Stefan Rose-John, PhD
Christian Albrecht University of Kiel, Kiel, Germany
Professor (emeritus) Stefan Rose-John is recognized as the 2024 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award winner in recognition for his seminal contributions to the field of cytokine biology. With a primary focus on the IL-6 cytokine family, his fundamental research has pioneered several paradigm-shifting discoveries, which have steered understanding of IL-6 in physiology and pathophysiology. Moreover, these insights have informed refinements affecting how target IL-6 for therapy. By presenting this Award, which is generously sponsored by BioLegend, the ICIS recognizes Professor Rose-John as one of a rare breed of scientists who has excelled in discovery science, achieved success as an entrepreneur, and translated his basic scientific discoveries into treatments that directly ameliorate patients’ lives.
2024 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award Presentation
Professor Rose-John will give his ICIS-BioLegend Award Presentation at Cytokines 2024 Joint Meeting KAI 2024 in the Opening Session on Sunday, October 20th at the COEX Conference Center in Seoul, Korea: “The Complex Biology of Interleukin-6: Therapeutic Concepts”.
Over the last 30 years, Professor Rose-John has made seminal contributions to the field of cytokine biology resulting in novel innovations with translational impact on the clinic. With a primary focus on the IL-6 cytokine family, his fundamental biochemistry research pioneered several discoveries, which have steered understanding of IL-6 in physiology and pathophysiology and informed refinements affecting how best to target IL-6 for therapy. His research has inspired novel fundamental discovery research, clinical translation, and experimental medicine and development pipelines within the pharmaceutical sector. Stefan is highly cited in contemporary literature (>5500 citations/year; H-index: 137) and includes numerous publications in leading international scientific journals (e.g., Nature Medicine, Nature Biotechnology, Journal of Experimental Medicine). These include a range of review articles discussing the regulation of IL-6 bioactivity and the implications for IL-6 intervention in infection, metabolic disorders, immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, and cancer.
Professor Rose-John’s interest in IL-6 biology originates from his early work in RWTH Aachen and as a Professor of Pathophysiology at the Johannes Gutenberg- Universität Mainz. During this time, he pioneered findings identifying a regulatory mechanism for the soluble IL-6 receptor in promoting IL-6 activity through the activation of gp130. Stefan coined this process, IL-6 trans-signalling. Here, his expertise in biochemistry, structural biology and biophysics were instrumental in developing key reagents and tools critical in defining the function of IL-6 trans-signalling in health and disease. In 2000, Prof. Rose-John moved to Kiel University, where he was appointed Professor and Director of the Biochemical Institute in the Medical Faculty. Under his leadership, the Institute has flourished into an internationally renowned centre of excellence. In 2010, he founded a Collaborative Research Centre funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (the German Research Foundation; DFG). The centre now supports 20 primary investigators and over 60 associated staff conducting research investigating proteolysis mechanisms as regulators of pathophysiology.
While centrally focussed on fundamental discovery science, the pioneering biochemistry emerging from Rose-John’s group has generated over 25 patents with commercial potential to improve the quality of life of patients with immune-mediated diseases, cancer, and complications due to infection. Through enhanced biological and structural insights obtained from investigations of the IL-6 receptor system, his laboratory identified soluble gp130 as an antagonist of IL-6 trans-signalling. The therapeutic potential of these findings contributed to the launch of the Conaris Research Institute AG, a spin-out company located in the Innovation and Technology Centre of Kiel. Conaris is engaged in the pre-clinical and early clinical development of innovative drugs for treating inflammatory indications. Working in collaboration with Conaris, the Rose-John laboratory engineered a recombinant soluble gp130 modality fused to the constant portion of IgG1. This agent has been developed under the non-proprietary name, Olamkicept and is a first-in-class biological drug to target IL-6 by selectively inhibiting IL-6 (and IL-11) trans-signalling. Olamkicept has shown considerable efficacy in Phase II clinical studies in patients with inflammatory bowel disease at the University Hospital in Kiel and a placebo-controlled study in China. A Phase III study is due to commence in 2024/25.
In recognition of these achievements, Stefan was awarded the Boltzmann Award for International Collaboration in Cytokine Research (2004) and the Science Prize of the City of Kiel (2005). He is also a member of the Academy of Sciences in Hamburg and received the Jacob Henle Medal from the University of Göttingen. In 2023, he received the Jung Gold Medal for Medicine for his lifetime achievement in research and clinical work. In 2023 he was elected Member of Academia Europaea, a prestigious European society, which recognises international research excellence and notable achievements in advancing scholarship and technological innovations.
In 2022, Professor Rose-John retired from his position in Kiel but he is still involved in the Conaris Company where he supports the further development of Olamkicept. His scientific legacy remains, and he will continue to advance cytokine biology for therapeutic and clinical benefit. With the presentation of the 2024 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award, the ICIS recognizes his scientific leadership and continued support for early career researchers who have become established independent contributors to the community fostered by the International Cytokine and Interferon Society.
2023 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award Winner
2023 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award for Excellence in Cytokine Research
Daniel J. Cua, PhD, Vice President, Immunology, Distinguished Fellow, at the Janssen Research & Development, LLC, US
Daniel Cua has been selected as the recipient of the 2023 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award in recognition for his profound and sustained impact on the field of cytokine biology.
2023 ICIS-BioLegend William E. Paul Award for Excellence in Cytokine Research Presentation
Dr. Cua will give his ICIS-BioLegend Award Presentation at Cytokines 2023 in the Opening Session on Sunday, October 15th at the Divani Caravel Hotel in Athens on “Past, Present, and Future of IL-23 pathway biology.”
Dan does not have the typical career path of the majority of ICIS award recipients, but rather his seminal studies that defined the Th17 subset and the cytokines that control this pathway were performed while he was a research fellow at DNAX in Palo Alto shortly after getting his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology from
Dan’s generosity with ideas and reagents and support of the field have been a major factor in allowing the field to advance. From his critically important seminal studies that defined the Th17 subset and the cytokines that control this pathway to his impactful work on Treg cells, his body of work has been foundational for the development of new strategies to treat multiple human disorders that are mediated by the IL-23/Th17 axis.
While the impact of Dan’s work on basic immunology would be sufficient to warrant his selection for this prestigious award – it is critical to acknowledge that this body of work was foundational for the development of new strategies to treat multiple human disorders that are mediated by the IL-23/Th17 axis.
- Vice President, Immunology, Distinguished Fellow, at the Janssen Research & Development, LLC, US, where he oversees the IL-23 pathway scientific programs. Dan focuses his deep knowledge and expertise in cytokine biology to communicate Janssen’s strategic commitment in the IL-23 /Th17 pathway to global stakeholders.
- A recognized leader in the field of IL-23 and Th17 immune pathway, which play critical roles in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases. His work has significantly impacted the field of immunology and has led to the development of drugs that target IL-23 and Th17 cells.
- His publications are widely cited (>57,000 times; h-index 70) and have appeared in prestigious journals such as Nature, Cell, Nature Medicine, Nature Immunology, JEM, JCI, and Immunity. He is recognized as a top 1% highly cited immunologists and one of the most influential scientists in biomedical research.
- Dan holds 7 granted patents, which form the basis of immune therapy for the treatment of IL-23- and Th17-mediated inflammatory diseases. His patents were cross-licensed by Bio-Pharma for clinical testing and treatment of skin, joint, and gut diseases such as PSO, PSA, UC, CD, PPP, GCA, SS, LN.
- Dan enjoys diving with sharks, windsurfing under the golden gate, and hiking to ends of the Earth.
