possibility of preventing the development of a disease, in this case a cancer with vaccine”
Specifically, it intends to continue the research on the importance of subtypes of HPV in head and neck cancer. It will assess the international situation, especially in countries like India where this disease is one of the most common among men. For this reason, the research group of Dr. Bosch will use new technologies to explore the influence of other types of papilloma. The prize, worth 140,000 euros, will go to the study of HPV and the development of indicators to identify, plan and implement preventive strategies of cancers associated with these viruses. “We will study whether the papilloma presenting cutaneous trophism may have some relationship in cancer of the vulva or oral cavity.”
HPV vaccine
Next year the research team of Bosch plans other trials, currently in Phase III, with a second generation of vaccines for HPV that include nine viral types. Currently, the available vaccines include two and four HPV types. It also raises new vaccine study under a protocol, developed by Bosch and presented to the European Union, aiming to reduce cervical cancer or HPV-associated broadening the spectrum of vaccination at 26 or 30 years. “Sexually active women will be vaccinated, watching the not infected. Uninfected women to be vaccinated will have a very low risk of developing the disease. In the case of no infection, they will be subjected to diagnostic and therapeutic protocols, if necessary”, said Bosch.