Glen N. Barber, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology and co-leader of the Viral Oncology Program at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center has been named co-winner of the 2009 Seymour and Vivian Milstein Award by the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research. The award represents exceptional contributions to the scientific field of interferon and cytokine research, and is being given to Barber in recognition of his seminal contributions in the field of innate immunity and virus-based approaches to cancer therapy.

Hiroki Ishikawa, Ph.D., a post-doctoral associate in Barber's lab at Sylvester, won the Seymour and Vivian Milstein Young Investigator Award for his contributions to research related to host defense mechanisms. The Milstein Young Investigator Award is given to investigators who have received a Ph.D. or M.D. within the last eight years, and have made notable contributions to basic or clinical research. Up to five young scientists are recognized each year.

Barber and Ishikawa's discovery of the STING molecule was a key factor in their each winning Milstein Awards. STING (STimulator of INterferon Genes), recognizes DNA and RNA virus infections and activates the body's innate immune system by triggering interferon production. That breakthrough finding was published in September 2008 in the esteemed journal Nature.

Barber, who holds the Eugenia J. Dodson Chair in Cancer Research, was also given the award for his research studies that include a large body of work on FADD (Fas associated protein with death domain, a key molecule involved in apoptosis), and oncolytic viruses. "It's a wonderful honor to win this award," says Barber. "We hope to continue our research in this field."

In fact, Barber and Ishikawa have gone on to expand their research into STING, earning them publication last month in an online issue of Nature. The article is scheduled for the Nature print edition this month. The scientists found that the molecule is also a critical element in triggering interferon in response to DNA pathogens such as the herpes simplex virus and the bacteria Listeria, among others.

Peter Staeheli, P.D., professor of virology at Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Germany, is the co-recipient of the Seymour and Vivian Milstein Award. Staeheli has focused his research on the mechanisms and genetic manipulation of bornaviruses, which have been linked to neurological disorders.

As co-winner of the prestigious scientific honor this year, Barber has been invited to deliver a Milstein Award lecture at the annual meeting of the International Society for Interferon and Cytokine Research. The meeting, "Cellular and Cytokine Interactions in Health and Disease," will be held October 17 through 21 in Lisbon, Portugal. At that meeting, Ishikawa will receive a plaque honoring his contribution and a $1,500 award.