Jānis Oļģerts Ērenpreiss and his School of Cancer Research: Commemorating the 90th Anniversary

Abstract

Abstract Jānis Olģerts Ērenpreiss (1929–1996) was a prominent Latvian cancer researcher and theoretician. Starting out as a student, he contributed to the embryonal theory of cancer, experimentally proving the differentiation and regenerative normalisation capabilities of tumour cells. His theoretical work, presented in its most complete form in his final monograph Current Concepts of Malignant Growth (Zinātne Publ., Rīga, 1993), postulates that oncogenes are abnormally activated genes that are involved in gametogenesis and embryogenesis, and that carcinogenesis and senescence are mutually linked processes arising when the cell is exposed to stressful conditions. This article demonstrates how advancements in cancer research over the last decade have confirmed these core concepts, which were far ahead of their time, and how J. O. Ērenpreiss’ legacy continues both under the guidance of the author and in foreign laboratories, expanding understanding of the nature of malignant tumours and the perspectives of cancer treatment.