James Allison

James Allison discovered that CTLA-4 functions as an inhibitory checkpoint on T cells and hypothesized that blocking it could unleash anti-tumor immunity, leading to the development of ipilimumab — the first checkpoint inhibitor to demonstrate improved survival in metastatic melanoma. He was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine jointly with Tasuku Honjo for this discovery, which fundamentally changed cancer treatment. His ongoing research at MD Anderson continues to investigate mechanisms of checkpoint blockade and novel combination strategies in solid tumors.