Prof. Thomas Waldmann Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA

Thomas A. Waldmann received his MD from Harvard Medical School. He joined the NCI in 1956 and has been Chief of the Metabolism Branch since 1973. Over his 50 year career he has defined the role of the IL-2/IL-2 receptor system in the life and death of normal and neoplastic... read morelymphocytes. These studies have culminated in the definition of the IL-2 receptor as an exceptionally valuable target for the humanized monoclonal antibody he developed, anti-Tac (daclizumab, Zenapax), in the therapy of leukemia, lymphoma and autoimmune disease. He co-discovered IL-15 and is introducing IL-15 and IL-15 receptor-directed therapy for patients with cancer.