Concert for Cures with Elton John on Friday, May 9 at Petco Park. 

CONCERT FOR CURES                             

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While Hispanic youth will comprise 33% of the U.S. population by 2030 and have higher incidence of cancers, their participation in cancer research
is critically low, and they have poorer survival rates than non-Hispanic Whites. The goal of this Curebound Equity award is to increase adolescent Hispanic participation in cancer clinical trials. We will implement a navigation intervention in which trained adolescent peers deliver culturally concordant education to Hispanic adolescents during recruitment for cancer clinical trials. This is significant because by increasing minority participation in clinical trials, we can translate discoveries and treatment benefits equally, and, ultimately, improve equity of survival among underserved Hispanics. This study has a particular impact in San Diego and California, where Hispanics are the fastest growing racial-ethnic group and are projected to comprise 50% of the population.


“As a Hispanic physician-scientist, I have witnessed firsthand the disparities in access to cancer care, particularly among our minority Hispanic populations. My goal is to provide the same opportunities to all children and adolescents with cancer, regardless of their background. Hispanics are significantly underrepresented in cancer clinical trials; we need effective interventions to overcome this very low clinical trial participation. This Curebound Equity grant is instrumental to help reduce health disparities in Hispanic adolescents with cancer and lays the foundation for future interventions to change the course of cancer research and care for underserved communities in San Diego.” – Paula Aristizabal, MD, MAS

Cancer Equities

While Hispanic youth will comprise 33% of the U.S. population by 2030 and have higher incidence of cancers, their participation in cancer research
is critically low, and they have poorer survival rates than non-Hispanic Whites.

Rady Children’s Hospital

UC San Diego

COMPRENDO-A: Peer-Navigation to Improve Accrual of Adolescents with cancer into Clinical Trials

Novel Approaches and New Therapeutic Platforms

Half a million patients in the United States suffer from cancers that are driven by mutant forms of the protein NRAS. Unfortunately, there are a lack of effective drugs that target NRAS, resulting in poor clinical outcomes for these patients. We are overcoming prior hurdles to developing NRAS-targeted therapies by developing drugs that inhibit NRAS palmitoylation, a fatty acid modification essential for its cancer- driving function. This project will fund critical pre-clinical research and development activities in our NRAS program and support our goal of reaching First-in-Human trials by 2028.

“At Palm Therapeutics, we are committed to developing new therapies for some of the most difficult to treat cancers. We are thrilled and honored to receive the Catalyst Grant, which will help us reach key scientific milestones in our NRAS inhibitor program and support our ultimate mission of providing better treatment options for NRAS-mutant cancer patients.” – Andrew Rudd, PhD

Precision Oncology

Half a million patients in the United States suffer from cancers that are driven by mutant forms of the protein NRAS. 

Palm Therapeutics: Preclinical Development of NRAS Palmitoylation Inhibitors for NRAS Mutant Cancers

Novel Therapeutics & Platforms, Immunotherapies & Personalized Vaccines

Immunotherapy is rapidly gaining its place as a mainstream treatment of solid cancers, Nonetheless, less than 30% of patients with lung cancer benefit from this approach. This is the result of large gaps in our knowledge of how immunotherapies work and how to choose the right treatment or treatment combination for a particular patient. Cancer immunotherapy aims to stimulate the patient's immune system to attack and kill tumor cells. Our laboratory identified an important immune cell type and a novel surface target to enhance their anti-tumor function. Here, we team with experts in drug development to identify agents to boost tumor immune responses. Studies in this discovery grant have the potential to identify a new class of immunotherapy drugs for patients with lung cancer.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is rapidly gaining its place as a mainstream treatment of solid cancers, Nonetheless, less than 30% of patients with lung cancer benefit from this approach.

La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Sanford Burnham Prebys

A novel approach to boost anti-tumor immune responses 

Cancer Equities, Novel Therapeutics & Platforms, Immunotherapies & Personalized Vaccines

In 2030, pancreatic cancer (PC) will be the #1 cause of cancer-related death. This is due to a very low survival rate and limited treatment options that have poor responses. Our current chemotherapy does not work due to a thick barricade that surrounds PC that makes it hard for therapies to get into the tumor. Our team has discovered and validated new small molecules called peptides that can target drugs directly to these tumor barriers and then pass through them to access the cancer and immune cells within PC. A benefit to the peptide-targeting technique is that we avoid damaging healthy tissue. We will use these peptides to boost the immune system's ability to fight cancer cells and then reduce cells that block this response. We anticipate moving these into early clinical trials at UCSD.

Pancreatic Cancer

In 2030, pancreatic cancer (PC) will be the #1 cause of cancer-related death. This is due to a very low survival rate and limited treatment options that have poor responses. Our current chemotherapy does not work due to a thick barricade that surrounds PC that makes it hard for therapies to get into the tumor.

Moores Cancer Center, UCSD

Salk Institute

Harnessing Tumor-Penetrating Peptides to Modulate the Pancreatic Tumor Immune Microenvironment

Children with bone marrow failure syndromes are pre-disposed to developing leukemia. The only way to prevent leukemia in these children is a bone marrow transplant to remove the diseased cells that ultimately turn into leukemia. However, current methods for bone marrow transplant have high rates of complications and death due to toxicity of the chemotherapy used to prepare a patient for receiving transplanted cells and inappropriate immune system activation after transplant. We will address these complications by developing less toxic chemotherapy alternatives and developing ways to shield the immune system from inappropriate activation. These advances will overcome obstacles that limit performing bone marrow transplant to prevent leukemia in children with bone marrow failure syndromes.

