The Stamford-based Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy has achieved a milestone by surpassing $25 million donated to cancer research.
The nonprofit was founded by county residents Barbara Netter and her late husband, Edward, in 2001 with the goal of transforming cancer into a manageable, treatable disease. To date it has awarded a total 46 grants in the U.S. and Canada.
Pushing the foundation across the $25 million threshold are two $250,000 grants lasting three years awarded to two scientists: Dr. Meenakshi Hegde, of Texas Children”™s Cancer Center at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and Christopher Jewell, a professor at University of Maryland, College Park.
Hegde”™s work will focus on immunotherapy, specifically adoptive cellular therapy for melanoma.
Jewell”™s research is centered on harnessing intra-lymph node gene therapy to promote tumor immunity.
“Drs. Hegde and Jewell are two outstanding scientists in the vanguard of treating and defeating cancer,” Netter, the alliance”™s president, said in a statement. “Their work offers tremendous hope to those battling cancer, and also to their loved ones.”
The nonprofit said in a statement its grants are awarded to promising researchers whose work is in line with the foundation”™s mission, which is to leverage cell and gene therapies to supplant the more harrowing cancer treatments like radiation, chemotherapy and surgery.
