“Lombardy is Research” Award, the 1 million Nobel Prize awarded to immunologist Alberto Mantovani

The Lombard immunologist Alberto Mantovani ha ricevuto al La Scala Theatre Milano from the President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana and by the regional councillor for University, Research and Innovation Alessandro Fermi, International Award 'Lombardy is Research', for "his fundamental discoveries – as stated in the motivation – on the role of innate immunity and inflammation in cancer". The 1 million euro award will have to be used for the 70% for study and analysis activities to be conducted in Lombardy.

The delivery of the 'Nobel' Lombardy took place at the end of the seventh edition of the 'Research Day', conceived and created by Lombardy region in collaboration with Umberto Veronesi Foundation Ets, to to reward the best scientific discovery in the field of Life SciencesThe choice was made by a jury of 14 top international scientists, chaired by Patrizia Caraveo, director of the Institute for Space Astrophysics of Milano.

The ceremony was attended by, in addition to the Minister of University and Research Anna Maria Bernini, also other councilors of the Regional Council and the popular television host Gerry Scottic.

PRESIDENT FONTANA: A VIRTUOUS EXAMPLE OF 'BRAINS RETURN'

“This award – highlighted the President of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana – deserves to be further valorized as it demonstrates how a reversal of the trend of the 'brain drain' is possible and, indeed, it presents itself as an opportunity to encourage the 'return' of brains to Italy. The winner, the Lombard immunologist Alberto Mantovani, graduated in Milano and specialized in oncology in Pavia. He then worked in England and the United States before returning to Italy where he now holds the role of Scientific Director of the rccs Humanitas while maintaining his teaching position at Queen Mary University of London”.

“A virtuous example – he continued – of how the experiences and skills acquired in other countries become elements of value when you return to Italy and, also thanks to these, the conditions for investing in research are created. It is the concrete testimony of how the integration between public and private, which has always been the basis of the Lombardy system, now become a model at an international level, is the path to follow with ever greater determination: Mantovani in fact works at Humanitas, which is a private entity, but his experience and his wealth of knowledge are available to everyone”.

COUNCILLOR FERMI: RESEARCH IS FUNDAMENTAL FOR THE PROGRESS OF OUR SOCIETY

“This year – added the councilor Fermi – we wanted to refer to 'innovation' but also to 'roots'. These are two words, innovation and roots, that at first glance might seem antithetical, one anchored to the past and one projected towards the future, but in reality nothing can be born and develop without roots. It was a great honor for me to be here on the occasion of the seventh edition of Research Day, an event that every year allows us to recognize and celebrate the successes of science and innovation, as well as to reflect on the essential value of research for the well-being and progress of our society. Our attention was focused on the Life Sciences, a sector that more than any other can concretely improve people's quality of life, offering new perspectives on treatment and prevention, responding to global health challenges. The 2024 'Lombardy is Research' Award went to a scientist who has dedicated his life to precisely this: Professor Alberto Mantovani, an internationally renowned immunologist and one of the absolute protagonists of contemporary research in the medical-scientific field”.

PROF. MANTOVANI: GRATEFUL FOR THIS RECOGNITION WHICH REWARDS TEAMWORK

Happy with the award Alberto Mantovani, President of the Humanitas Foundation for Research: “I am very grateful for this recognition, the result of the teamwork of many people and institutions that have supported me. More than a goal, the award is a challenge: to always do better and more to move the frontier of knowledge at the service of people's health; to support the work and dreams of the new generations of scientists who choose to stay in our country. Doing research is like climbing a mountain and occasions like this remind us that, in the team, citizens, institutions and businesses also have a fundamental role for the good of all”.

PRESIDENT VERONESI: SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH BEST TOOL TO FIGHT CANCER

“This day is dedicated to the memory of my father – commented Professor Paul Veronesi, president of Fondazione Umberto Veronesi Ets and director of the Ieo Senology Program – confirms itself as a unique event in the national scientific panorama to celebrate the advancement of research as a driver of progress and social well-being. I am happy that this year's Lombardia è Ricerca Award has been assigned to an Italian of the highest level such as Professor Alberto Mantovani, whose discoveries have proven to be fundamental to better understanding the origin of tumors. Support for research is the best tool we have in the fight against cancer and it is for this reason that for more than twenty years Fondazione Veronesi has been committed with all its energy to supporting it to give hope of recovery to the patients of today and tomorrow".

PROFILE OF THE WINNER

The international award 'Lombardy is Research' this year went to an Italian, at the helm of one of the Lombard IRCCS. Born in Milano in a 1948, Alberto Mantovani studied Medicine at the University of Milano and it is specialized in Oncology in Pavia.

After several research experiences abroad, in the US and UK, he returned to Italy working at the Mario Negri Research Institute, at the University of Brescia and then at Humanitas University, where he taught General Pathology.

Numerous national and international awards have been received by Mantovani over the years: among these the prestigious Robert Koch Award (2016), European Oncology Award 2016 (awarded every three years), the American Association for Cancer Research International Pezcoller Award (2019) and, more recently, the Cimt Lifetime Achievement Award and the IAIS Lifetime Achievement. The broad impact of his scientific contribution is demonstrated by the more than 178 thousand citations of his works and one H-index of 190 (Scopus, October 2024).

Already Commander of the Republic for his scientific contributions (2006), in 2018 he received the Ambrogino d'Oro of the city of Milano and in 2021 he was awarded the title of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

Professor Mantovani has made a recognized contribution to immunology applied to oncology by formulating new paradigms and identifying new molecules and functions. In particular, he discovered that some cells of the immune system – the macrophages, a fundamental component of the inflammatory reaction – behave like 'corrupt policemen' who Instead of fighting and stopping cancer, they help it grow and proliferate. These studies have laid the foundation for the current developments in immunotherapy, now considered a primary line in the fight against cancer alongside traditional surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Immunotherapy could be particularly effective against certain types of tumors, such as lung cancer.

It is known for the identification of CCL2, a cytokine capable of attracting macrophages into the tumor and the characterization of a fundamental molecule of innate immunity, PTX3, with a significant role in protumor inflammatory processes.

In general, the attention placed by Mantovani on role of the immune system in cancer development has led to investigating this same role also in relation to other pathologies, for example those heart.

PRIZES ALSO FOR SCHOOLS

During the festive morning at the Teatro alla Scala in Milano, the winners of the Research Award for Students, with the usual participation of Gerry Scottic, the star of this highly anticipated moment. The three groups of students will receive from the Lombardy Region 15.000, 10.000 and 5.000 euro. Additional 5.000 euros they will go to each of the institutes from which the winners come, to be used to improve materials and/or tools that support students' teaching activities.

FIRST PLACE A SCHOOL FROM RHO

Il Ettore Majorana High School in Rho won first place, with an idea that aims to design and create a physical device controlled by an advanced algorithm, for the creation of personalized and specific probiotic therapies for each individual patient.

In second place Locatelli Aeronautical Institute of Bergamo, with a project that consists in applying a very thin Fresnel lens to photovoltaic panels. The aim of the project is to maximize their performance especially during the period of dawn and dusk.

In third place the Castelli Institute of Brescia, which presented an original proposal: 'Aria Connect'. This is an innovative project for remote air quality monitoring. At the heart of this project is a smart and green backpack, which contains a mobile station for detecting air quality parameters, powered by a small photovoltaic panel.