Pinktober Revolution
Comments
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Above, I have posted bios of 3 of the 11 co-founders of StandUp2Cancer....interestingly all the co-founders are women (along with the Entertainment Industry Foundation). All of the women have had very successful careers, and have made lots of money, through their work in the entertainment industry, so aren't in it for financial gain. They truly seem to be involved with this organization because of their own personal connection to cancer, which has led to their desire to raise money for research, research, research. I, myself, would be very comfortable donating money to this organization.0 -
Please understand, Ruth, am not trying to criticize. But I feel that these organizations aren't being totally honest because there has to be money for office salaries and "operating expenses" so in my mind, at least, the money given out shouldn't add to 100%. I'd love to see it being close to 100% but that's not realistic. I feel like that's where they bury the actual amount of money NOT being spent as they state (such as research or actually developing a cure).0 -
http://community.breastcancer.org/forum/110/topic/794711?page=1#idx_8
Stand Up To Cancer---a work in progress
Mission statement: http://www.standup2cancer.org/mission_statement
1. Does any money from this purchase go to support breast cancer programs? How much? (My addition--% to recipient and/or % administrative costs)
2. What organization will get the money? What will they do with the funds, and how do these programs turn the tide of the breast cancer epidemic?
3. Is there a "cap" on the amount the company will donate? Has this maximum donation already been met? Can you tell?
4. Does this purchase put you or someone you love at risk for exposure to toxins linked to breast cancer? What is the company doing to ensure that its products are not contributing to the breast cancer epidemic?
The link above goes to the organizations thread. The questions are in the header . They are from Breast Cancer Action organization. If you apply the questions while reading and researching an organization. You can SEE where the money goes. Intergal to the search is a careful analysis of the information on Charity Navigator. A comparison of the disclosures made to the Charity Navigator watch dog group and what an organization puts on their web site needs to be done in order to SEE if the organization is being truthful about how they spend their money.
Since the same questions keep being asked, I can only surmise the link hasn't been read by those here. EVER. Except Fredtan and Ruth.
Mini check the link it will explain about TETWP.
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Ruth I will attempt to transfer your info to the Link above. Thanks for your effort. It's greatly appreciated
BCO computer difficulties are messing with every thing. I transferred your first post on SU2C. But it didn't transfer the way they usually do. It identifies you, but not in the bold print as usual. Paragraghs are lost. NOT SURE if it can be fixed later. So rather than have it look as the first transfer, I will reserve boxes and transfer the other items later when BCO's computer mainframe server is fixed. 0 -
I tried to post the header here for the above link. Couldn't do it. Please read the link. If you choose not to that's fine. But if you care about where the money goes, The BCA questions will lead you to an answer.0
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2NdTime, Charity navigator web site breaks down EVERYTHING related to an 501c3 charity. Give it a view. It's very interesting.0
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Sad when your Oncologist who has given more than 20 years to Breast Cancer Research and Treatment to others also get's diagnosed with BC. She went through all the motions with us. Lucky enough I had just finished my chemo when she started. It left us speechless!0 -
Thanks, SAS, will give it a look later.0 -
Can someone please explain to me what exactly No Bra Day - October 13th - is supposed to do to advance the cause? I thought it was a joke when I first saw it.0 -
its totally offensive to me, especially calling breasts tatas0 -
My understanding is the Stand Up To Cancer's operating expenses..i.e. salaries, office expense...are provided by direct donations from company and other wealthy sponsors, usually through permanently funded foundations set up specifically for those purposes. Donations from the public and other fundraisers are completely 100% donated to cancer research.0 -
"My understanding is the Stand Up To Cancer's operating expenses..i.e. salaries, office expense...are provided by direct donations from company and other wealthy sponsors, usually through permanently funded foundations set up specifically for those purposes. "
OK so the question everyone would like answered is actually how much are these expenses? How much are the salaries and office expenses (individually)? Unless you know these (individual)figures you don't know how to make a proper informed choice and you don't know if someones creaming off the funds. Absolutely EVERYTHING financially needs to be an opened book otherwise how do you make an informed decision. Accountability needs to stand up to every rigorous tested thrown at it.
Sorry but what are tatas? Never heard that expression where I come from.
As for shaving, going bra-less et al all it does is focus momentarily on the one doing it AS IF somehow they can be proud cuz theyve done their WONDERFUL bit for society. What a phoney waste of time. What about offering REAL help like bringing a meal over, offering housework, or transport to appointments etc, and what about doing it silently so no one notices instead of parading before all saying look how great I am. UGH.