Leukemia

Children with bone marrow failure syndromes are pre-disposed to developing leukemia. The only way to prevent leukemia in these children is a bone marrow transplant to remove the diseased cells that ultimately turn into leukemia.

Prevention of leukemia in cancer predisposition syndromes

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and highly recurrent type of cancer that is resistant to most therapies.


Our goal is to develop a new approach that uses our previous immunity against viruses to fight tumors. We will deliver viral proteins to tumor cells to make our immune system think it is fighting an infection, and instead turn against the tumor. We chose cytomegalovirus as a model because it infects >50% of the population, and generates a strong immune memory. We have tested our strategy in pancreatic tumors, and have delayed tumor growth and increased survival by 68%.

We believe this approach will also work for TNBC. This strategy is broadly applicable to many people and different types of cancer, making it a major medical advance.

Breast Cancer

Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive and highly recurrent type of cancer that is resistant to most therapies. Our goal is to develop a new approach that uses our previous immunity against viruses to fight tumors.

Harnessing cytomegalovirus T-cells to combat triple-negative breast cancer

Checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment. Despite durable responses in some patients, the majority either fail to respond or develop resistance to current immunotherapy. Therefore, a significant unmet clinical need remains to treat patients with progressive disease after immunotherapy. We made the paradoxical observation that an immune suppressive drug in combination with checkpoint blockade is effective in Hodgkin lymphoma patients who fail/relapse after immunotherapy treatment. Our studies revealed that modulation of specific immune cells by JAK inhibition correlates with response and these cells are required for response. In this proposal, we will address the hypothesis that the novel combination therapy could also help patients with solid tumors.

Checkpoint inhibitor immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment. Despite durable responses in some patients, the majority either fail to respond or develop resistance to current immunotherapy. Therefore, a significant unmet clinical need remains to treat patients with progressive disease after immunotherapy.

Scripps Research

Overcoming immunotherapy resistance in solid tumors with JAK inhibitor with anti-PD1 combination therapy

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a very low 5-year survival rate of 13%. Current chemotherapy treatments often fail due to drug resistance and side effects. CDK4/6 inhibitors are a promising approach but lack reliable markers to predict patient response. This project aims to improve treatment by identifying biomarkers that predict how the cancer responds to chemotherapy and CDK4/6 inhibition. Using advanced machine learning models called visible neural networks, we will refine these models to better predict drug responses. Collaboration between experts will test these models on patient samples. The goal is to develop more effective treatments and pave the way for clinical trials in San Diego.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma has a very low 5-year survival rate of 13%. Current chemotherapy treatments often fail due to drug resistance and side effects. CDK4/6 inhibitors are a promising approach but lack reliable markers to predict patient response.

Using AI Models for Predicting Human Pancreatic Cancer Response to Cell Cycle Targeted Therapy

Prevention & Diagnostic Tools, Novel Therapeutics & Platforms, Pediatric Cancers

This proposal, from a transdisciplinary team of scientists, seeks to develop a new treatment for hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Lynch syndromes, both representing conditions that greatly increase the risk of cancer. Currently there is no treatment that is effective in mitigating CRC risk in the predisposed children. We have developed innovative and precise computational tools and engineered bacteria whose use together can estimate, reduce and track the risk of cancer. This 12-month study tests the safety and effectiveness of this treatment in mice and human preclinical models. Success will advance us towards regulatory approval and could revolutionize treatment for CRC predispositions, offering new hope to those at high risk.

This proposal, from a transdisciplinary team of scientists, seeks to develop a new treatment for hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) syndromes such as familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) and Lynch syndromes, both representing conditions that greatly increase the risk of cancer.

Bugs as drugs to fight hereditary cancer syndromes in children 

In the US, the high costs of cancer care force many patients to go without basic needs like food, housing and utilities, which often leads to treatment delays and care interruptions that affect their quality of life and can lead
to worse survival. Recognizing the importance of this issue, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services implemented new policies, which began in 2024, to enable health systems to begin to address patients’ social needs. The overall project goal is to guide implementation of these policies at UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, taking a mixed- methods approach that uses electronic health record data and qualitative data from the lived experiences of patients and caregivers, community- based organizations, and healthcare staff. Findings from our project will help ensure equitable access to whole person care for all patients, we hope that our project will reduce cancer health disparities in patient populations with historically poor outcomes.

“This funding mechanism is a testament to Curebound’s uniqueness and importance as a major funder of cancer research, because it illustrates their willingness to support projects that may lead to groundbreaking advancements (i.e., discovery), as well as projects that focus on what’s affecting patients right now (i.e., health equity). Our team will engage with stakeholders to inform new policy options that can address inequities in cancer care and to better understand the needs and experiences of the people we serve to advance health equity in our community.” – Matthew Banegas, PhD

In the US, the high costs of cancer care force many patients to go without basic needs like food, housing and utilities, which often leads to treatment delays and care interruptions that affect their quality of life and can lead
to worse survival.

