Dr. Michael B. Sporn was a visionary cancer researcher and professor emeritus of pharmacology and toxicology at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine whose career spanned over six decades of groundbreaking scientific discovery. Born in New York City in 1933, he received his medical degree and began his illustrious career at the National Institutes of Health in 1960, where he served for 31 years including positions as Chief of the Lung Cancer Branch and Chief of the Laboratory of Chemoprevention. His pioneering work at the NIH established the foundation for modern cancer prevention strategies, and in 1995, he transitioned to Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine where he continued his innovative research for twenty years. Dr. Sporn was renowned for his unorthodox approach to cancer treatment and his unwavering commitment to exploring new therapeutic avenues for patients.
Dr. Sporn's laboratory made seminal contributions to cancer biology, most notably being the first to characterize the peptide TGF-β and demonstrate its role as a negative autocrine regulator of cell growth, with loss of this function in certain tumor cells. He created the term 'chemoprevention' in 1976 and is widely recognized as the 'Father of Chemoprevention' for his foundational work in this field, establishing the scientific basis for using compounds to prevent cancer development. His research team also discovered the field of retinoids and laid the groundwork for tretinoin, while later developing synthetic triterpenoid compounds including CDDO and bardoxolone-methyl that demonstrated anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic and cytoprotective activities. One of his triterpenoid compounds advanced to Phase II clinical trials for diabetic kidney disease, and his work has been cited in thousands of patents and scientific papers, with his 1988 TGF-β research accumulating over 1,400 citations.
Beyond his laboratory achievements, Dr. Sporn profoundly influenced the direction of cancer research through his advocacy for prevention strategies and his entrepreneurial spirit in translating discoveries to clinical applications. In 2018, at the remarkable age of 85, he founded Triterpenoid Therapeutics, Inc. to develop and commercialize new compounds for cancer treatment and prevention, targeting multiple myeloma and glioblastoma multiforme. His work earned numerous prestigious accolades including the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor and the Bristol Meyers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cancer Research, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential cancer researchers of his time. Dr. Sporn's commitment to patient care extended beyond the laboratory as he spent his final five years as a palliative care volunteer, demonstrating his enduring dedication to improving human health through multiple avenues until his passing in 2022.
