Curebound Grants $8.5M To 23 Projects Researching Cancer

SAN DIEGO, CA — Local philanthropic organization Curebound Wednesday announced it has awarded 23 grants worth $8.5 million, including a $1 million Cure Prize, to further cancer research programs.

Curebound's Scientific Advisory Board, along with more than 100 scientific peer reviewers, looked at hundreds of applications for grants.

"Curebound identified these recipients based on their scientific strengths and ability to translate research breakthroughs into life-saving treatments quickly," Curebound Chief Science Advisor Dr. Ezra Cohen said. "We are grateful to the scientists nationwide who volunteered to evaluate hundreds of grant applications to select these 23 exciting cancer studies."

The top award, the Cure Prize, was given to UC San Diego researchers Ludmil Alexandrov, Dr. Diane Simeone and Dr. Karandeep Singh and UC Berkeley scientist Adam Yala for their studies on an artificial intelligence framework for early detection of pancreatic cancer.

A total of eight research teams were awarded Curebound Targeted Grants, which provide $500,000 each to projects that are closer to clinical stages. Curebound Discovery Grants were granted to 10 research teams, providing one-time seed grants of $250,000 for early-phase studies that "require interinstitutional collaboration and have the potential to open new frontiers in cancer science," according to a Curebound statement.

A Curebound Catalyst Grant of $250,000 was given to Illudent Therapeutics for work on "precision small-molecule targeting cancers deficient in nucleotide-excision repair."

Finally, three groups earned $250,000 Equity Grants, given to teams advancing cancer care in "medically underrepresented and underserved communities, with the goal of improving access, outcomes and equity," the statement said.

"This $8.5 million in funding will support diverse, innovative and highly promising cancer research efforts," Curebound CEO Anne Marbarger said. "None of this would be possible without our committed donors and the incredible scientific advisors who volunteer their time to rigorously review and select the studies Curebound funds.

"We're proud to support these talented scientists and research teams and look forward to the progress their work will bring for people living with cancer," she added.

The complete list of grantees and projects is available at cdn.sanity.io/files/ae9p2tck/production/0195c35a4449f1cf93e99638a255eb2cfe4d8fd e.pdf.

— City News Service