San Diego State University

Improving Health Equity and Cancer Care Quality through Tailored Navigation

Novel Therapeutics & Platforms, Immunotherapies & Personalized Vaccines, Pediatric Cancers

What if we could engineer our own cells to become potent cancer fighters? We have developed a new technology of targeted virus-like particles (VLPs) that enable specific immune cells to directly express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). Unlike current methods that require production of engineered immune cells outside the body, this approach enables direct injection of the targeted VLPs into the patient to produce CAR-expressing immune cells with anti-tumor activity. These studies will use both ovarian cancer and neuroblastoma (pediatric cancer) models to demonstrate this approach can be readily adopted to treat most any tumor type. Success with these studies will enable us to quickly translate this system to clinical trials for treatment of patients with refractory malignancies.

Ovarian Cancer and Neuroblastoma

What if we could engineer our own cells to become potent cancer fighters? We have developed a new technology of targeted virus-like particles (VLPs) that enable specific immune cells to directly express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). 

Targeted virus-like particles to engineer immune cells in vivo for treatment of ovarian cancer and neuroblastoma. 

Prevention & Diagnostic Tools, Novel Therapeutics & Platforms

Platinating agents, particularly cisplatin, are the most widely used group of cytotoxic drugs worldwide, treating many adult- and pediatric-onset cancers. Nearly 40% of common childhood malignant tumors rely on cisplatin chemotherapy for cure exposing ~2,000 children in the United States to cisplatin each year. These agents cause severe off-target toxicities, such as hearing loss. Cisplatin crosses the blood-labyrinth barrier leading to damage to the sensory cells of the cochlea. This results in severe, progressive, and permanent hearing loss in ~75% of cisplatin-treated children and ~80% of young adults with testicular cancer. Our group has identified a small molecule that, in preliminary studies, demonstrates near complete protection against the ototoxic effects of cisplatin. 

Hearing Loss Prevention

Platinating agents, particularly cisplatin, are the most widely used group of cytotoxic drugs worldwide, treating many adult- and pediatric-onset cancers. Nearly 40% of common childhood malignant tumors rely on cisplatin chemotherapy for cure exposing ~2,000 children in the United States to cisplatin each year.

California Institute of Technology

Advancing Pharmacological Interventions for Mitigating Ototoxicity

The standard of care treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer remains combined radiotherapy with cisplatin. Although patients have improved outcomes with chemo-radiotherapy, tumor recurrence remains a problem. Moreover, combining chemotherapy with radiotherapy increases treatment related side effects. While breakthroughs in radiotherapy and immunotherapy have resulted in precision cancer care, chemotherapies given with radiotherapy remain non-targeted drugs. We propose a precision oncology strategy by replacing classical chemotherapies with a targeted antibody drug conjugate, tisotumab-vedotin. In this proposal, we will perform key translational studies necessary for clinical trial testing of tisotumab-vedotin with radiotherapy and immunotherapy for women with cervical cancer.

Cervical Cancer

The standard of care treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer remains combined radiotherapy with cisplatin. Although patients have improved outcomes with chemo-radiotherapy, tumor recurrence remains a problem. Moreover, combining chemotherapy with radiotherapy increases treatment related side effects. 

Exploiting tissue factor expression for precision therapy of advanced cervical cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the US and expected to kill more than 53,000 people in 2024. The CRC incidence is rising sharply among people younger than 50 and these cases are often diagnosed at more aggressive stages where the current standard treatments are inadequate. Seren Bio is developing a first-in-class drug that specifically kills cancer cells without harming normal cells based on the fact that all cancer cells consume a large amount of glucose, called glycolysis, to survive and propagate in contrast to normal cells. Our drug will induce a large oxidative burst in cells mainly dependent on glycolysis such as cancer cells, which leads to their demise. We demonstrated a proof of this concept in animals already and now we are working
on improving the efficacy of a potential drug candidate. Because our technology exploits the cellular trait shared by all cancer cells, our success will save a large population of not only colorectal cancer patients who don’t respond to the conventional therapies but also benefit many patients suffering from other types of cancer.

“We discovered the cellular target, a natural ligand, and the mechanism by which in principle we can eliminate all cancer cells without harming normal cells, the holy grail of cancer treatment. We are currently testing newly designed synthetic ligands for improved efficacy and pharmacology. The Curebound funding will accelerate our efforts to advance this endeavor as we currently operate in a small budget of the pre-seed investment.” – Jongdae Lee, PhD

Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the US and expected to kill more than 53,000 people in 2024. The CRC incidence is rising sharply among people younger than 50 and these cases are often diagnosed at more aggressive stages where the current standard treatments are inadequate.

Seren Bio: Development of DMGV analogs as a first-in-class, small molecule therapy for colorectal cancer

Annually, approximately 250,000 people worldwide succumb to glioblastoma (GBM), with a median survival time of just 15 months post-diagnosis, despite treatment. The disease’s complexity leads to near-inevitable recurrence and a dismal 5-year survival rate of 5-7%. Moreover, GBM progressively impairs neurological functions, severely affecting quality of life. Resolute Science is advancing RS-5 and RS-8, two first-in-class therapeutics that leverage our Macrophage-Targeted- Conjugates (MAC-TACs) delivery platform. The most promising candidate will be selected for clinical trials targeting glioblastoma. We anticipate that successful validation of either RS-5 or RS-8 could introduce a groundbreaking treatment option for GBM, offering a safer, and more effective therapeutic to patients who are currently without options.

“Resolute Science’s goal is to provide cancer cures for more people. We are extremely grateful for Curebound’s support & funding, which will allow us to accelerate our preclinical research into brain tumors and GBM specifically.” – Faith Barnett, MD, PhD

Glioblastoma

Annually, approximately 250,000 people worldwide succumb to glioblastoma (GBM), with a median survival time of just 15 months post-diagnosis, despite treatment.

