Recognized were four scientists whose accomplishments have contributed to understanding the basic cellular biology of cancer, its cause and prevention or its diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Horvitz's discovery that programmed cell death is a genetically determined biological process is one of the most important discoveries in modern cell biology. The process by which cell death is controlled adds to the understanding of how benign cells can undergo malignant transformation. Dr. Horvitz's molecular genetic studies of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans led to the identification of a large number of genes that drive cells to die or protect them from dying.
Similar genes are present in many higher species, including humans.
Following the conference, the winners of this year's General Motors Cancer Research Foundation prizes will deliver lectures describing their research. The awards will be presented June 10 during a ceremony at the Library of Congress.