The pink idiotic stuff is disgusting.0 -
I've done some research on the Stand Up To Cancer fund and I found that it is a program ran by the Entertainment Industry Foundation.
What is the Stand Up To Cancer Federal Tax ID number?
Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. The EIF Federal Tax ID number is 95-1644609
The charity navigator pulls up this information if you enter the EIF ID into its advance search parameters.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3670#.UlM5UlIwBqE
The website for the Entertainment Industry Foundation, if anyone is interested is:
I hope this helps to clarify how Stand Up To Cancer is funded and how the program is operated.0 -
Thanks for clearing it up aaoaao, but that can't be the same for all other organizations
Also, have a running debate with the mom whose son died on the FB Be Bald Be Bold (or whatever it's called). I'm appalled she's defending the organization I find it insulting, appalling and exploitive myself0 -
Ladies - I posted the following to my Facebook page today. I had to be careful, as so many friends and family DO get caught up in wearing the pink T-shirts, pink soccer gear, Racing For The Cure, etc. I didn't want to insult anyone personally, especially since my family and friends were there for me in a thousand loving, different ways after my dx. Like I said, I look for teachable moments.
So I posted this, and immediately got comments like "I had no idea!" "Thank you for letting us know!" and several friends shared it to THEIR pages. Hopefully, more people will look at Pinktober in a new way.
~~~~~
PLEASE THINK BEFORE YOU PINK
To my dear family and friends who supported me so lovingly since my breast cancer diagnosis two years ago – thank you.
But once again, October is here – “Breast Cancer Awareness” month, and the tsunami of pink has started. “Pinkwashing” is everywhere. Greedy merchants are wrapping every conceivable product in pink, with the mantra “We Support Breast Cancer Awareness” in order to sell more products. Well, gee – who DOESN’T support “Awareness”?
Unfortunately, “awareness” isn’t enough. Every day, somewhere in the United States, a woman is being diagnosed with breast cancer every 3 minutes. Somewhere, a woman is dying of breast cancer every 13 minutes. One in eight women will be diagnosed with BC in her lifetime.
Between 25% and 30% of all women who have had early stage breast cancer will go on to become Stage IV- terminal. Over 40,000 women are still dying of Stage IV breast cancer every year.
Treatments have come a long way since the early days…. We can now determine the actual DNA of the cancer and try to treat it appropriately. But still….no cure.
Every single woman who has ever had breast cancer, no matter how early it is detected, still faces the reality of a possible recurrence, or metastasis.
It is wonderful that money is being raised for women who cannot afford to get mammograms. Unfortunately, mammograms do not always detect breast cancer. That was true in my case.
I was blessed. My cancer was found early, thanks to other symptoms. I had a wonderful medical team on my side, and God directing my care. I do not discount His healing.
But what we need is a CURE. And how do we find a cure? Money. Serious money being donated to legitimate research organizations that focus on pure research, not shady pseudo-charities that troll for money to line their pockets.
I have two requests:
1) If you are in a store, and are tempted to purchase a pink ribbon product (or anything swathed in pink), please read the fine print. If all the manufacturer says is “We support breast cancer awareness!” then you have been suckered in by PINKWASHING.
If there is a name of a legitimate charity mentioned (and you can verify this through the Charity Navigator website) along with an actual dollar figure that is donated, then it’s worth it. Sadly, this is not true in the majority of products sold in Pinktober.
And 2) The worst of the breast charities will resort to telemarketing, only to have your donations line the pockets of the administrators, not to go to research, or services for women. Even some local “charities” will toot the “Breast Cancer Awareness!” horn, loudly, until you look closely, and see that most of the money is used for “administrative costs”… usually meaning high salaries for those running the show.
For the record, the Susan G. Komen Foundation has been in the hot seat nationally since a series of public relations disasters last year. However, our local Komen Director is an absolute warrior, fighting for services for Valley women. She is a tireless advocate and a breast cancer survivor herself. If the majority of the funds raised during the upcoming Race For The Cure go to our Valley women who will directly benefit from services, then that’s still crucial for early detection and treatment.
