Meso Foundation funds seven projects for mesothelioma research

Following an intense review process, seven research projects have been awarded a collective $700,000 by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation). This amount brings Meso Foundation’s total funding to $1.7 globally, since their start in 2000.

The peer review program, managed by Meso Foundation’s Science Advisory Board, searched the applicants for the greatest potentials in line with their mission to end mesothelioma suffering through the development of new treatments and a cure.

Applicants included direct mesothelioma researchers as well as researchers whose total works had a great impact on cancer treatment in general.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by asbestos fibers, which, if inhaled, can begin development of tumors in abdominal cavity lining. Typically affecting lung lining, mesothelioma takes decades to demonstrate symptoms and is characterized by a short life expectancy following diagnosis. There are many mesothelioma treatments, including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, but no known cure.

Former Chair of the Foundation’s Science Advisory Board, Dr. Raffit Hassan, is the current Senior Investigator at National Cancer Institute. Hassan led Meso Foundation’s selection process. He said “The Foundation has selected proposals that will lead to new treatment options for patients with mesothelioma. Clearly, the Meso Foundation Grants Program continues to have a significant impact on mesothelioma research conducted world-wide.”

The seven funded research projects are:

Dr. Chuong Hoang, Stanford University: Mesothelioma Biomarker Development Drive by microRNA-mRNA Regulatory Module Network AnalysisDr. Fengzhi Li, Roswell Park Cancer Institute: Validation of a novel antiapoptotic protein inhibitor for mesothelioma treatmentDr. Bin Liu – Lance S. Ruble & Ferraro Law Firm Grant, University of California at San Francisco: Internalizing scFv-targeted intracellular delivery of small RNA therapeutics to all subtypes of mesotheliomaDr. Jill Ohar – Franz Losch Memorial Grant, Wake Forest University School of Medicine: Consortium for the sharing of germ line DNA and tissue from subjects with mesotheliomaDr. Manish R. Patel, University of Minnesota: Evaluation of predictive biomarkers and the host immune response to intrapleural administration of oncolytic Measles virus in a phase I clinical trial specifically for patients with mesotheliomaDr. Morgan Schulz, Brigham and Women’s Hospital: Tumor-Localizing Polymeric Nanoparticle Drug Delivery for the Treatment of Malignant MesotheliomaDr. Sheelu Varghese, University of Maryland School of Medicine: Pre-Clinical Development of a Novel Therapy for Malignant Peritoneal Mesothelioma

The new Chair of Meso Foundation’s Science Advisory Board, Dr. Lee Krug, Director of Mesothelioma Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, said, “We selected seven exceptional grants for funding, but certainly wish we could have funded more.”

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