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Fondation ARC pour la Recherche sur le Cancer
Established in 1970 by the Association pour la Recherche sur le Cancer (ARC), now known as the Fondation ARC pour la Recherche sur le Cancer, the Léopold Griffuel Prize is one of the most prestigious international awards dedicated to honouring significant discoveries in oncology that have advanced our understanding of cancer biology and treatment.
This year, the award for Fundamental Research was shared between two laureates: Ludwig Cancer Research Oxford’s Professor Yang Shi, and Dr. Giacomo Cavalli (Institute of Human Genetics, Montpellier) for their work in epigenetics. The Translational and Clinical Research Prize was awarded to Professor Eric Vivier (Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy, Marseille).
Yang is renowned for his discovery of LSD1, the first known histone demethylase, and many additional demethylases, which fundamentally changed our understanding of gene regulation by demonstrating that histone methylation - a critical epigenetic process once thought to be irreversible - is in fact dynamic and reversible.
His work provided important insights into the mechanism of action of demethylases and their roles in physiological and pathological processes, including cancer. His discovery also opened new pathways for cancer therapy by revealing how chromatin-modifying enzymes might be harnessed to improve immune responses to tumours.
You can learn more about Yang’s work and award recognition in this short video: