(AUSTIN) — The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) today awarded 42 new academic research grants, seven prevention grants, and five product development grants totaling close to $96 million to advance the fight against cancer.
“This round of awards emphasizes CPRIT’s priorities of pediatric cancer prevention and research, reaching underserved populations and investing more in early translational research,” said Wayne Roberts, CPRIT Chief Executive Officer.
For the first time, three Seed Award grants were funded from CPRIT’s Product Development Research Program, one of which is on pediatric cancer. The goal of the new Seed Awards is to assist startup companies transfer translational research into product development to bring disruptive cancer-fighting technologies to market. Nineteen percent ($9.9 million) of the Academic Research awards are for pediatric cancer. The awards include funding for Ewing’s sarcoma, HPV, leukemia, and neuroblastoma as well as cardiac health for childhood cancer survivors. Totaling $12.3 million, the seven Prevention Program grants address underserved populations and geographic areas disproportionately affected by cancer incidence, mortality or cancer risk prevalence. These grants focus on tobacco cessation, breast and cervical health, and HPV vaccination.
CPRIT has awarded 1,372 grants totaling more than $2.26 billion. CPRIT is now past the two-thirds mark in the state’s historical 2007 constitutional commitment of $3 billion to fight cancer.
See the attached list for all academic research, prevention, and product development grants awarded.
About the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas
To date, CPRIT has awarded $2.26 billion in grants to Texas researchers, institutions, and organizations. CPRIT provides funding through its academic research, prevention, and product development research programs. Programs made possible with CPRIT funding have reached all 254 counties of the state, brought more than 170 distinguished researchers to Texas, advanced scientific and clinical knowledge, and provided more than 5.2 million life-saving education, training, prevention, and early detection services to Texans. Learn more at cprit.texas.gov. Follow CPRIT at twitter.com/CPRITTexas and facebook.com/CPRITTexas.
AWARDED RESEARCH GRANTS
Individual Investigator Research Awards — Twenty-three grants totaling $20,623,861
Baylor College of Medicine
- Targeting the Mechanism of Hyperactive FOXA1 in Transcriptional Reprogramming Toward Endocrine Resistance and Metastasis in Breast Cancer (Rachel Schiff) — $899,566
The University of Texas at Austin
- Biophysical Mechanisms of Human Microhomology Mediated End Joining (Ilya J. Finkelstein) — $900,000
The University of Texas at Dallas
- Investigating Brain Tumor Drug Delivery by Optical Modulation of Blood-Brain Barrier Using Plasmonic Nanobubbles (Zhenpeng Qin) — $900,000
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- Lymphatic Delivery of Checkpoint Blockade Inhibitors for More Effective Immunotherapy (Eva M. Sevick) — $900,000
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Mitochondrial Metabolism and RNA Methylation in Cancer (Ricardo Aguiar) — $900,000
- Berberine in Prevention of Biochemical Recurrence (Addanki P. Kumar) — $900,000
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Neoadjuvant Treatment Response Monitoring of Breast Cancer With Molecular Photoacoustic Imaging (Richard Bouchard) — $895,907
- Targeting Hypomethylating Resistance in Myelodysplastic Syndromes (Simona Colla) — $900,000
- Deciphering the Underlying Biology and Translational Relevance of PD-L2 (Michael A Curran) — $900,000
- Pharmacological Targeting of the IRE1/XBP1 Pathway for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Therapy (Albert Koong) — $900,000
- A Novel Therapy Targeting Prostate Cancer–Induced Aberrant Bone Formation (Sue-Hwa Lin) — $900,000
- The EZH2 Deubiquitinase ZRANB1 as a Therapeutic Target in Breast Cancer (Li Ma) — $900,000
- Therapeutic Potential of T Follicular Helper Cells for Melanoma Treatment (Roza Nurieva) — $900,000
- Assessments of Tumor Perfusion With Dynamic Contrast–Enhanced Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (Mark D. Pagel) — $886,927
- Role of S1PR1 in Exercise Induced Tumor Vascular Remodeling (Keri Schadler) — $899,922
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Understanding the Role of FBXW7 as a Defining Driver of Uterine Carcinosarcoma (Diego H. Castrillon) — $881,433
- Molecular Action of PhosphoBRD4–Targeting Compounds in Breast Cancer (Cheng-Ming Chiang) — $864,000
- Comprehensive Evaluation of Functional Enhancers in Breast Cancer Risk Susceptibility Loci (Gary C. Hon) — $896,892
- Role of Long Noncoding RNAs in Breast Cancer: Identification, Characterization, and Determination of Molecular Functions (Lee W. Krause) — $899,747
- Role of PARP-1 in Estrogen Receptor Enhancer Function and Gene Regulation Outcomes in Breast Cancers (Lee W. Krause) — $899,397
- Characterization of CTCF Mediated 3D Genome Organization and Transcriptional Regulation in Metastatic Prostate Cancer (Ram S. Mani) — $900,000
- Modulating Cardiomyocyte DNA Damage in Response to Genotoxic Stress (Hesham Sadek) — $900,000
- Decoding the Pathogenic Roles of Noncoding Variants in Hematopoietic Malignancies (Jian Xu) — $900,000
Individual Investigator Awards for Cancer in Children and Adolescents — Five grants totaling $5,968,636
Baylor College of Medicine
- Multiomic Biomarker Discovery for Therapy-Related Neurocognitive Impairment in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (Austin L. Brown) — $1,187,006
- Utilization of Imaging and Serum Biomarkers to Predict the Development of Cardiac Dysfunction in Childhood Cancer Survivors (Cory V. Noel) — $1,192,412
- Development of a Precision Drug to Target STAG2 (SA2)–Mutant Ewing Sarcoma (Debanada Pati) — $1,189,218
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
- Growth Signaling in Ewing Sarcoma (Yuzuru Shiio) — $1,200,000
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Improving Safety and Efficacy of Amino Acid Depletion Therapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Using Translatable Nanotechnology (Jacques Lux) — $1,200,000
Individual Investigator Research Awards for Computational Biology — One grant totaling $885,185
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Digital Pathology Analysis for Lung Cancer Patient Care (Guanghua Xiao) — $885,185
Individual Investigator Research Awards for Clinical Translation — Four grants totaling $7,488,820
Baylor College of Medicine
- Interleukin-15– and -21– Armored Glypican-3–Specific CAR T Cells for Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma (Andras Heczey) — $2,400,000
- Improving T-Cell Therapy of Neuroblastoma With a Novel Cytokine Modulator: A Phase 1 Clinical Trial (Cliona M. Rooney) — $1,499,252
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Immunotherapeutic Targeting of SLC45A2 for Treatment of Uveal Melanoma (Cassian Yee) — $2,399,991
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Noninvasive Detection and Assessment of Therapy Response in Multiple Myeloma Using Whole-Body MRI (Ananth J. Madhuranthakam) — $1,189,577
Individual Investigator Research Awards for Prevention and Early Detection — Three grants totaling $3,890,151
Baylor College of Medicine
- Mechanisms of Prevention of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) – Mediated Lung Carcinogenesis by Omega3 Fatty Acids (Bhagavatula Moorthy) — $899,151
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Improving the Quality of Smoking Cessation and Shared Decision-Making for Lung Cancer Screening: A Cluster Randomized Trial (Robert J. Volk) — $1,499,527
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
- A Randomized, Controlled Trial Comparing the Immunogenicity of 2 Doses Versus 3 Doses of the 9-Valent HPV Vaccine in Males and Females 15 to 26 Years of Age (Abby B. Berenson) — $1,491,473
Recruitment of Rising Stars Awards* — One grant totaling $4,000,000
- Joshi Alumkal, MD, Recruitment to The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center from Oregon Health & Science University — $4,000,000
Recruitment of First-Time, Tenure-Track Faculty Members Awards* — Five grants totaling $10,000,000
- Uri Ben-David, MD, PhD, Recruitment to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT — $2,000,000
- Ravikanth Maddipati, MD, Recruitment to The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center from the University of Pennsylvania — $2,000,000
- Sangeetha Reddy, MD, Recruitment to The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center — $2,000,000
- Julian West, PhD, Recruitment to Rice University from the California Institute of Technology — $2,000,000
- Di Zhao, PhD, Recruitment to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center — $2,000,000
*Recruitment grants awarded indicate only approval to negotiate offers; at the time of release candidates have not accepted offers.
AWARDED PREVENTION GRANTS
Tobacco Control and Lung Cancer Screening Awards — Two grants totaling $2,999,827
Texas A&M University System Health Science Center
- Engaging Oral Health Providers for Evidence-Based Tobacco Cessation (Daniel L. Jones) — $1,499,871
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Expanding Tobacco Use Cessation in Northeast Texas (Alexander V. Prokhorov) — $1,499,956
Expansion of Cancer Prevention Services to Rural and Medically Underserved Populations Awards — Four grants totaling $9,028,669
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
- Access to Breast and Cervical Care for West Texas (ABC24WT) (Rakhshanda Layeequr Rahman) — $2,430,998
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
- Expansion of Cervical Cancer Prevention Services to Medically Underserved Populations Through Patient Outreach, Navigation, and Provider Training/Telementoring (Kathleen M. Schmeler) — $2,128,529
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
- Partnering with Schools and Clinics to Expand a Highly Successful HPV Vaccination Program for 9- to 17-Year-Olds from Medically Underserved Areas (Abbey Berenson) — $2,499,411
- School-Based Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Program in the Rio Grande Valley: Continuation and Expansion to Hidalgo County (Ana M. Rodriguez) — $1,969,731
Dissemination of CPRIT-Funded Cancer Control Interventions Awards — One grant totaling $299,966
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- Adolescent Vaccination Program: Online Decision Support for Adoption of Evidence-based HPV Vaccination Strategies by Texas Pediatric Clinics (Ross Shegog) — $299,966
AWARDED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
Texas Company Product Development Research Award — One grant totaling $8,742,509
Cell Medica
- Off-the-Shelf CAR-NKT Cells for Treatment of Solid and Hematological Malignancy — $8,742,509
Relocation Company Research Award — One grant totaling $13,116,095
Hummingbird Bioscience Pte Ltd
- A First-in-Class Anti-VISTA Monoclonal Antibody for the Treatment of MDSC-Mediated Suppression of Antitumor Immunity in Solid Tumors and Lymphomas — $13,116,095
Seed Award for Product Development Research — Three grants totaling $8,912,313
Allterum Therapeutics, LLC
- Preclinical Development of a Novel T-ALL Therapeutic Antibody — $2,912,313
Icell Kealex Therapeutics LLC
- Development of a Novel Oncolytic Vaccinia Virus Variant Suitable for Systemic Delivery — $3,000,000
Instapath Inc.
- Rapid Pathology Evaluation System for Biopsies — $3,000,000