Our Funded Research
In January 2012, TargetCancer awarded over $70,000 in new grants supporting rare cancer research.
TargetCancer awarded a $32,000 grant to create the TargetCancer Cholangiocarcinoma Cell Line Bank at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Under the leadership of prior TargetCancer grant recipient Dr. Nabeel Bardeesy and surgeon Dr. Cristina Ferrone, this unique and innovative initiative will unite researchers, surgeons, clinicians, and pathologists towards the goal of extracting and preserving critical cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) cell line samples from patients at MGH and other area hospitals. As a critical tool in gaining a better understanding of cholangiocarcinoma, these cell lines will not only advance research efforts at Massachusetts General Hospital, but the cholangiocarcinoma research community as a whole.
TargetCancer continued its commitment to cholangiocarcinoma research with $20,000 in additional funding to Dr. Nabeel Bardeesy’s lab at the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center. This builds on our grant of $40,000 last year to support Dr. Bardeesy’s innovative and groundbreaking research into cholangiocarcinoma.
More information about Dr. Bardeesy’s work can be found here.
TargetCancer expanded its research funding to a new rare cancer type with a $10,000 grant to support Dr. Adam Bass’ esophageal cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Dr. Bass is a leader in cancer genomics, and his current project is the largest genomic study of esophageal cancer ever attempted.
Please click here for more information on Dr. Bass’ work.
With an $8,300 grant, TargetCancer funded the second year of its three year commitment to the TargetCancer Medical Student Fund at Harvard Medical School. This fellowship supports the summer studies of two students interested in researching rare cancers. In summer 2011, the first two beneficiaries of this fellowship were named. Those recipients spent their summers studying two important rare cancer research areas: Improved imaging techniques for better diagnosis and tracking of pancreatic and ovarian cancers, and research into a specific cellular signaling pathway that is involved in ovarian cancer.
