For
Immediate Release
(New York, NY – January 21, 2009) Uniting Against Lung Cancer formerly Joan’s Legacy announced its funding of $1,400,000 in grants for new research into lung cancer in 2008 – bringing the foundation’s total research funding to over $5 million in just six years. Eleven of the 14 $100,000 grants were made in collaboration with research-focused lung cancer groups, and all 14 support different research projects at nationally-recognized institutions.
“Uniting Against Lung Cancer continues to be encouraged by the quality and quantity of applications we receive annually. We are proud to support these talented scientists as they focus their efforts on lung cancer and pleased to be a valued resource in the search for new treatments and a cure for this disease,” said Executive Director, Susan Mantel. “We are honored for our partnerships with groups across the country, which enables us to support more excellent projects than any of us could on our own.”
This year, in keeping with its commitment to fund groundbreaking research, including non-smoking lung cancer, Joan’s Legacy and its partners in Uniting Against Lung Cancer will fund the following projects:
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Esther P. Black, Ph.D., University of Kentucky, College of Pharmacy: Dual Targeted Therapy: Can MEK Inhibition Improve Response and Reduce Acquired Resistance in EGFR-dependent NSCLC
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Rolf A. Brekken, Ph.D., University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center: Identification of Tumor Cell-derived Factors Associated with Resistance to Anti-VEGF Therapy in Lung Cancer
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Wenrui Duan, Ph.D., Ohio State University: Treatment of Spontaneous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in Transgenic Mice with PRIMA-1, a Novel Anti Cancer Agent
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Sizhi Paul Gao, M.D., Ph.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: IL-6/Jak Inhibition for the Treatment of Lung Cancer
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Randolph Hastings, M.D., Ph.D., Veterans Medical Research Foundation: Determinants of Lepidic Growth in Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma
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Faye Johnson, M.D., Ph.D., University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center: The Receptor Tyrosine Kinase EphA2: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
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William Y. Kim, M.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: The Role of HIF2 in LKB1-defective Lung Tumors
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Rachel M.A. Linger, Ph.D., University of Colorado, Denver: Synergistic Interaction Between Standard Chemotherapy and Novel Biologically Targeted Therapy for Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
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Philip C. Mack, Ph.D., University of California, Davis: Detection of KRAS and EGFR Mutations in Shed DNA in Plasma from NSCLC Patients Treated with Cetuximab or Gefitinib
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Poulikos I. Poulikakos, Ph.D., Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center: Targeting Oncogenic Raf in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Identification and Characterization of Specific Molecular Subtypes of NSCLC
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Rajagopal Ramesh, Ph.D., University of Texas - MD Anderson Cancer Center: Targeted IMAT Multifunctional Nanoparticles for Bronchioalveolar Lung Cancer
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Lynne Regan, Ph.D., Yale University: Development of a Novel Class of Therapeutics for Bronchioalveolar Carcinoma
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E. Aubrey Thompson, Ph.D., Mayo Clinic: The Role of Phospholipase D1 in EGFR Addiction
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Yuzhi Yin, M.D., Ph.D., Georgetown University: Musashi1 as a Stem Cell Marker and Therapeutic Target for Bronchioalveolar Lung Cancer
Uniting Against Lung Cancer, founded as Joan’s Legacy in 2001, was developed to increase survivorship of lung cancer and provide hope for others affected by the disease. The organization raises awareness about lung cancer and funds for research into its diagnosis and treatment. It has been joined in its research and awareness activities by like-minded groups, becoming recognized as the venture capital source for ground-breaking lung cancer research.
In 2008, the Caine Halter Fund for Lung Cancer Research, Elliot’s Legacy, Felice Lipit Jentis Memorial BAC Trust, Kim Massengill Seibert Memorial Fund, Mary Jo’s Fund to Fight Cancer, LUNGevity Foundation and the Thomas G. Labrecque Foundation partnered with Joan’s Legacy to co-fund 11 of the 14 research grants. “We are honored to have the support of so many friends in the lung cancer community. Together we can win this battle,” said Uniting Against Lung Cancer Executive Director, Susan Mantel.
Lung cancer is the number one cancer killer in the United States, taking more than 162,000 lives each year. Yet lung cancer receives far less research funding than almost any other cancer, making the work of Uniting Against Lung Cancer even more compelling.
Uniting Against Lung Cancer makes grant awards every Fall. The Foundation also hosts a benefit every November (Lung Cancer Awareness Month), and other events throughout the year, which help to fund its research initiatives. For more information, please visit www.UnitingAgainstLungCancer.org or www.JoansLegacy.org.
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