Lurie Prize awarded for cGAS-STING discovery

The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) announced Tuesday it has awarded this year's Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences to Zhijian “James” Chen for the discovery of the cytosolic DNA sensor cGAMP synthase (cGAS). cGAS generates the STING activator cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), which promotes innate immune responses including secretion of type I interferons.

Chen is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator and professor of molecular biology at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He will receive the award at a May 16 ceremony in Washington D.C...