Again, I love and thank all of you for your support during the past TWO years (WOOT!) and this month especially, PLEASE THINK BEFORE YOU PINK.0 -
well stated, Blessings! Could really feel your sincerity, congrats by the way!0 -
I forgot to post the following about Stand Up To Cancer:Funding model
With the exception of a 10% endowment for possible future investments, the funds raised by SU2C will go as immediately as possible toward research. 100% of publicly donated funds go to research, none to overhead costs. 70% of funds will go to scientific "dream teams" established by experts, including the American Association for Cancer Research.[5] Teams picked will be subject to mandated collaboration in hopes of accelerating research. The remaining 20% of funds will go to innovative young investigators who might not otherwise gain funding.[6]
SU2C "dream teams" will be composed of scientific experts, patient advocates, and experts in pre-clinical trial data. SU2C distinguishes itself from federal funding agencies like the National Institutes of Health by stressing that funding needs to go to applicable research now, when we finally possess promising knowledge about cancer and how it works at the molecular level.[7]
I'm not saying you should or shouldn't donate to them..I think that is a personal decision. I'm just trying to provide as much info as possible. In my opinion they seem to be giving at least a majority of their donated funds to direct research. My only problem with them is that one of their sponsors is Cancer Treatment Centers of America..which I can't stand. However, I'm willing to accept that if they actually give money that funds research for a possible cancer cure.0 -
Very well state Blessings. I may just steal that.0 -
Blessing---welllllllll said. Kudos.
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HellooooAAoAAo. Thanks for your input 0
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Blessings. Very well said.
For whoever asked, tatas is an offensive term for breasts I've seen small car stickers, SAVE THE TATAS0 -
Well said Blessings!0 -
O.K. Here you go. StandUp2Cancer is one of the charities funded by the Entertainment Industry Foundation. First is the breakdown of the entire foundation from Charity Navigator, and second I have addressed StandUp2Cancer itself (also through Charity Navigator):
Entertainment Industry Foundation
1201 West Fifth Street
Suite T-700
Los Angeles, CA 90017
tel: (213) 240-3900
fax: (213) 481-3100
EIN: 95-1644609
Mission: Created in 1942, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) was established on the belief that the entertainment industry was in a unique position to truly help others. EIF harnesses the collective power of the entertainment industry and channels its unique assets to raise awareness and funds for critical health, educational and social issues in order to make a positive impact in our community and throughout the nation. Annually, the Entertainment Industry Foundation funds more than 300 charitable organizations within the greater Los Angeles area and throughout the nation.
Score (out of 70) Rating
Overall 61.34
Financial 57.76
Accountability & Transparency 70.00
Financial Performance Metrics
Program Expenses (Percent of the charity’s budget spent on the programs and services it exists to deliver) 77.6%
Administrative Expenses 9.7%
Fundraising Expenses 12.5%
Fundraising Efficiency $0.18
Primary Revenue Growth 13.2%
Program Expenses Growth 27.7%
Working Capital Ratio (years) 0.54
Accountability & Transparency Performance Metrics Information Provided on the Form 990 (my note: all these areas are checked 'yes' in the critique) Independent Voting Board Members, No Material diversion of assets, Audited financials prepared by independent accountant, Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From related parties, Documents Board Meeting Minutes, Provided copy of Form 990 to organization's governing body in advance of filing, Conflict of Interest Policy, Whistleblower Policy, Records Retention and Destruction Policy, CEO listed with salary, Process for determining CEO compensation, Board Listed / Board Members Not Compensated
Is the following information easily accessible on the charity's website? (my note: all these areas are checked 'yes' in the critque) Donor Privacy Policy, Board Members Listed, Audited Financials Form 990, Key staff listed
Contributions
Contributions, Gifts & Grants$36,788,081
Federated Campaigns$0
Membership Dues$0
Fundraising Events$4,457,791
Related Organizations$0
Government Grants$0
Total Contributions$41,245,872
Program Service Revenue$0
Total Primary Revenue$41,245,872
Other Revenue$158,865
TOTAL REVENUE$41,404,737
EXPENSES
Program Expenses$46,468,144
Administrative Expenses$5,850,145
Fundraising Expenses$7,534,816
TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES$59,853,105
Payments to Affiliates$0
Excess (or Deficit) for the year $-18,448,368
Net Assets$32,603,989
Compensation of Leaders:
Compensation $414,855, 0.69% of Expenses
Paid to Lisa PaulsenPresident, CEO
http://www.standup2cancer.org/mission_statement
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a groundbreaking initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C is bringing together the best and the brightest researchers and encouraging collaboration instead of competition among the entire cancer community. By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2C creates awareness and builds broad public support for this effort.