Resolute Science: Targeting Macrophages to Treat Glioblastoma

Prevention and Diagnostic Tools, Novel Therapeutics & Platforms

Our bodies host countless tiny organisms called microbes, which outnumber our own cells and make up most of our genetic material. Recent studies have found unique communities of microbes in tumors called tumor microbiomes that can affect cancer development and cancer treatment response. However, these tumor-associated microbes are not well-studied. We will use advanced techniques to explore the microbes in breast cancer tumors, focusing on a rare and aggressive form called metaplastic triple-negative breast cancer (MpTNBC). By understanding the connections between these microbes, the tumors, and patient outcomes, we could significantly impact cancer treatment, helping develop better therapies, and possibly prevent cancer.

Our bodies host countless tiny organisms called microbes, which outnumber our own cells and make up most of our genetic material. Recent studies have found unique communities of microbes in tumors called tumor microbiomes that can affect cancer development and cancer treatment response.

Illuminating host-microbiome relationships in metaplastic triple-negative breast cancer as potential prognostic biomarker

Prevention & Diagnostic Tools, Novel Therapeutics & Platforms, Immunotherapies & Personalized Vaccines

Kidney cancer is a highly treatable disease, unless it has spread to distant sites. New tests are needed to detect kidney cancers, and new treatments are needed for patients with kidney cancer that has spread. This kind of cancer is characterized by the presence of immune cells called macrophages that prevent other immune cells from killing tumor cells. We identified a protein, IL-34, that drives accumulation of macrophages in tumors and found it is associated with poor survival in kidney cancer. We propose to screen blood from normal and kidney cancer patients to identify tumor-associated changes, like IL-34, that can serve as new, non-invasive diagnostic tests. We will also test the effects of novel therapeutics, such as antibodies against IL-34, on human kidney tumors in the laboratory.

Renal Cancer

Kidney cancer is a highly treatable disease, unless it has spread to distant sites. New tests are needed to detect kidney cancers, and new treatments are needed for patients with kidney cancer that has spread.

Detecting and targeting tumor immune suppression in renal cell carcinoma

TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in cancers, yet direct drug targeting has been challenging. Our research reveals TP53 mutant cancer cells depend on PI5P4K for growth, unlike cells with normal TP53. Through our investigations, we have identified compounds that degrade these enzymes. Importantly, these compounds hinder the growth or induce death in TP53 mutant cancer cells, such as in pancreatic cancer and breast cancer, while sparing normal cells and cancer cells with intact TP53. Our studies have advanced understanding of how these compounds specifically target and eliminate TP53 mutant cancer cells, confirming their efficacy. Moving forward, we are dedicated to optimizing these initial compounds to develop innovative drugs suitable for clinical use in treating TP53 mutant tumors.

All Cancers

TP53 is the most frequently mutated gene in cancers, yet direct drug targeting has been challenging. Our research reveals TP53 mutant cancer cells depend on PI5P4K for growth, unlike cells with normal TP53. Through our investigations, we have identified compounds that degrade these enzymes.

Degraders Targeting PI5P4K for Managing TP53-Mutant Cancer	

Cancer Equities, Prevention and Diagnostic Tools

Colon cancer is a common cancer. Screening with a stool test or a colonoscopy can prevent colon cancer death, but many people, especially from some racial and ethnic and lower income groups, are not ready to complete these tests. A new blood test screening option might help people who are not getting screened participate and benefit from screening. This research will look at whether offering choice of a new blood test, in addition to a stool test or colonoscopy, can increase the number of people who complete screening. This study will help guide the medical field on whether the new blood test should be made more widely available as an option for colon cancer screening, and its potential to address inequities in colon cancer screening.

“Populations experiencing the greatest inequities in cancer outcomes are often the last to benefit from medical advances. While a new FDA approved blood test for colorectal cancer screening has the potential to address inequities in colorectal cancer screening outcomes, no studies have examined its potential to increase participation. Curebound funding will support one of the first studies to evaluate whether offering the new blood tests as a screening option increases participation among individuals at risk for sociodemographic inequities in screening and will help provide guideline and policy makers information on how the test can be used to address sociodemographic inequities in colorectal cancer outcomes.” -- Samir Gupta, MD

Colon cancer is a common cancer. Screening with a stool test or a colonoscopy can prevent colon cancer death, but many people, especially from some racial and ethnic and lower income groups, are not ready to complete these tests

Family Health Centers of San Diego

Screening with Liquid Biopsies to Address Colorectal Cancer Inequities

Anna Khachatrian Kulidjian, MD (Scripps Health)

Most men with prostate cancer who are diagnosed early have a good prognosis, however, it is one of the few cancers with increasing incidence of lethal, metastatic cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in US men over 50. A major problem in treating prostate cancer is that it consists of different stages of prostate cancer even in the same person. Novel treatment strategies are needed to target the root, or stem, cells which give rise to all these different grades of PC. This proposal will investigate a novel stem cell targeting therapy, an anti-ROR1 antibody, currently in a phase 1b clinical safety trial (CirmD) combined with the chemotherapy, docetaxel (NCT05156905, PI R. Mckay). Results of these studies will support a Phase 2 trial to test the effectiveness of this novel treatment.

Prostate Cancer

Most men with prostate cancer who are diagnosed early have a good prognosis, however, it is one of the few cancers with increasing incidence of lethal, metastatic cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in US men over 50.

