Joan Massagué facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joan Massagué
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| Born |
Joan Massagué i Solé
April 30, 1953 |
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| Known for | Cancer metastasis |
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| Institutions | Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Institute for Research in Biomedicine |
Joan Massagué (born April 30, 1953) is a famous Spanish scientist. He is a biologist who studies how cells grow and behave. He leads the Sloan-Kettering Institute at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He is also a professor at the Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. Dr. Massagué is known worldwide for his important work on cancer and how it spreads, a process called metastasis.
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Becoming a Scientist: Education and Career
Joan Massagué was born in Barcelona, Spain. He earned his doctorate degree in biochemistry from the University of Barcelona in 1978. After that, he went to Brown University in the United States. There, he studied how the hormone insulin works in the body.
In 1989, Dr. Massagué joined the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He became a leader in the Cell Biology Program. Later, in 2003, he helped start the Cancer Biology and Genetics Program. Since 2005, he has also been a scientific advisor at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine in Barcelona.
From 1990 to 2013, he was an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. In 2013, Dr. Massagué became the Director of the Sloan Kettering Institute. This is a very important role in cancer research.
Understanding Cancer: Scientific Discoveries
Dr. Massagué is famous for his discoveries about a special protein called TGFβ. He found that TGFβ can act in two ways. It can sometimes stop tumor cells from growing, but other times it can make them grow faster. This discovery was very important for understanding cancer.
His research team found out how TGFβ sends signals inside cells. This helped explain how this protein controls what cells do. In 2003, Dr. Massagué showed that TGFβ could make breast cancer spread to the lungs in mice. However, it could also stop the main tumor from growing.
That same year, he found two genes in breast cancer that helped tumor cells spread to the bones. In 2005, his team identified which breast cancer cells were likely to spread to the lungs based on their genes.
Since 2009, his lab has studied how cancer cells spread and return. They found that cancer cells can re-enter tissues and grow into aggressive tumors. His lab also discovered how cancer cells use a molecule called L1CAM to connect with blood vessels. This helps the cancer spread.
In 2020, Dr. Massagué's team published a major study in the journal Nature Cancer. They found new information about how metastases (cancer spreading) begin. Before this, scientists thought it was mainly due to genetic changes. This discovery, after nearly 20 years of research, is helping to find better cancer treatments.
Awards and Recognitions
Dr. Massagué has received many awards for his important work. Some of these include:
- Pezcoller Foundation-AACR International Award for Cancer Research (2016)
- Fellow, American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Academy (2016)
- Charles Rodolphe Brupbacher Prize for Cancer Research (2015)
- Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Medical Research Award (2011)
- BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Science and Technology (2008)
- Passano Laureate Award (2007)
- Vilcek Prize in Biomedical Science (2006)
- Member, National Academy of Medicine (2006)
- Prince of Asturias Award in Science and Technology (2004)
- Member, National Academy of Sciences (2000)
- Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1999)
See also
In Spanish: Joan Massagué para niños
