Margaret Cianci, Executive Director for the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, Inc. (ACGT), a national foundation based in Stamford, Connecticut, announced today the award of national grants to five Young Investigators at major research institutions, totaling $2.5 million over three years, for separate cancer gene therapy research projects. This is in addition to the $1.5 million in grants ACGT awarded to 3 Young Investigators last year, for a total commitment of $4.0 million. The recipients are Dr. Laurence Cooper at City of Hope; Dr. Timothy Lane at University of California at Los Angeles; Dr. Richard Reilly at Johns Hopkins; Dr. Katherine Ryman at Louisiana State University Health & Sciences Center; and Dr. Robert Vonderheide at University of Pennsylvania.

Gene therapy is a revolutionary new form of treatment. It has emerged in recent years with the remarkable potential not only to deliver a cure for many types of cancers, but also to improve the quality of life with reduced side effects for patients undergoing treatments. Every year, over a half million people die from cancer and another million are diagnosed with some form of the disease. Conventional therapies, including chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, while having produced a measure of success with some cancers, have their limitations and can generate adverse side effects for patients.

The research efforts of these Young Investigators, pursuing newly emerging strategies within the cancer gene therapy field, represent significant potential applications for all forms of cancer and an improved quality of life for those being treated for cancer.

LAURENCE COOPER, MD, PhD, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA
Using The Immune System's T Cells To Treat Leukemia And Lymphoma More Effectively (2003 grant recipient)
Relapsed or drug-resistant leukemia and lymphoma are very difficult to cure with surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, the traditio
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Contact: Allison Neslage
aneslage@acgtfoundation.org
203-358-8000
Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy
5-May-2004

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