Scripps Health

Therapeutic targeting of the noncanonical Wnt5A receptor, ROR1, in metastatic prostate cancer

Tumors trigger an immune response, but successful clearance relies on the ability of T cells to infiltrate the tumor, outmaneuver, and kill cancer cells. By directing T cells towards specific regions we can help the body fight malignancies and potentially cure cancers. However, the navigation of T cells through tissues is a complex decision-making process influenced by a myriad environmental factors, many of which are still unknown. To discover such factors, and to see how T cells navigate through tissues, the Kosuri and Reina labs will develop new microscopy methods to reconstruct T cell movements from static images of tissue biopsies. With these new methods they will identify factors that enhance the ability of immune cells to access the tumor and thereby promote tumor clearance.

Tumors trigger an immune response, but successful clearance relies on the ability of T cells to infiltrate the tumor, outmaneuver, and kill cancer cells. By directing T cells towards specific regions we can help the body fight malignancies and potentially cure cancers.

Finding the entryway of immune cells into the tumor 

Rates of lung cancer and tobacco use, the leading cause of lung cancer, vary dramatically in California with greatest impacts felt in communities with the lowest income. California excels at preventing tobacco use
but ranks near the bottom of US states in identifying people at-risk and delivering preventive lung cancer screening (LCS). New healthcare system supports within low-income communities are needed to identify those at highest risk and link them to LCS and cancer care. In-depth interviews
with patients and providers will guide planned system-wide changes to identify what works best for whom. Results of this study will advance health equity by finding “best practices” for preventing and treating lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in low-income communities. suffering from other types of cancer.

“Working together with Family Health Centers of San Diego, we can shape a system of care that eases discussions about tobacco use and health, offers access to supportive options when people want to make changes, and invites discussions about the importance of lung cancer screening. Our goal is to equip low- income communities with access to tailored lung cancer screening and linkage to care. Thanks to Curebound, we will foster our community partnerships to advance access to lung cancer prevention and treatment.” - David Strong, PhD

Lung Cancer

Rates of lung cancer and tobacco use, the leading cause of lung cancer, vary dramatically in California with greatest impacts felt in communities with the lowest income.


Enhancing Lung Cancer Screening Engagement for Primary Care Patients in Low Income Communities

Every year, too many lives are lost to cancers that could be treated if diagnosed earlier. At Beken, we are dedicated to changing that. We are developing a groundbreaking liquid biopsy—a simple blood test—that detects cancer at its earliest stages by identifying tiny particles called extracellular vesicles (EVs). These particles are released by tumors early in their growth, making them a key target for early detection. By spotting cancer sooner, our goal is to connect patients with life-saving treatment when it matters most.

“Our work focuses on developing a liquid biopsy that enables earlier diagnosis of ovarian cancer by detecting tumor-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the blood. By identifying cancer at an earlier, more treatable stage, we aim to improve survival rates and reduce the burden of late-stage diagnoses. This grant from the Curebound foundation will accelerate clinical testing of our technology and serve as an incredible entry point into San Diego’s network of brilliant cancer researchers and clinicians, fostering future collaborations within local institutes and clinics.” – Christopher Millan, PhD


Ovarian Cancer

Every year, too many lives are lost to cancers that could be treated if diagnosed earlier. At Beken, we are dedicated to changing that.

Beken Bio: Liquid Biopsy Detection of Ovarian Cancer Targeting Novel Extracellular Vesicle Biomarkers

Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) includes tumors with varying risks of recurrence and progression. High-risk NMIBC is treated with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy or chemotherapy, but these treatments are not always effective and can cause significant side effects. Recent research indicates that the microbiome, the community of microorganisms in our bodies, might influence treatment effectiveness. Our study aims to understand how bladder and urine bacteria interact with these treatments over time. By analyzing patient samples, we hope to identify microbiome patterns that predict treatment success or failure, leading to more personalized treatment strategies for NMIBC and ultimately improving patient outcomes while reducing side effects.

Bladder Cancer

Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer (NMIBC) includes tumors with varying risks of recurrence and progression. High-risk NMIBC is treated with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy or chemotherapy, but these treatments are not always effective and can cause significant side effects.

Longitudinal Assessment of Urinary and Tissue Microbiome in Patients with Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer

Novel Therapeutics & Platforms, Pediatric Cancers

The nuclear receptor SF1 (NR5A1) is a driver oncogene in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Roughly 10-15% of HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are SF1(high) and display low NSD1, a lysine methyltransferase that deposits H3K36me2 in gene bodies and in heterochromatin. We will investigate the hypothesis that SF1 and NSD1 interact functionally in cancer therapy and immunotherapy. We will map SF1 binding genome-wide and identify SF1 interactors in target cells treated or not with novel small molecule SF1 inhibitors and compare genomic and proteomic features of SF1(high) and NSD1(low) HNSCC PDX tumors following SF1 inhibition and examine similar pathways in murine HNSCC. The studies will increase our understanding of the roles of SF1 in ACC and HNSCC in the dual context of cancer therapy and immunotherapy and provide new insights into therapeutic strategies to overcome these cancers in the clinic.

Head and Neck Cancers

The nuclear receptor SF1 (NR5A1) is a driver oncogene in adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). Roughly 10-15% of HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are SF1(high) and display low NSD1, a lysine methyltransferase that deposits H3K36me2 in gene bodies and in heterochromatin.