SU2C’s unique funding model, developed with the help of prominent cancer researchers, encourages collaboration and innovation through two new types of scientific grant.
Dream Team grants are awarded to multi-institutional groups of scientists who work collaboratively, rather than competitively, to develop new treatments quickly in order to save lives now.
Innovative Research Grants support groundbreaking cancer research projects that are high-risk but could also be high-impact, and have the potential to significantly affect patient care.
1. Does any money from this purchase go to support breast cancer programs? and 2. What organization will get the money? What will they do with the funds, and how do these programs turn the tide of the breast cancer epidemic? Here is the project one of the Dream Teams is working on:
An Integrated Approach to Targeting Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes and Their Resistance Phenotypes
Funding: $16.5 million
Leader: Joe W. Gray, Ph.D., professor and chair, biomedical engineering department, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, and Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., director of clinical/translational research at the University of California Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Project Background
During the past several years, researchers have come to understand that breast cancer is not a single disease but rather a spectrum of conditions that vary in their biology and response to treatment. Understanding breast cancer’s molecular diversity has been the driving force leading to the development of new treatments for this disease. Researchers are rapidly moving beyond the "one size fits all" approach into a new era in which breast cancer treatments will be tailored to the biology of the tumor. This project will address the most significant issues related to the three major subtypes of breast cancer — ER positive, HER2 positive, and triple negative (simultaneously ER negative, PR negative and HER2 negative) and will use that information to develop innovative, less toxic therapies with the potential to improve the treatment outcomes for women with this disease.
One of the primary obstacles to effective cancer treatment is the ability of cancer cells to become resistant to treatments that are initially effective. Over a period of time, cancer cells are able to develop ways of "outsmarting" the drugs and agents designed to kill them, a phenomenon known as drug resistance. This Dream Team will study the driving mechanisms that lead to drug resistance in the three major breast cancer subtypes. Understanding resistance opens the door to developing innovative therapeutic agents that overcome this critical problem.
Another area of interest is in the role that cancer stem cells play in resistance. Researchers now realize that the growth and spread of many cancers, including breast cancers, are influenced by the existence of these stem cells which are often highly resistant to otherwise effective treatments. The Team will study the ways in which this unique malignant cell population operates across the three major breast cancer subtypes, knowledge that could be important to the developing new treatments for breast as well as other major cancers.
One critical component of this study will be to bring together the vast amount of information that exists about breast cancer into an integrated data base that will form a "discovery platform", or basis for identifying and validating new drug combinations and targets that can be pursued in clinical trials. The Team expects that these efforts will lead to significantly improved therapies for breast cancer, especially the most difficult to treat forms, within the three-year period.
Status Update
6 month milestones
In the first six months, the Dream Team focused on implementing a variety of integrated approaches to identify novel targets and mechanisms that may lead to later stage clinical trials opportunities. These so-called "discovery" studies included the development of (1) techniques that can measure drug impacts on single cells; (2) xenografts model from human tissues; and (3) 2D and 3D assays to examine the interaction of tumor cells with their environment in response to drug treatment. In addition, they completed the construction of a library of "short hairpin RNAs" (shRNAs) that will be used to systematically inactivate genes in order to identify potential new targets for therapy. The Dream Team also established a state-of-the-art bioinformatics and data analysis platform aimed at maximizing multi-site communication and collaboration.
On the clinical side, the Dream Team made progress in the validation of new drug treatments to circumvent anti-hormone resistance in ER positive breast cancers. Potential candidates include VEGFR2 inhibitors, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), c-SRC inhibitors, as well as PI3K inhibitors. They also showed that cells expressing the gene ZNF217 were more resistant to chemotherapy, suggesting that this gene could be good target for new therapies. For HER2 positive breast cancers, the Dream Team focused on the development and characterization of tumor cell lines model that demonstrate either acquired or de novo resistance to two different drugs: lapatinib or trastuzamab. Analyses of these preclinical data are ongoing, and potential targets will be selected for in vivo validation studies. The Dream Team also reported an interesting correlation between a deficiency in the product of the gene RAD51, and strong response to chemotherapy for triple negative breast cancers. Finally, the Dream Team developed a method to identify cancer stem cells (CSCs) in breast cancer cell lines. They reported data indicating that Herceptin may target those CSCs when used in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent.
