Titia de Lange
2024 Pezcoller-AACR Award Winner
Titia De Lange was recognised for her groundbreaking discoveries on telomeres and the shelterin protein complex, uncovering how chromosome protection prevents genomic instability and cancer development.
Discovering the Chromosome “Shield”
For decades, science could not explain how cells distinguished the natural ends of chromosomes from dangerous DNA breaks. Dr. de Lange solved this mystery by identifying shelterin, a specialized protein complex acting as a protective helmet for chromosome tips. Shelterin prevents the cell from mistakenly triggering a repair process that would fuse chromosomes together and destroy the genetic code.
DNA Damage and Tumorigenesis
Her experiments revealed the catastrophic consequences of breaking this protective shield. Without shelterin, exposed chromosome ends trigger massive genetic instability. In cells where tumor suppressor genes are already mutated, this genomic chaos becomes the ultimate engine driving normal cells into aggressive cancers.
Telomere Regulation and Precision Medicine
Dr. de Lange also demonstrated that shelterin precisely regulates telomere length, preventing them from growing unchecked and granting cancer cells the ability to replicate endlessly. Unraveling this delicate balance has opened unprecedented avenues for early cancer detection and the development of targeted therapies.
“Titia de Lange’s revolutionary research answered one of the most essential questions in cell biology. Honoring her extraordinary career at the Teatro Sociale in Trento reinforces our foundation’s commitment to celebrating world-class science that changes the future of medicine.”
Enzo Galligioni, President of the Pezcoller Foundation
Biography
De Lange is Leon Hess Professor, head of the Laboratory of Cell Biology and Genetics, and Director of the Anderson Center for Cancer Research at The Rockefeller University in New York.
De Lange was elected as a Fellow of the AACR Academy in 2014. She received the AACR-G.H.A. Clowes Award for Outstanding Basic Cancer Research in 2010 and the AACR-Women in Cancer Research Charlotte Friend Lectureship in 2004.
She earned her PhD in biochemistry at the University of Amsterdam and The Netherlands Cancer Institute.
De Lange’s award lecture was presented during the AACR Annual Meeting 2024 in San Diego.
Watch here the traditional Award Ceremony was held on Saturday, 11 May 2024 at the Teatro Sociale in Trento.