The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has received more than $22 million in research grants this week from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Approximately half of the funds awarded for Individual Investigator Research Awards (IIRA) went to MD Anderson faculty as well as 40 percent of total IIRA awards that include those for children's and adolescent cancer and early detection and prevention.
The CPRIT awards will go toward studies in the areas of breast, skin, prostate, pancreas, colon and lung cancers in adults; leukemia and brain cancer in children, and for studies aimed at preventing colon cancer and lung cancer.
These included:
A full listing of individual awards can be found below.
In addition, Immatics Biotechnologies was one of four Company Formation Awards funded by CPRIT. At more than $19 million, the project will further enable translation of immunotherapy knowledge from MD Anderson into new therapeutics for cancer patients. MD Anderson has received $215 million in total awards since CPRIT was founded in 2009.
"This is an astounding accomplishment and we're extremely pleased that CPRIT has again recognized the significant scientific contributions being made by our world-class researchers," said MD Anderson President Ron DePinho, M.D. "I could not be more proud of the work that occurs every day at this institution and I commend those investigators who were awarded funding this week by CPRIT, as well as all the scientists and clinicians whose daily goal is no less than to end cancer."
In November, CPRIT adopted new annual priorities to guide its grant awards, and specified that 10 of the awards would focus on childhood and adolescent and cancer, and five would address prevention and early detection of cancer. MD Anderson was awarded two grants in each of these new categories totaling more than $6.3 million.
MD Anderson IIRA-funded studies include the following:
IIRA-funded studies for Cancer in Children and Adolescents at MD Anderson included:
MD Anderson also was awarded the following IIRA-funded studies for Prevention and Early Detection included:
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CPRIT has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to Texas researchers, institutions, non-profits and private enterprises. It provides funding through its research, scientific and product development and prevention programs. Programs made possible with CPRIT funding have reached every corner of the state, brought more than 80 distinguished researchers to Texas, advanced scientific and clinical knowledge, and provided more than 1.9 million life-saving education, training, prevention and early detection services to Texans.