Invested with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in Biological Sciences from the University of La Habana Dr. Agustín Lage Dávila: "What I want is to serve more"

December 4, 2020

On the morning of this December 3rd, Medicine Day, Doctor Agustín Lage Dávila was invested with the title of Doctor Honoris Causa in Biological Sciences from the University of La Habana (UH), for his outstanding contribution to the scientific development of Cuba and his relevant contributions to Biochemistry and Immunology, to Medicine, to Public Health and to the development of Cuban Biotechnology.

In the words of praise, in the Aula Magna of that institution of higher learning, Dr. Carlos Rodríguez Castellanos, Emeritus Professor of the UH and vice president of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba (ACC), said that the idea of awarding this title to Agustín had been "circulating among us for some time". And he added that the official proposal, supported by the Rector, Dr. Miriam Nicado, and the University Council, came from the Faculty of Biological Sciences.

"It is logical that it should be so. However, it was also proposed by the Faculty of Philosophy and History, at the instance of the Chair of Science, Technology and Society, for its no less relevant and diverse theoretical and practical contributions to economic and social studies on Science, Technology and Innovation".

Likewise, Rodríguez Castellanos valued it as an extraordinary privilege to have had the responsibility of pronouncing these words of just recognition to such a cherished friend, convinced that he spoke on behalf of thousands.

In reviewing the trajectory of the honored guest, the vice president of the ACC said that Agustín graduated with a degree in Medicine from the University of La Habana in 1972 and began his working life as a resident physician at the National Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology, where he initiated his investigations into the biochemical alterations associated with cancer.

Later, "he pursued postgraduate studies at the National Center for Scientific Research and at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, under the direction of Luc Montagnier. He obtained his first specialty in Clinical Biochemistry in 1974 and concluded his doctorate in Medical Sciences in 1979. At INOR he first held the position of head of the Department of Biochemistry, from 1979 to 1985, and Vice-Director of Research from 1985 to 1991.

"In his group the first studies in Cuba were initiated on the presence in breast cancer of hormone receptors and human epidermal growth factor (EGF)", Rodríguez Castellanos emphasized.

"The importance of this molecule in the field of oncology was understood early on by the team of researchers, who were pioneers in its study from an oncological point of view worldwide".

He explained that these studies led to the design and clinical validation of an innovative therapeutic concept based on immunotherapy depleting Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), based on inducing an autoimmune response, for the treatment of tumors of epithelial origin.

"This innovative therapeutic concept gave rise to the CIMAVax vaccine for the treatment of patients with advanced lung cancer, one of the leading products of biotechnology in our country. It also paved the way for immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies directed at EGF receptors".

The scientist acknowledged that Agustín Lage was a pioneer, both in Cuba and worldwide, in the conceptualization of advanced cancer as a controllable chronic disease, in contrast to the concept of a lethal disease in terminal phase, predominant in the twentieth century.

"And not only in its conceptualization, but in its practical implementation based on the use of therapeutic combinations, based on understanding immunity as a complex system and extending immunotherapy to primary health care".

The research group at INOR directed by Agustín Lage constituted the embryo of the Center for Molecular Immunology, created in 1991 by direction of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, whose building would be inaugurated in 1994, specified Dr. Carlos Rodríguez Castellanos.

"Agustín was director of CIM for 25 years, whose scientific activity has been fundamentally directed toward cancer immunotherapy, particularly therapeutic vaccines and monoclonal antibodies for cancer treatment and the mechanisms of immune system regulation", recalled the Emeritus Professor of the University of La Habana.

In his speech of thanks, Doctor Agustín Lage took stock of everything each of his stages of training as a scientist contributed to him, but asked to speak of the future.

In a globalized world of rapid technological change —he said—, economic development increasingly depends on the connection of our economy with the world economy, and that cannot be done by exporting primary products of low added value, in order to import manufactures of high added value.

"This connection must be made with products and services of high knowledge content, and this demands capacities to creatively assimilate new knowledge and technology, and demands capacities to create knowledge, that is, of science and innovation.

"It is about inserting ourselves into global flows, not only of products, services and capital, but in the global flows of knowledge. Economic and technological isolation is an enormous risk for our social project. The enemy knows it, and that is why it maintains the blockade. But we know it too and we count on science to strengthen our connections with the world".

And he added:

"In a world of enormous and rapid flows of information, national sovereignty (which we need in order to carry out our project of social justice) depends on our collective capacity to think about world realities with our own head, and it depends again on our capacity to create knowledge. Fidel said it, like so many other things, in 1991:

"Independence is not a flag, or an anthem, or a shield. Independence is not a matter of symbols. Independence depends on development, independence depends on technology, it depends on science in today's world".

At the end of his remarks, Lage Dávila evoked José Martí: "If I have been of any use before now, I do not remember; what I want is to be of more use".

And he thanked "now with words for this title, but I know that the gratitude that matters is what I can express to you with more work starting tomorrow. Comrade Rector, give me tasks", he concluded.