Translational and Mechanistic Studies of an Unexplored Nuclear Receptor in Oncology

Immunotherapies have had unprecedented success in benefitting certain cancer patient populations. However, the majority of patients fail to respond to immunotherapy or develop resistance. There is little known about how cancer cells survive immunotherapy particularly during initially effective immune responses. We discovered that cancer cells can enter a dormant “persister” state to resist death signaling induced by immune cell attack and these cells seed eventual tumor recurrence. Our focus in this proposal is to understand whether these persister cells, aside from surviving, also promote immune cell exhaustion and to begin developing a therapy to target persister cells. We expect this work to advance our understanding of immunotherapy resistance and to lay the foundation for novel therapeutic approaches to help cancer patients.

“This ambitious project is intended to capitalize on our discovery of how cancer cells evade immunotherapy to begin work toward development of a novel therapy to overcome immunotherapy resistance. Curebound funding is critical to allow us to take the next steps in this high risk, high reward project as we aggressively pursue future translation of our findings to help patients.” -- Matt Hangauer

Immunotherapies have had unprecedented success in benefitting certain cancer patient populations. However, the majority of patients fail to respond to immunotherapy or develop resistance.

Sublethal Apoptotic Signaling Promotes Acquired Resistance to Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer care; however, long term durable responses remain rare and advanced immunotherapy combinations are
still needed to maximize tumor control. Our group recently identified that B-cells play a major role in overall survival of Head and Neck Cancer (HNSCC) and Breast Cancer patients. In this project we will use a novel triple combination of immunotherapies targeting CD40, TLR9, and PD-1 to activate both B-cell and T-cell immune responses. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms and effects of this novel triple combination of drugs will contribute to our goal of improving patient outcomes by enhancing long term tumor control.

“Human Papillomavirus associated Head and Neck cancer is the fastest rising cancer in the US, and Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women. Our goal is to improve durable response rates to these two cancer types using a triple combination of immunotherapy drugs which activate both T-cell and B-cell anti-tumor immune responses. With the support of Curebound our world-class team of researchers and physician scientists can rapidly translate this novel combination into clinical trials.” - Andrew Sharabi

Head & Neck Cancers, Breast Cancers

Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer care; however, long term durable responses remain rare and advanced immunotherapy combinations are
still needed to maximize tumor control.

 Targeting B-cells and T-cells with Triplet Immunotherapy to Control Head and Neck Carcinomas and Breast Cancers

Although immunotherapy has been successful at treating a substantial proportion of cancer patients, it is limited, especially in solid cancers (90% of all cancers), by a phenomenon termed T cell “exhaustion”. This means that although T cells infiltrate the tumor and are initially effective in destroying cancer cells, they later become “exhausted” and become less effective at killing tumor cells. In our research, we will test a new way of reversibly degrading key proteins which drive the exhaustion program. We will therapeutically hijack the T cells’ own machinery for disposing of unwanted proteins, thus creating exhaustion-resistant T cells that have potent tumor-killing capabilities. Our approach is the first test of whether targeted protein degradation can overcome T cell exhaustion and become a powerful new strategy to fight cancer with immunotherapy.

“In a quest to develop the next generation of cancer immunotherapies, our team discovered novel therapeutic targets that cause tumor-infiltrating T cells to lose their ability to destroy tumours. T cells lacking these proteins have an enhanced ability to fight tumors, but the proteins are transcription factors that are not readily druggable. With Curebound’s generous support, we are testing innovative ways of selectively and reversibly depleting these proteins in tumour-infiltrating immune cells during tumour rejection, but restoring their levels in surviving memory T cells once the cancer is cured.” - Anjana Rao

Although immunotherapy has been successful at treating a substantial proportion of cancer patients, it is limited, especially in solid cancers (90% of all cancers), by a phenomenon termed T cell “exhaustion”.

 Improving Anti-tumor Responses by Degrading Transcription Factors that Impose T cell Exhaustion

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States with a five-year survival rate of only 18%. We have developed
a novel lung cancer treatment specifically targeting a process called autophagy, which cancer cells use to evade common cancer treatments. Our drug blocks the key enzyme that activates autophagy in cells, thus turning off the ability of cancer cells to survive. We have performed substantial evaluation of our drug in mouse models of lung cancer and have found it to be both safe and efficacious while substantially reducing tumor burden. However, in order to make our drug safe for lung cancer patients we must perform advanced pharmacokinetic and toxicological evaluation as well as additional preclinical combinatorial studies. These assessments will allow us to advance a novel lung cancer treatment into human clinical trials.

”We have developed a novel lung cancer drug that blocks a key pathway cancer cells use to escape current treatments. This drug can be used to enhance frontline therapies and save lives. Using Curebound’s Targeted Grant initiative we plan to advance this drug into human clinical trials.” - Nick Cosford

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States with a five-year survival rate of only 18%.


De-Risking ULK1 inhibitors: Biomarker Mechanisms and Combination Therapy Optimization

Pancreatic cancer patients face a daunting challenge due to the limited therapeutic options currently available. This project identifies a new way
to try to control the growth of pancreatic tumors by targeting regulators
of ion transport that maintain homeostasis of the cancer cells. By using sophisticated screening technologies, we have identified a family of kinases that have not been investigated in cancer. We will use cell-based proteomic approaches, patient-derived organoids, bioinformatics and tumor microarrays to examine these ion transport regulators as new therapeutic targets in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

“As a team, we are driven to identify novel therapeutic modalities for pancreatic cancer. This collaborative project aims to shut off the fuel supply to pancreatic tumors using an new strategy that has not been previously explored. With Curebound’s support, we aim to develop the preclinical rationale that will provide the framework for future therapeutic innovation.” - Cosimo Commisso

Pancreatic cancer patients face a daunting challenge due to the limited therapeutic options currently available.


