Professor Christopher Goodnow will receive a trip to Sweden and a share in six million kronor for his efforts.
Professor Christopher Goodnow has been awarded this year’s Crafoord Prize in polyarthritis for the discovery of fundamental mechanisms for B cell tolerance.
The professor at the Cellular Genomic Futures Institute, University of New South Wales, has been acknowledged for his efforts in identifying a cause of autoimmune disease. Professor Goodnow will share the award – and the six million Swedish kronor (roughly $900,000AUD) – with Professor David Nemazee, a scientist from the Scripps Research Institute in the USA, who conducted similar work independently.
“They have given us a new and detailed understanding of the mechanisms that normally prevent faulty B cells from attacking tissues in the body, explaining why most of us are not affected by autoimmune diseases,” said Olle Kämpe, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and chair of the prize committee.
The discovery led to clinicians using existing drugs that target B cell activity as novel treatments in patients with severe autoimmune diseases to great effect.
“I have really seen the potential of these treatments. Many of my patients are much better and have improved their quality of life,” says Anders Bengtsson, professor of rheumatology at Lund University and consultant at Skåne University Hospital.
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Professor Goodnow, who is also the Bill and Patricia Ritchie Foundation chair at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, said receiving the award came as a wonderful surprise.
“I’m honoured and very happy that the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences gives this recognition to basic science, providing the foundations for understanding and treating disease,” he said in a statement.
The Crafoord Prize is awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Crafoord Foundation. Holger Crafoord, who made the donation that established the foundation, suffered from rheumatoid arthritis.
Professor Goodnow will travel to Stockholm in May to receive the prize from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.
Photo supplied by the Garvan Institute of Medical Research
