Cancer Research in Switzerland - Krebsliga Schweiz

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Research awards:
Besides supporting research through funding
projects, bursaries, and organizations, the Swiss
Cancer League regularly gives the Robert Wenner
Award for outstanding research work. In addition,
each year the Scientific Office of the Swiss Cancer
League organizes the call for research grant
applications and the evaluation of proposals submitted
for the SWISS BRIDGE AWARD.
With the awarding of research prizes, the recipients
are recognized for their excellent work in cancer research.
For the researchers, this recognition means
both honour for their previous achievements and
incentive for future research efforts. As the greatest
part of the award money must be invested in cancer
research, research awards allow the recipients to
continue their work or to initiate new projects. For
the Swiss Cancer League the awarding of research
prizes is also a way to inform the public about outstanding
industry-independent cancer research.
Robert Wenner Award
Robert Wenner, a gynaecologist in Basel who died
in 1979, endowed the Robert Wenner Award to
support cancer researchers under the age of 45.
The prize was awarded for the first time in 1985.
The award winners receive CHF 100,000, with
CHF 80,000 earmarked for an ongoing project and
CHF 20,000 as discretionary funds. In 2010 the
Robert Wenner Award was given to Prof. Dr. Melody
Swartz at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Lausanne (EPFL) for her excellent work in basic research
on tumour metastasis. No prize was awarded
in 2009.
Honouring outstanding cancer researchers
Interdisciplinary cancer researcher
Melody Swartz is a bioengineer who integrates different
modern scientific disciplines in her research.
Together with her team she combines cell biology,
biochemistry, physiology, bioinformatics, and engineering
to study cancer. Her interest centres on the
lymphatic system and, specifically, on how tumour
cells behave in the lymphatic system. The lymphatic
system, which works with the circulatory system,
is made up of lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels in
which lymph fluid circulates. The lymphatic system
transports pathogens to the lymph nodes, where
antibodies are produced and an immune response is
mounted. The immune response thus depends on the
lymphatic system.
Cunning cancer cells
It is known that cancer cells also utilize lymphatic
vessels to spread through the body and form metastases
at new sites. However, this process is still largely
unknown. Among other things, Swartz is studying
how cancer cells move into the lymph vessels. It appears
that tumours are able to stimulate the growth
of the lymph vessels so that cancer cells can invade
them. Also, the lymph vessels appear to actively
support the tumour cells in this process. The immune
system is fooled, and the cancer cells evade the
immune defence.