Ion Homeostasis: A New Drug Target in Pancreatic Cancer

One in every fifty people has a head and neck precancerous lesion but only 2% of these precancers will ever transform into life threatening cancers. In this project, we will utilize mouse models and large-scale computational analyses to understand the underlaying changes that allow malignant transformation. Our ultimate goal is to provide biomarkers for identifying high-risk precancers and for intercepting and halting their malignant transformation.

"We are truly delighted to receive this Curebound funding which will allow us to provide much needed insights into head and neck precancers and their transformation into cancer. By leveraging state-of-the-art computational and experimental techniques, we hope to deliver solutions which will reduce cancer burden and improve the lives of cancer patients.”

Head & Neck Cancers

One in every fifty people has a head and neck precancerous lesion but only 2% of these precancers will ever transform into life threatening cancers.

Understanding Why Head and Neck Precancers Convert into Cancers

Prevention & Diagnostic Tools, Cancer Equities, Novel Therapeutics & Platforms

The incidence of liver cancer is rising and the 5-year survival is only 15%. Recurrence is common after therapy with progression-free survival as low as 30-50% over 12 months. Our project intends to test a new nutritional intervention to see if recurrence in patients undergoing liver-directed therapy can be reduced. The intervention consists of limiting calorie intake to 8 hours during the day. We have shown this intervention to be effective at inhibiting liver cancer in preclinical models and hope to translate our findings to humans.

“Our research focuses on how early metabolic liver disease can progress to liver cancer. Our approaches include understanding the molecular events that occur early in disease that drive progression and oncogenesis, and developing interventions that can ameliorate the delirious effects of obesity and over-nutrition. With the support of Curebound, we aim to test our preclinical findings in humans with he hope of preventing recurrence of this deadly disease.” - Nick Webster

Liver Cancer

The incidence of liver cancer is rising and the 5-year survival is only 15%.

Feasibility Study for Prolonged Nightly Fasting in Patients Treated for Liver Cancer

Engaging a patient’s immune system to fight cancer – an approach known as immunotherapy – has been transformative for patients whose cancer does not respond to conventional therapies. However, not all patients respond to immunotherapy and in some cases a patient’s immune system can over-react in response to therapy, causing adverse effects. To address this, we have developed a strategy that uses antibodies with three arms to engage T cells, a white blood cell type that has potent anti-tumor activity, with tumor cells, in such a way that leverages a T cells natural ability to kill tumor cells without over-stimulation. This “tri-specific” antibody approach will be first tested in breast cancer.

“The emergence of immunotherapy is a watershed moment in the search for durable treatment options for patients. By educating a patient’s own immune system to eliminate cancer cells, the patient’s immune system maintains an ongoing capability for tumor surveillance long after therapy is completed. I am inspired by the possibility of leveraging this effect to provide patients with tangible hope for a cure. With the support for Curebound, we can make this a reality.” - Travis Young, PhD

Engaging a patient’s immune system to fight cancer – an approach known as immunotherapy – has been transformative for patients whose cancer does not respond to conventional therapies.

A Novel Costimulatory Ligand for Development of a First-in-Class Trispecific Antibody for Breast Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in men. With more than 160,000 new cases each year in the United States, it remains the second-leading cause of male cancer death in the US. This collaborative bench-to-bed project will use next-generation sequencing to increase the precision and effectiveness of therapy for patients. By integrating state-of-the-art bioinformatic and genomic analysis of patients enrolled in Phase 2 trials, this project expects to significantly improve outcomes by providing molecular-tailored treatments for individuals with this disease.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis in men. With more than 160,000 new cases each year in the United States, it remains the second-leading cause of male cancer death in the US.

Clinical Strategizing of PARP Inhibitors in Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer

AML is an aggressive and deadly cancer of white blood cells. Traditional chemotherapy has been used for the past 50 years, yet the survival rate is only 29%. This proposal is based on emerging evidence that AML cells are sensitive to drugs that interfere with the intracellular processes of “taking out the trash” and “recycling” (as known as proteostasis). The goal is to elucidate new strategies that can be used to more effectively treat AML and other cancers.

“Curebound’s support is instrumental to expanding our studies to determine if this approach holds the key to eliminating AML within the body. This vital research has the potential to revolutionize AML treatment and pave the way for new therapies benefiting all cancer patients. Curebound’s investment is propelling our mission to transform the lives of AML patients and make a lasting impact on cancer research.” - Robert Signer, PhD

AML is an aggressive and deadly cancer of white blood cells. 

Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Targeting the Proteostasis Network in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Cachexia is a major driver of cancer-associated symptoms and mortality. It is characterized by loss of body weight, is poorly understood, and
there are no available treatments. Cancers significantly impact the communication between organs to cause cachexia (wasting) in distal organs, through poorly understood mechanisms. Enabled by the generous funding from Curebound, we will define how lung tumors impact the communication between organs, and how muscles are impacted by altered organ-to-organ communication. Our insights into novel inter-organ communication mechanisms may lead to new diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutics to treat the underlying causes of cachexia to improve medical practice and health.

