Pioneer of study of angiogenesis dies

Remembering Judah Folkman

Judah Folkman, MD, founder and director of the Vascular Biology program at Children’s Hospital Boston, was a true visionary and scientific pioneer. When he first proposed, in the 1970s, that a cancer could be kept in check by cutting off its blood supply, he faced skepticism and even ridicule from a scientific community that simply wasn’t ready for his ideas. But he persevered, even when there were setbacks, and today, more than 1,000 laboratories worldwide are engaged in the study of angiogenesis, the field he founded. Because of Dr. Folkman’s vision, more than 10 new cancer drugs are currently on the market, and more than 1.2 million patients worldwide are now receiving anti-angiogenic therapy. Dr. Folkman was also a compassionate doctor, always willing to take calls from cancer patients anywhere in the world, and always passionate about trying to improve their care. A healer and teacher, he has surely lived up to the advice of his father, a rabbi, that he become "a rabbi-like doctor."