Dear AACR Members and Colleagues,
We are writing this letter toward the end of a whirlwind media announcement that revealed to the world the Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) Dream Teams that were selected by our stellar Scientific Advisory Committee. A number of our outstanding scientists were dispatched this morning to the network headquarters of CBS, NBC, and ABC for morning show appearances that highlighted the very promising team science projects to be funded by SU2C. As we push forward to continue our role as the SU2C scientific partner, we want to convey our thrill in being a substantive part of this historic, groundbreaking initiative that bodes well for bringing promising new therapies to cancer patients in three years. The role of the AACR will be to administer these grants and provide scientific oversight of the funded projects.
Stand Up To Cancer was launched with a New York television announcement by all three network anchors exactly one year ago, so it was fitting that we returned to this city today to highlight the projects to be funded and to discuss the next phase of our work. The excitement in the air was palpable as we waited in the green rooms of our respective television studios. Indeed, a new era of collaboration has dawned, and we all realize that the prevention and cure of cancer will be accelerated not only by working across academic disciplines and institutions around the world, but also across professions as dedicated celebrities, sports figures, news reporters and other individuals of national repute lend their weight and influence to this important cause.
A lot has been accomplished in just one year. After last year's announcement, the televised fundraiser was able to raise more than $100 million for cancer research. The AACR received 237 Dream Team concepts for consideration. These were narrowed by the Scientific Advisory Committee, led by Nobel Laureate Dr. Phillip A. Sharp, to 25, then 16, and then eight finalists. After reviewing all of the robust research proposals submitted and interviewing the finalists in person, five proposals for Dream Team projects were ultimately selected. This morning on national television we announced the five winning Dream Teams that will conduct important research in the areas of epigenetics, PI3K pathways, breast cancer, circulating tumor cells and pancreatic cancer.
Please note that SU2C continues to fundraise and additional grants will be announced going forward. About 10-12 Innovative Research Grants to young investigators will be announced in the fall. We will keep you updated on the latest developments related to SU2C.
In case you missed this morning's network television spots, we have included links to the clips in this e-mail.
For more information on the Dream Teams and other Stand Up To Cancer opportunities, please visit AACR or Stand Up To Cancer.
Sincerely,
Tyler Jacks, Ph.D., President
Margaret Foti, Ph.D., M.D. (h.c.), CEO