“It took a little while for us to realize that tyrosine kinases play a role in human cancer”

Awarded the7th BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Biology and Biomedicine, biologist Tony Hunter explains in this interview how his discovery of tyrosine phosphorylation transformed the study of cancer and cell signaling. Hunter details how identifying this mechanism led to a better understanding of how cells regulate their growth and how alterations in these pathways can trigger tumor processes. He also reflects on the impact this knowledge has had on the development of targeted therapies, now fundamental in modern oncology, and on future challenges in the fight against treatment resistance. His testimony highlights the value of basic research in advancing precision medicine.

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biomedicine category is shared in this seventh edition by Tony Hunter, Joseph Schlessinger and Charles L. Sawyers, for carving out the path that led to the development of a new class of successful cancer drugs.