Novocure announces grants for cancer research
Root - Novocure in the canton of Lucerne and the American Association for Cancer Research are awarding cancer research grants for the fifth time. They will specifically support research work on Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields).
Novocure with headquarters in Root and the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) have launched their fifth annual grants to support innovative research on Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields). According to a press release, the program is aimed at researchers working to deepen understanding of the mechanisms of action of TTFields therapy and to accelerate the development of new treatment strategies to advance therapeutic options for cancer.
TTFields are electric fields that exert physical forces to kill cancer cells via a variety of mechanisms. The multiple, distinct mechanisms of TTFields therapy work together to disrupt mitosis in cancer cells, downregulate genes important for DNA damage repair in cancer cells, enhance the downstream antitumor immune response and interfere with cancer cell motility and migration, making cancer cells more susceptible to different therapies.
This year’s grants encourage proposals to focus on studies promoting the transition of in vitro work into in vivo systems, combination therapies involving TTFields or translational projects bringing treatments involving TTFields into the clinic. They will include three research grants for independent investigators, each totaling US$350,000, and one Career Development Award for Cancer Research for junior faculty members, totaling $300,000. All grants will be paid over three years.
«We are proud to continue the AACR-Novocure partnership,» said Mitch Stoller, the AACR’s Chief Philanthropic Officer. «These grant mechanisms support talented investigators and catalyze advances in TTFields research in a unique way.»