“Our team is extremely grateful to receive this Curebound Discovery Grant, which provides critical seed funding to enable a new partnership between three synergistic investigators. The generous funding from Curebound will transform the way mediators of cachexia are identified, and in the future lead to the development of new drugs to reverse the devastation caused by the disease.” -- Ilia Droujinine

Cachexia is a major driver of cancer-associated symptoms and mortality. It is characterized by loss of body weight, is poorly understood, and
there are no available treatments.

 Decoding and Validating New Therapeutic Targets in Cancer-associated Cachexia

Immunotherapies & Personalized Vaccines, Pediatric Cancer

Brain tumors are the most common solid tumors in children and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Immunotherapy, which uses the body’s immune system to fight cancer, has been very effective in many adult cancers, but it has not worked well for pediatric brain tumors (PBT).

Tumor cells have genetic changes which make them display ‘foreign’ proteins that can be recognized and targeted by T cells for elimination. PBT are thought to have minimal genetic alterations, and that they are devoid of T cells. Our recent studies (supported by Curebound) challenge this dogma and demonstrate that T cells infiltrate brain tumors and display anti-tumor functional features suggestive of their potential to reside in the tumor, and specifically recognize and kill tumor cells (neoantigen-specific
T cells). In this proposal, we will evaluate the presence and function of such neoantigen-specific T cells that specifically target the tumor cells
and eliminate them. For these studies, we will utilize patient brain tumor samples, cutting-edge T cell engineering and sequencing techniques to define which T cells in the tumor are neoantigen-specific. We will also
learn more about these T cells and their properties. We will evaluate their ability to control tumor using three-dimensional version of patient’s brain tumor cells (organoid) grown in the lab. These studies will provide definitive evidence of the presence and function of neoantigen-specific T cells and reveal new ways of boosting their numbers and activity, so they can seek out and destroy tumor cells. These data will lead to the development of clinical trials testing neoantigen-directed strategies such as personalized cancer vaccines to treat children with brain tumors.

“As a pediatric oncologist and physician scientist, my research goal is to develop immunotherapies that enhance anti-tumor immunity, and rationally combine these therapies with other synergistic treatments for maximal efficacy and minimal toxicity, thereby improving patient outcomes. In this project, we will work towards this goal in pediatric brain tumors which present a critical unmet need. Curebound’s funding will facilitate generation of key data to translate promising preclinical findings into meaningful therapies.” - Anusha Preethi Ganesan

Pediatric Cancers 

Deciphering T cell Specificity and Phenotype to Promote Anti-tumor Immunity in Pediatric Brain Tumors

Immunotherapies and Personalized Vaccines

Despite recent advances, malignant melanoma still causes thousands of deaths in the US each year. The goal of this project is to develop a novel, monoclonal antibody-based therapy that can reactivate the tumor-killing properties of the patient’s own immune system. This therapy has the potential to eradicate tumors that are refractory to existing therapy and thus save lives.

Despite recent advances, malignant melanoma still causes thousands of deaths in the US each year.

Skin Cancer

Advancing Immune Checkpoint Inhibition of PSGL-1 for Treatment of Malignant Melanoma

Pediatric leukemia is an aggressive disorder of the blood system. It is
the second most common pediatric cancer in United States and accounts for 26.1% of all cancer-related deaths. We were the first to report that fatality is partly driven by a unique phenomenon called RNA hyper-
editing, a process of introducing “mutations” in cancer RNA. However, the global landscape of A-to-I RNA editing in pediatric leukemia has not been systematically characterized. Our goal is to provide the first complete A-to-I RNA editing landscape childhood leukemia, which will provide essential information on how relapse occurs and reveal novel RNA hyper-editing events which may serve as attractive therapeutic targets.

“The support of Curebound will enable us to understand the role of RNA mutations in pediatric leukemia and if corrections of such mutations will prevent leukemia relapse. We hope this important work will lead to identification of novel drug targets and new strategies to combat childhood leukemia.” -- Qingfei Jiang

Pediatric Leukemia 

Pediatric leukemia is an aggressive disorder of the blood system. It is
the second most common pediatric cancer in United States and accounts for 26.1% of all cancer-related deaths.

Profiling and Targeting of the Epitranscriptome Landscape in Pediatric Leukemia

Immunotherapies & Personalized Vaccines, Novel Approaches & New Therapeutic Platforms, Cancer Equities

Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, and it disproportionately impacts Hispanics and other minorities in our community. Only one in five liver cancer patients responds to immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment, which stimulates the immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells. Our goal is to stoke a stronger immune response against liver cancer by combining checkpoint inhibitors with cryoablation, a minimally invasive treatment to release tumor fragments, and SD-101, which activates the immune system against those fragments. In doing so, we hope to train the body to fight liver cancer so that more people survive this deadly disease.

“Anyone who cares for patients with liver cancer knows that it is on the rise, and it comes back even after our best therapies. Liver cancer is notoriously hard for us to treat because it hides from the immune system. Our unique combination therapy is designed to train the immune system to recognize and eliminate liver cancer wherever it is lurking, then keep it from coming back. We are deeply grateful to Curebound for supporting us in pursuing our first clinical trial of this paradigm-shifting liver cancer treatment strategy. If successful, this approach will dramatically improve the prognosis for liver cancer patients and relieve the disproportionate burden it has on Veterans, Hispanics and other minorities.” -- Isabel Newton

Liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death, and it disproportionately impacts Hispanics and other minorities in our community.

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