Continuing its role as a leader in leukemia research, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has been awarded a five-year, $10.8 million grant to further its exceptional programs in leukemia and other blood cancers.
The grant, from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), renews funding for a prestigious Specialized Program of Research Excellence (SPORE) in leukemia. The NCI's SPORE program is designed to support translational research that moves discoveries from the lab to the clinic. The WashU Medicine leukemia SPORE is one of only two SPOREs in leukemia in the country.
Siteman Cancer Center, based at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and WashU Medicine, is one of a small vanguard of leading comprehensive cancer centers to have at least three SPORE grants. In addition to the leukemia SPORE, WashU Medicine also holds these prestigious programs of research excellence for endometrial and pancreatic cancers.
Having an NIH-funded SPORE in leukemia -; as well as in two additional cancer types -; puts WashU Medicine in an elite category of cancer centers across the country. Siteman is a real jewel in our community -; a great resource for our patients to get cutting-edge cancer therapy from world experts in the field. Our No. 1 mission is to provide state-of-the-art compassionate care. The studies funded by the SPORE are among the most innovative in the field of blood cancer, and they're available right here in St. Louis."
Daniel C. Link, MD, principal investigator, the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Endowed Professor of Medicine, director of the Division of Oncology in the Department of Medicine, and Siteman's deputy director
Over the next five years, Siteman's leukemia SPORE will provide funding for four major research studies:
All four projects will be supported by core resources funded by the SPORE, including a biospecimen processing core, a biostatistics and bioinformatics core and an administrative core. The grant also funds a career-enhancement program to help recruit, train and mentor new researchers focused on the investigation and treatment of blood cancers.
"Training the next generation of physician-scientists is key to ensuring that we have the people and systems in place to take the newest discoveries and translate them into treatments that can improve patient care," Link said. "We're looking forward to the next years of discovery that this grant renewal makes possible."