This funding offers a promising opportunity to make significant strides in combating the increasingly lethal threat of liver cancer.
A team of researchers at Jefferson has secured a $1.3 million grant from President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, providing crucial support to scientists with diverse backgrounds
Researcher Hien Dang expressed her elation at the grant, emphasizing the immense effort her team of researchers invested. The team of researchers focus lies on developing a pioneering treatment for liver cancer, involving a protein encapsulated in microbubbles. Administered intravenously, the bubbles travel to the liver and are activated by ultrasound. This innovative approach targets cells present in various types of cancer, potentially revolutionizing treatment.
The Moonshot Award specifically targets a team of researchers from diverse backgrounds addressing cancers that disproportionately affect underserved communities. Dang and her team of researchers, who hail from Vietnam, where liver cancer is prevalent, attests to the program’s alignment with her personal journey and mission to give back to society.
In the United States, liver cancer, primarily linked to hepatitis, disproportionately impacts minority populations
Marilou Orgasan, an early recipient of the microbubble therapy in May 2018, affectionately dubs it “bubble therapy” and attests to its effectiveness in tumor reduction.
Now, five years later, she continues to thrive, providing inspiration for Dang and her team of researchers to further refine the therapy using a mutated protein. The dedicated researchers have also uncovered a unique characteristic, playfully dubbed the “belly dancer,” in the protein’s movement during testing.
The Moonshot grant will sustain their research endeavors for a span of five years, fueling ongoing exploration and innovation in the fight against liver cancer.
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