6th Award: Choline kinase inhibitors as novel approach for antiproliferative drug design

The sixth Esteve Foundation Research Prize to the best work on pharmacological research was awarded this year to Juan Carlos Lacal and his collaborators for the study Choline Kinase inhibitors as a novel approach for antiproliferative drug design, published in Oncogene in 1997. The contribution of these scientists from the Biomedical Research Institute of the CSIC was an important step in the struggle against cancer. In their research, the team led by Lacal developed a new family of molecules able to slow down cancer progression in mice. These molecules inhibit the enzyme cholinkynase, involved in at least 30% of human cancers. The jury was composed of Alasdair Breckenridge (United Kingdom), Sergio Erill, Director of the Foundation, and Manfred Göthert (Germany).