2020 AACR Swim Across America Fellowship recipient Manisha Jalan, DPhil, reveals a novel DNA repair mechanism in human cells where RNA transcripts, once thought to be passive messengers, actively guide the repair of double-strand breaks. Mediated by the DNA polymerase ζ complex, this RNA-templated repair pathway introduces a new dimension to genome maintenance and challenges long-held biological dogma.
Pancreatic cancer outcomes can differ depending on where the disease metastasizes, with lung involvement generally associated with better prognosis than liver involvement. Supported by a 2022 AACR-MPM Oncology Charitable Foundation Transformative Cancer Research Grant, Rushika Perera, PhD and her team at UCSF uncovered a key insight: a protein player in cholesterol metabolism, PCSK9, predicts whether pancreatic cancer cells colonize the liver or lungs. This discovery provides new understanding of metastatic behavior and potential therapeutic strategies.
Mariana Bustamante Eduardo, PhD, received the 2023 AACR-Pfizer Breast Cancer Research Fellowship to investigate the early cellular changes in non-transformed breast cells – work that is shedding light on how a lipid metabolism-induced metabolic shift contributes to several hallmarks of cancer.
With support from end-of-year AACR funds, Dr. Yao Yu advanced a novel PROTAC therapeutic strategy targeting the SS18::SSX-WDR5 chromatin complex - disrupting tumor growth and reactivating p53 defenses in a rare but aggressive soft tissue cancer, synovial sarcoma.
The survival rate for nearly half of children diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma remains tragically low. This devastating outcome is often linked to the amplification of the MYCN gene. Dr. Daniel Harki, recipient of two AACR-Bayer Innovation and Discovery (IND) Grants.
Ovarian tumors are often resistant to traditional chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Supported by a 2022 AACR-Bristol Myers Squibb Immuno-oncology Research Fellowship, Dr. Sung-Min Hwang has uncovered a novel strategy for reinvigorating the ability of dysfunctional intratumoral T cells to combat cancer.
ER+ breast cancer patients typically receive endocrine therapies targeting the estrogen receptor, but approximately half of high-grade diseases will likely progress, highlighting the urgent need for new and effective treatment options. Supported by a 2018 AACR-John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation Basic Cancer Research Fellowship, Dr. Sicong Zhang, investigated why BET inhibitors (BETi), a promising class of anti-cancer drugs, have failed to show efficacy in clinical trials for ER+ breast cancer patients.
We are extremely proud of our past and present grantees who presented and published their findings throughout 2024. Their accomplishments have been made possible, thanks to the support of the AACR and its funding partners. JANUARY Tumor development in...
Despite the surge in new treatments, multiple myeloma remains stubbornly incurable. Patients typically respond to their first treatment for about two years, but subsequent therapies often provide diminishing relief due to overlapping mechanisms of action. This underscores the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies rather than mere variations of existing ones. Amin Sobh, PhD, recipient of the 2019 AACR-Takeda Oncology Myeloma Research Fellowship, identified adenylate kinase 2 as a promising target, particularly for multiple myeloma patients with the t(4;14) chromosomal translocation.
Multiple myeloma disproportionately affects Black Americans, who are twice as likely to be diagnosed with it and its precursor, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Is this disparity related to ethnic ancestry or environmental factors? 2022 AACR-BMS Cancer Disparities Fellow Kara Cicero, MD and her international team observed that the prevalence of conventional MGUS was similar between Eswatini, a country in Africa where 97% of the population is Black, and Olmsted County in Minnesota where 97% of the population is White.