CFCF Awards $1,050,000 in New Research Grants

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 - 13:21

The Caring for Carcinoid Foundation is pleased to announce the award of three new research grants. Through this latest round of funding, researchers will advance last year's promising findings and generate models that the entire neuroendocrine tumor research community can use to develop new treatments for patients.

The 2012 recipients are:

Mouse Model Project Using Forward Genetics

David Tuveson M.D., Ph.D., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

This project will generate mouse models of carcinoid cancer and identify the pathways and genes that lead to formation of carcinoid.

Please click here for the press release issued by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Understanding Tumor Suppressor Activities of ATRX-DAXX Through Epigenomics Profiling and Animal Models

C. David Allis Ph.D., The Rockefeller University

Dr. Allis and his team will research why pancreatic neuroendocrine cells without functioning ATRX-DAXX are more likely to develop into tumor cells, and to determine how ATRX-DAXX acts as a tumor suppressor in pancreatic neuroendocrine cells. The ultimate goal of this research is to target this process as a means to cure patients.

The Impact of MEN1, DAXX, ATRX and PTEN in Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer Pathogenesis

Kwok-Kin, Wong M.D., Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

In this project Dr. Wong will create the mouse models necessary to determine the impact of recently identified mutations in neuroendocrine tumor development. Next Dr. Wong will conduct experiments using his mouse models to identify the cellular pathways that are deregulated as a result of these mutations. Any pathways identified represent potentially new and novel therapeutic targets for treatment of patients with neuroendocrine tumors.

CFCF Director of Research Lauren Erb blogs about these grants and her excitement for future of neuroendocrine cancer research. Click here to read the full blog.