January 24, 2008 — 週日在波士頓的Temple Israel，有超過500人出席Judah Folkman醫師的追悼會，這位著名的癌症研究人員在上週因為心臟病或中風猝逝；癌症研究者、麻塞諸塞科技研究中心的Robert Weinberg博士向Medscape腫瘤學表示，我們無法知道他的死因，許多人表示，對於享年74歲的Folkman鞠躬盡瘁並不感到意外，他在前往溫哥華演講的途中，於丹佛國際機場猝逝。
Folkman博士是波士頓兒童醫院血管生物計畫的發起人兼負責人，也是哈佛醫學院的細胞生物與小兒外科教授；兒童醫院院長James Mandell在有關Folkman博士死亡的聲明稿中表示，這不只是我們醫院的損失，更是全球的大損失，Folkman是真正具有遠見的科學先驅。
Folkman博士於1970年代首先提出可以藉由切斷腫瘤的血液供應控制癌症，這是革命性的觀念，在當時受到醫界的懷疑，當時的研究大部分聚焦在癌症細胞，Folkman 博士則是到今日都還持續血管新生的研究，且在此一領域建立了研究基礎。
目前在全球已經有許多科學家跟著投入這個研究領域；Folkman博士的實驗室從腫瘤純化了第一個血管新生蛋白質，發現了第一個血管新生抑制劑，並且展開了抗血管新生治療的臨床試驗。
目前，在美國和其他27個國家已經使用血管新生抑制劑治療癌症和黃斑點退化，市場上已經有10個新的抗癌藥物，全球有超過120萬人接受抗血管新生治療。(http://www.24drs.com/Professional/list/content.asp?x_idno=4826&x_classno=1&x_chkdelpoint=Y)
(http://www.angio.org/index.html)
Dr. M. Judah Folkman
(1933 - 2008)
It is with great sadness that the Angiogenesis Foundation has learned of the passing of Dr. Judah Folkman, founder and pioneer of the field of angiogenesis research. His sudden and unexpected death on January 14 comes as a great shock to all who trained with and were students of this remarkable surgeon, scientist, teacher, and visionary. The Angiogenesis Foundation extends its deepest condolences to Dr. Folkman’s wife, Paula, and his family.
Dr. Folkman’s pioneering research on tumor angiogenesis began in the 1960s, and revolutionized the modern understanding of cancer, paving the way for the development of a number of life-prolonging cancer therapies in use today. He was one of the greatest scientific minds of our time. His vision inspired the creation of the Angiogenesis Foundation 14 years ago as a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the new field of angiogenesis treatments for more than 70 different diseases. Dr. Folkman’s vision, mentorship and guidance will be greatly missed by those of us fortunate to have known and worked with him.
Dr. Folkman thrice served as a faculty member for the Angiogenesis Foundation, delivering keynote addresses alongside Nobel Laureates James Watson, Louis J. Ignarro, and H. Robert Horvitz, in the Foundation’s Annual International Conference on Antiangiogenesis, held in the fall each year. Dr. Folkman referred patients and friends to the Foundation for consultation on antiangiogenic therapy. Dr. Folkman quietly provided important guidance and encouragement to our organization. He advised us behind the scenes and gave us his insights into challenges and opportunities he saw in the field; championed the Foundation’s mission to influential individuals and prospective donors; and donated books and manuscripts to our library. He publicly recognized the Foundation at major conferences before world leading scientists and industry leaders involved in angiogenesis research. In 2003, the Angiogenesis Foundation honored Dr. Folkman with a Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award, presented to him by then Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
Dr. Folkman had the good fortune to witness the field he pioneered evolve, on a global scale, into a major force in modern science and medicine. He lived to see his ideas from the laboratory become translated into real, practical treatments that are today helping patients afflicted by cancer, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic wounds, and other serious diseases.
At the Angiogenesis Foundation, we will honor Dr. Folkman’s memory by continuing our commitment to advance the field that he established and helping to realize his vision of angiogenesis as a unifying concept in 21st century medicine.
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