The Assar Gabrielsson award for 2013 will be presented to Johan Aurelius for his research into the correlation between the body’s immune system and cancer. In his studies, Johan Aurelius has shown that treatment stimulating white blood cells can reduce the risk of relapse in leukemia – blood cancer. For the results of his research, Johan Aurelius will receive the Assar Gabrielsson award and SEK 50,000.
It is a known fact that the body’s immune system plays a key role in cancer diseases through its ability to recognize and destroy tumor cells. This is done, for example, by certain types of white blood cells, called lymphocytes. Increased knowledge of the correlation between the immune system and cancer is of vital importance to understanding how cancer arises and how it affects the immune system, which could potentially lead to new and better treatment methods.
“The findings from this research could contribute to the future development of better treatment of patients suffering from leukemia,” says Professor Eva Forssell-Aronsson, Executive Member of the Assar Gabrielsson Foundation Fund.
In his dissertation at Gothenburg University, Johan Aurelius studied the function of two types of lymphocytes in connection with leukemia. He has, for example, proven that cancer cells weaken the immune system by destroying white blood cells, and that this can be prevented by strengthening the white blood cells so that they are capable of resisting the cancer cells. Such treatment could reduce the risk of leukemia relapse.
Assar Gabrielsson was one of the founders of Volvo. In accordance with his wishes, a fund for clinical research into cancer diseases was established. The Assar Gabrielsson Award also includes the opportunity to receive a research grant of SEK 100,000. Over the years, AB Volvo has contributed to the fund’s capital and the fund is now able to contribute more than SEK 4 M annually in research grants to young cancer researchers.
