Napoleone Ferrara

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Napoleone Ferrara
Born (1956-07-26) 26 July 1956 (age 69)
Alma mater
Known for VEGF discovery
Awards
Scientific career
Institutions
Laura Perin, Napoleone Ferrara, and Matteo Garbelotto Laura Perin, Napoleone Ferrara, and Matteo Garbelotto.jpg
Laura Perin, Napoleone Ferrara, and Matteo Garbelotto

Napoleone Ferrara (born 26 July 1956 in Catania) is an Italian-American molecular biologist who joined University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center in 2013 after a career in Northern California at the biotechnology giant Genentech, where he pioneered the development of new treatments for angiogenic diseases such as cancer, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and diabetic retinopathy. [1] At Genentech, he discovered VEGF [2] —and made the first anti-VEGF antibody—which suppresses growth of a variety of tumors. [3] These findings helped lead to development and FDA approval of the first clinically effective angiogenesis inhibitor, bevacizumab (Avastin), which prevents the growth of new blood vessels into a solid tumor. Bevacizumab, first approved for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer in 2004, [4] has become part of standard treatment for a variety of cancers. [5] Ferrara's work led also to the development of ranibizumab (Lucentis), a drug that is highly effective at preventing vision loss in patients with intraocular neovascular disorders such as neovascular AMD and retinal vein occlusion. [6] Ranibizumab and other anti-VEGF agents represent the first effective therapy for such blinding disorders and rank among the most widely used drugs in older adults.

Contents

Education

Ferrara received his medical degree from the University of Catania, Italy, in 1981. He did post-doctoral research at the University of California, San Francisco. In 1988 he joined Genentech and worked there for about 25 years. [7]

Current research

At UC San Diego Health, Ferrara, a member of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine, USA, is Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Adjunct Professor of Ophthalmology. He continues investigating mechanisms of angiogenesis aiming to develop novel treatments for cancer and ocular disorders.

Selected honors and awards

Ferrara received numerous awards. In 2005, he received the Grand Prix scientifique de la Fondation Lefoulon-Delalande, a major award in Cardiovascular Research. [8] In 2006, he was a recipient of the Passano Award and the General Motors Cancer Research Award. In 2010 he won the Lasker-deBakey Clinical Medical Research Award for the VEGF discovery and the development of the first effective therapy for neovascular AMD. In 2013, he was awarded the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. [9] In addition, he received the ASCO Science of Oncology Award (2007), the Pezcoller Foundation/AACR International Award (2009), the Dr. Paul Janssen Award for Biomedical Research (2011), and the Economist's Innovation Award for Bioscience in 2012. In September 2014, Ferrara was awarded the António Champalimaud Vision Award from the Champalimaud Foundation. [10] In the same year, he received the Canada Gairdner International Award. In 2023, he received the Keio Medical Science Prize [11] and the Prince Mahidol Award in Medicine.

References

  1. ↑ "Napoleone Ferrara, MD: Distinguished Professor of Pathology". UC San Diego Health Sciences. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  2. ↑ Leung, D. W.; Cachianes, G.; Kuang, W. J.; Goeddel, D. V.; Ferrara, N. (8 December 1989). "Vascular endothelial growth factor is a secreted angiogenic mitogen". Science (New York, N.Y.). 246 (4935): 1306–1309. doi:10.1126/science.2479986. ISSN   0036-8075. PMID   2479986.
  3. ↑ Kim, K. J.; Li, B.; Winer, J.; Armanini, M.; Gillett, N.; Phillips, H. S.; Ferrara, N. (29 April 1993). "Inhibition of vascular endothelial growth factor-induced angiogenesis suppresses tumour growth in vivo". Nature. 362 (6423): 841–844. doi:10.1038/362841a0. ISSN   0028-0836. PMID   7683111.
  4. ↑ Hurwitz, Herbert; Fehrenbacher, Louis; Novotny, William; Cartwright, Thomas; Hainsworth, John; Heim, William; Berlin, Jordan; Baron, Ari; Griffing, Susan; Holmgren, Eric; Ferrara, Napoleone; Fyfe, Gwen; Rogers, Beth; Ross, Robert; Kabbinavar, Fairooz (3 June 2004). "Bevacizumab plus irinotecan, fluorouracil, and leucovorin for metastatic colorectal cancer". The New England Journal of Medicine. 350 (23): 2335–2342. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa032691. ISSN   1533-4406. PMID   15175435.
  5. ↑ Ferrara, Napoleone; Adamis, Anthony P. (June 2016). "Ten years of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy". Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery. 15 (6): 385–403. doi:10.1038/nrd.2015.17. ISSN   1474-1784. PMID   26775688.
  6. ↑ Cao, Yihai; Langer, Robert; Ferrara, Napoleone (June 2023). "Targeting angiogenesis in oncology, ophthalmology and beyond". Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery. 22 (6): 476–495. doi:10.1038/s41573-023-00671-z. ISSN   1474-1784. PMID   37041221.
  7. ↑ Knies-Bamforth, Ulrike; Watson, Christopher; Ferrara, Napoleone (April 2005). "Napoleone Ferrara discusses Avastin™ and the future of anti-angiogenesis therapy". Drug Discovery Today. 10 (8): 539–541. doi:10.1016/S1359-6446(05)03411-2. PMID   15837595.
  8. ↑ "Historique". Fondation Lefoulon-Delalande Institut de France. 12 April 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
  9. ↑ "Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences". Archived from the original on 26 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  10. ↑ Ferrara Receives Champalimaud Award for Role in Eye Disease Therapy , UC San Diego
  11. ↑ 第28回（2023年）受賞者


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