Newly Funded Grants Investigate Breast Cancer Treatments |
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Breast Cancer Awareness is traditionally highlighted in October, and ICRF is currently supporting 11 cancer research projects in this area. Below is information on three of our newly-funded projects: |
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Raphael Benhamou, PhD of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is one of ICRF’s newest recipients of a Research Career Development Award (RCDA), a mentored award that supports early career scientists as they launch independent research programs. The goal of his research project is to develop targeted therapies to treat triple-negative breast cancer. He seeks to inhibit the biogenesis of small RNA molecules called micro-RNAs, or "miRNAs," that are implicated in cancer progression. His ultimate goal is to develop therapeutic compounds against triple-negative breast cancer that can eventually be broadened to all types of cancer.
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Merav Cohen, PhD of Tel Aviv University, another new RCDA recipient, is focusing her research on revealing the intercellular crosstalk between immune and non-immune cells in cancerous and normal breast tissue, in order to better understand the cell signaling that precedes breast cancer development. Using both a mouse model of breast cancer, as well as tumor samples derived from patients with different types of breast cancer, she seeks to identify potential targets for treatment with immunotherapy and biomarkers for early detection of disease.
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Yoav Shaul, PhD of Hebrew University/Hadassah Medical School, is the recipient of an ICRF Project Grant. (This new grant continues his work after completion of an RCDA.) One of the major causes of breast cancer mortality is metastasis, when cells migrate from the primary tumor site to critical organs, such as the lungs. In his previously-funded research, Dr. Shaul discovered a specific enzyme, DPYD, which plays an essential role in the ability of breast cancer cells to metastasize. The goal of this project is to formulate a strategy to reduce DPYD accumulation by treating tumor cells with drugs. This is predicted to block metastasis and facilitate therapy of breast cancer.
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Cannabis for Pain Management Focus of Quality of Life Grant |
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Avi Priel, PhD, of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Alex Binshtok, PhD, also of the Hebrew University, spoke to ICRF about their new grant, The Brause Family Initiative for Quality of Life Grant, which will further investigate the role of medical cannabis and cancer pain.
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As October 8 is World Hospice and Palliative Care Day, we are interested in hearing about your research on medical cannabis. Can you describe what you are working on?
The primary use of medical cannabis is for treating pain. In Israel, cancer patients in different stages of the disease use medical cannabis to ease pain and increase their appetite (both are prevalent side effects of all cancer treatments). Although medical cannabis helps cancer patients handle the pain, we do not understand how it works. We recently found that cannabinoids (the unique compounds that comprise the medical cannabis) affect a pivotal protein only found in the pain pathway. In the ICRF-funded grant, we suggested dissecting the interaction between cannabinoids and the pain-pathway-specific protein. We hope that the finding of this study will be the platform for developing novel cannabinoid-based analgesics that could be administrated as drugs and not as plant extracts, which will lead to much more efficient and precise treatment of pain for cancer patients.
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We hope that the finding of this study...will lead to much more efficient and precise treatment of pain for cancer patients.
Professor Avi Priel
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New Finding Uncovers Cellular Trick Cancers Use to Evade Your Immune System |
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A new study, led by ICRF Research Career Development Award grantee
Yaron Carmi, PhD of Tel Aviv University, reveals how tumor cells from some types of cancers evaded immunotherapy by hiding inside other cancer cells. The finding may explain why some cancers can be resistant to treatments that should have destroyed them.
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Join us for a joyous night of entertainment, science and hope at an ICRF celebration nearest to you. Our honorees will be feted for their extraordinary contributions to their communities and for their support of ICRF. |
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ICRF Connecticut Tower of Hope Gala
Award-winning actor Richard Kind will host the ICRF Connecticut Gala at the Stamford Marriott Hotel in honor of Alan Kalter, z"l, beloved former announcer for the "Late Show with David Letterman". The evening will include a panel discussion on "Mitigating Cancer Risks" and a live auction to support the Project Grant of Gideon Shreiber, PhD, Weizmann Institute of Science, focusing on chronic lymphocytic leukemia. For more information, or to sponsor or register, click here.
