French scientist named best European inventor
A French scientist has won the European Inventor Award for finding a way to predict the chances of cancer relapse.
Jérôme Galon, 52, from the national medical research body Inserm, used his research into cancer cells and the immune system to create Immunoscore, a test which counts immune cells fighting against cancer tumours.
It allows doctors to work out the likelihood of a disease coming back, notably in colorectal and lung cancer.
The more immune cells there are, the more chance the patient has of surviving.
Dr Galon and his team analysed the data of 7,000 patients and had a 95% success rate in working out chances of survival.
The test uses digital images of tumour samples coupled with sophisticated software to measure patients’ immune responses.
The test, which can also estimate the life expectancy of a patient, allows doctors to then find the best therapy for each person.
It helps to minimise the need for chemotherapy and strong medicines, and helps doctors decide if a patient should be given immunotherapy to boost the immune system.
Dr Galon, pictured, registered a patent for Immunoscore as long ago as 2005 and he started to sell it in 2014 via HalioDx, the company he helped to found.
The company is based in Marseille but has a laboratory in the US.
The Immunoscore test is now used in 19 different countries, including Japan, Sweden, the UK and Italy.
The award from the European Patent Office was presented in Vienna.
It will help the invention to have more recognition in the scientific world, Dr Galon said.
Gilles Bloch, president of Inserm, said that “the journey of Jérôme Galon is exemplary” and this award is “a beautiful way to illustrate our motto at Inserm: science for health”.
