Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure and the Florida Center for Brain Tumor Research (FCBTR) have awarded a two-year, $100,000 grant to Vanessa Saunders, a postdoctoral fellow in the Scripps Florida laboratory of Derek Duckett. The grant enables Saunders to advance her study of the interaction between two proteins found in the most lethal brain cancer - glioblastoma multiforme. Her work could guide drug developers in their quest to identify gene targets for treatment of this deadly cancer.
"Supporting the research of promising young investigators, like Vanessa Saunders, is critical to accelerating the development of next-generation therapies for brain cancer patients," said Max Wallace, CEO of Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure. "Scripps Florida is a world-class institution that has the scientific know-how and experience to translate discoveries into treatments."
Saunder's study, Interplay between EGFRvIII and c-Met in Glioblastoma Multiforme, is the result of the research she has been doing since arriving at Scripps Florida in 2010. "I am extremely grateful to both The Florida Center for Brain Tumor Research and Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure for this fellowship," said Saunders. "I spent my first year and a half at Scripps Florida generating the data for this new study, and the award will allow me to continue the work I've already started."
The grant to Scripps Florida is the result of a novel collaboration between Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure, FCBTR, and the brain tumor community in Florida. "We share a common goal: to speed the development of new treatments for brain cancer patients," said Wallace. "Working together, we can accomplish things faster. We also want to thank supporters of the Florida Brain Cancer 5k. The dollars they raise help build this brain cancer research partnership."
This year, the two organizations have pooled their resources to fund three additional brain cancer research projects in the state of Florida:
University of Florida
Jeffrey Harrison, Ph.D.
"Targeting Chemokine Receptors in Glioblastoma: Redefining the Functions of CXCR4 and CXCR7 on Glioma Stem Cells"
Florida State University
Eric Laywell, Ph.D.
"Improving Glioma Treatment with Adaptive Therapy"
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando
Don Eslin, M.D.
"Nifurtimox and Radiation for medulloblastoma therapy"
