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Prof. Tasuku Honjo

Nobel Laureate in Medicine Prof. Tasuku Honjo comes to Hamburg at the invitation of the Heinrich Pette Institute

Hamburg. On July 4, 2019, Nobel Laureate for Medicine 2018 Prof. Tasuku Honjo will come to Hamburg for a keynote lecture. He has been invited by the Board of the Heinrich Pette Institute together with the President of the Leibniz Association Matthias Kleiner and the Leibniz Center Infection (LCI). 

The Japanese immunologist from Kyoto University is working on the molecular biological causes of antibody diversity. Together with James P. Allison, he was awarded the "Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine" in 2018 for the discovery of cancer therapy by inhibiting negative immune regulation. Both scientists have discovered in parallel that certain proteins act as a brake on the immune system, preventing the immune system from fighting tumor cells. If this brake is released, the immune cells attack the cancer cells. Based on this concept, new therapies have been developed that are already in use for various types of cancer.

The lecture by Tasuku Honjo entitled Serendipities of Acquired Immunity will take place on July 4, 2019 at 12 noon in the historic hall of the Erika-Haus on the premises of the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (Building W29). Afterwards there will be a reception for a further exchange of ideas.

In the morning, the Japanese is also invited to Hamburg's City Hall, where he is greeted by Hamburg's First Mayor Peter Tschentscher and is allowed to enter his name in the city's Golden Book.

Tasuku Honjo is particularly interested in an exchange with young scientists. In the afternoon, a meeting with selected junior researchers from the HPI is planned.

HPI is already looking forward to its Guest of Honour Tasuku Honjo. It is planned to further intensify and expand the scientific cooperation with the Japanese network partners after this visit.

Further questions:

Dr. Franziska Ahnert: presse(at)leibniz-hpi.de

Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology,

Hamburg

Information:

The festive lecture with honorary guest Prof. Tasuku Honjo will take place on July 4, 2019 at 12 noon in the Erika-Haus on the premises of the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf (Building W29). The event is free of charge, please register by e‑mail: vorstandsreferat(at)leibniz-hpi.de

Picture © Tasuku Honjo