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Research Funding Impact

Since 1993, the AACR has awarded more than $540 million in grants to fund meritorious research projects across the spectrum of cancer science, including basic, translational, and clinical research. See how the AACR grants program has contributed to the AACR's mission.

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TTFields: A Potential Treatment of Spinal Metastases

TTFields: A Potential Treatment of Spinal Metastases

Claudio E. Tatsui, MD, recipient of the 2021 AACR-Novocure Tumor Treating Fields Research Grant, and Christopher A. Alvarez-Breckenridge, MD, PhD, recipient of the 2023 AACR-Novocure Career Development Award for Cancer Research recently uncovered how the emerging treatment modality Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) could be leveraged as a local therapy in the treatment of spinal metastases.

AACR Grantees Take the Stage at the AACR Annual Meeting 2024

AACR Grantees Take the Stage at the AACR Annual Meeting 2024

The AACR Annual Meeting 2024 took place April 5–10 in San Diego, California, with over 23,200 registrants, including more than 22,000 in-person attendees from 78 countries and territories participating in the meeting. A number of past and present AACR grantees were invited to present their work as poster or oral presentations at the meeting.

Neutrophils Pave the Way for Chronic Stress-Induced Cancer Metastasis

Neutrophils Pave the Way for Chronic Stress-Induced Cancer Metastasis

Xue-Yan He, PhD, was awarded the AACR-AstraZeneca Breast Cancer Research Fellowship in 2021. During her postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. He uncovered how neutrophils create a pro-metastatic environment in response to chronic stress. The results of this study highlight the potential of stress reduction as a strategy for cancer patients to improve treatment outcome.

PARP Inhibitors: Not Just for Solid Tumors

PARP Inhibitors: Not Just for Solid Tumors

More than half of patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) have a mutation in an RNA splicing factor gene. In particular, mutations in U2AF1 and SRSF2 splicing factor genes are associated with worse overall survival and increased risk of transformation of MDS to secondary acute myelogenous leukemia. The team led by Hai Dang Nguyen, PhD, recipient of a 2022 AACR Career Development Award to Further Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Cancer Research, demonstrated the therapeutic potential of PARP inhibitors in U2AF1- and SRSF2- mutant leukemias.

2024 AACR Annual Meeting Meet the Research Grant Reviewers Event Offers a Unique Opportunity to Interact with AACR Research Grant Reviewers 

2024 AACR Annual Meeting Meet the Research Grant Reviewers Event Offers a Unique Opportunity to Interact with AACR Research Grant Reviewers 

On Monday, April 8, 2024, attendees of the 2024 AACR Annual Meeting are invited to participate in a unique opportunity to interact with two of our research grant reviewers! This year we are thrilled to have reviewers Sandeep Burma, PhD, FNASc and Christine M. Lovly, MD, PhD answer your questions during this session. We offer you an introduction to our speakers and share what attendees can hope to gain from this event. 

A Mechanosensitive Hormone Signaling Pathway Increases Breast Cancer Risk

A Mechanosensitive Hormone Signaling Pathway Increases Breast Cancer Risk

Jason Northey, PhD, recipient of the 2015 AACR Basic Cancer Research Fellowship and 2017 AACR-Janssen Fellowship in Cancer Interception Research, and his colleagues uncovered how a stiff extracellular matrix, such as that observed in high mammographic density breast tissue, promotes ERK activity, progesterone receptor-dependent RANK signaling, and increased stemness, pointing to a potential benefit of RANK signaling inhibition as an anti-cancer treatment and prevention strategy.

From Biomarkers to Clinical Trials: A Decade Long Partnership Funds Innovative Research to Combat Ocular Melanoma

From Biomarkers to Clinical Trials: A Decade Long Partnership Funds Innovative Research to Combat Ocular Melanoma

Just over ten years ago, the AACR and the Ocular Melanoma Foundation (OMF) began a partnership dedicated to funding research to find a cure for ocular melanoma. Although a rare disease, uveal melanoma is the most common ocular cancer in adults with a poor long-term prognosis. The ten-year history of the AACR-OMF Grants Program is a clear example of the power of partnership in combating cancer.