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ICRF New York Tower of Hope Gala
ICRF New York's Tower of Hope Gala will be held at the The Harmonie Club in New York in celebration of three outstanding honorees: Rob Densen, Founder and CEO of Tiller, LLC and ICRF International Vice Chair and President Emeritus; Arnold M. Baskies, MD, Surgical Oncologist, former Chairman of the American Cancer Society and ICRF International Vice President, and Ambassador Asaf Zamir, Consul General of Israel in New York. For more information, or to sponsor or register, click here.
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A Night of Games in Chicago
ICRF Chicago presents an evening of mahjong, canasta, bridge and more! Bring your friends and enjoy games, dinner, raffle (everyone wins!) and a silent auction from 7:30-10:00 pm at Ravinia Green Country Club in Riverwoods, Illinois. Register now! For more information, contact Sandy Rosen, Chicago Director of Development sandy.rosen@icrfonline.org or Leemor Katz, Event Co-Chair leemorkatz@gmail.com.
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Chicago Visions Revolving Tables
The ICRF Chicago Visions Young Leadership Board presents Revolving Tables at the Ivy Room, Chicago. Join us in-person for this one-of-a-kind networking event, featuring interactive conversations with mentors from a diverse array of companies and industries, including entertainment, finance, sports, food, law, healthcare, real estate and more. Registration is now open! For more information and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Chicago Executive Director Ally Marks Greenfield, allyson.marksgreenfield@icrfonline.org, 312.716.3263. |
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TCS New York City Marathon
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Montreal Women of Action Luncheon
Join ICRF Montreal to honor this year's Women of Action in the areas of business, community and science at the Windsor Ballrooms, Montreal. Alanna Wexler Schwartz, Jenna Schwartz and Alex Schiller will serve as event chairs. Honorary co-chairs are Debra Margles and Anne Marie Boucher. Registration will open soon online or contact ICRF Montreal Chief Executive Officer Stu Gutman for more details at stuguttman@icrfmontreal.org.
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Legends of the Halftime Show in Toronto
ICRF Toronto will be bringing back its in-person Legends of the Halftime Show on November 23 at Koerner Hall, featuring epic songs from halftime show performances. For more information, please contact Toronto Executive Director Jennifer Ouaknine, jouaknine@icrf.ca.
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Chicago Gala Honors Richard Edelheit and Lisa Alter Krule, z”l
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Chicago supporters of ICRF came out in full force to attend the Tower of Hope Gala in September honoring Richard Edelheit, a long-time Chicago Board member and International Treasurer, and Lisa Alter Krule, z”l, a pillar of the Jewish community who recently lost her battle with pancreatic cancer. Her brother Alex accepted the Inspiration Award on her behalf. Guests were treated to wonderful fare, a speed painter and a magician. It was truly an emotional and meaningful evening for all the guests. More than $770,000 was raised to support the best and brightest scientists conducting cancer research in Israel.
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Funding Glioblastoma Research Focus of Toronto Bike for the Fight |
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In September, Toronto welcomed over 75 participants to SPINCO Summerhill and SPINCO Thornhill to participate in the 10th Annual Bike for the Fight in memory of Howard Anson, z”l. With the community’s support, ICRF raised more than CA$77,000.
The Anson Family is funding ICRF Research Career Development Awardee Professor Efrat Shema of the Weizmann Institute, who is investigating brain tumors. The family created the Howard Anson Memorial Fund with ICRF Toronto which receives donations in Howard’s memory annually through their fundraising efforts.
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Ride for Resilience in Montreal Raises over CA$68,500 |
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A group of dedicated friends gathered together in September for a biking event, Ride for Resilience, in memory of Marie-Pierre Dube, who passed away in 2020 from adenoid cystic carcinoma, a rare form of cancer. With the support of more than 175 donors, the team of bikers braved the cold and rain to raise more than CA$68,500.
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Cancers in adults below 50 have 'dramatically increased' (ABC News) Early onset cancers, including breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, liver, and pancreas, among others, in adults younger than 50 years old have dramatically increased around the world since the 1990s.
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Blood test spots multiple cancers without clear symptoms, study finds (The Guardian) Study finds simple blood test could spot multiple cancer types before symptoms develop.
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Diagnosing cancer from biopsies in minutes, not weeks (Israel 21c) After computer scientist Dean Bitan’s mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, he started a company using AI to find biomarkers in biopsy images and give personalized guidance.
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Cancer breakthrough is a wake-up call on danger of air pollution (The Guardian) Scientists uncover link between car fumes and lung cancer that helps explain why so many non-smokers develop disease.
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