12 month milestones
In this period, the Dream Team continued their preclinical studies to determine how resistance arises in each subtype of breast cancer, and the best drugs that can be employed to overcome this resistance. Some of the planned targets, such as c-SRC, failed to be confirmed as drug resistance mechanisms in ER positive breast cancers. They began planning clinical trials to test other potential targets, such as VEGFR2, or cdk-4/6. Positive results for HER2 positive breast cancers were reported as the Team identified the loss of PTEN, combined with mutations in the PI3K pathway, as a potential mechanism of resistance. The Dream Team also reported the results of clinical trials demonstrating that the drugs Lapatinib and Trastuzumab have a synergistic effect when used in combination.
The "discovery group" within the Dream Team assembled and classified several hundred breast cancer cell lines, and the bioinformatics Team began working to extract novel information from this large dataset. Progress on 3D models of breast cancer cells was also reported. There, the Team has made the interesting observation that those cells in the outer layer in 3D cultures seem to be protected from treatment with PI3K inhibitors. Their next step was to explore the molecular mechanism responsible for this phenomenon.
18 month milestones
At the half-way point, the Dream Team translated some of their preclinical studies into the clinic; multiple clinical trials were started for each of the different types of breast cancers, and more were still in the planning phase. The Dream Team also reported extensive preclinical evaluation of T-DM1, a HER2-targeted agent which appears to be effective against HER positive breast cancer cell lines, even when Trastuzumab and/or Lapatinib failed. The Dream Team reported on their continued effort to discover new targets and agents for triple negative breast cancers, particularly those targeting DNA repair pathways which tend to be crippled in many triple negative breast cancers. Of note, the product of the gene PTPN12 seems to act as a tumor suppressor by interfering with the activity of a number of receptor tyrosine kinases, and appears to be mutated in 5% of triple negative breast cancers and absent from as many as 60%. This finding suggests that Sunitinib (or Crizotinib) and Lapatinib might have beneficial activity against these tumors.
The Team also reported follow-up studies based on their observation that cells located in the outer layer of 3D cultures were activating a variety of survival signaling pathways leading to treatment resistance. They confirmed that this phenomenon was also evident for model breast cancer cells propagated in vivo, and for breast cancer tissue specimens in women treated with anti-breast cancer agents. These preclinical experiments have nominated combinations of targeted drugs and the BCL-2 antagonist ABT-737 for future clinical trials.
24 month milestones
At the two year mark, the Dream Team had made significant progress at integrating "omics" data from various sources. They launched the SU2C Cancer Genomics Browser that contains both SU2C-generated and other published data from hundreds of cell lines. Most of the data from other platforms, such as those generated by other SU2C Dream Teams, or non SU2C-affiliated laboratories, can be easily ported to the SU2C Cancer Genomics Browser and added to the collection.
The Team also continued to make progress in defining both prognostic and predictive genomic signatures. Notably, their preclinical work using cell lines and animal models led to the identification of genes potentially involved in the development of resistance to hormone therapy. These included MEK1/2, mTOR, B1-intergrin, FAK, c-Src, and PTEN. From these efforts, a new clinical trial was planned to test the effect of specific inhibitors of MEK1/2, mTOR, B1-intergrin, and FAK.
The studies on the effect of the microenvironment on drug sensitivity continued moving forward with linkages to the clinical research components of the Team. Specifically, the up-regulation of Bcl-2 in the microenvironment suggested that it might create an opportunity for combination therapy using a Bcl-2 antagonist. The Dream Team also reported plans to move forward with a PARP inhibitor that was shown to be 100-fold more potent than other agents currently in the clinic; a phase I trial was initiated. The Dream Team plans to take the drug into trials for ER positive and HER2 positive breast cancers.
30 month milestones
By the end of this period, the Dream Team has initiated or joined a significant portfolio of breast cancer clinical trials, clearly contributing to improving breast cancer outcomes. Of note are attempts to improve treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer using the new drug T-DM1. A neoadjuvant trial of the conjugate given in alone and in various combinations (including with Pertuzumab and no cytotoxic chemotherapy) should discern the magnitude of the treatment effect. Another promising study involves the new PARP inhibitor BMN-673 that appears to be so much more potent that the other existing PARP inhibitors.
The Dream Team reported a fascinating opportunity for triple negative breast cancers with PTPN12, which is lost in 65-70% of triple negative breast cancer cases, exhibits tumor suppressor actions when reintroduced into breast cancer cells devoid of the enzyme. The Team is now exploring the possibility of a clinical trial with sunitinib and crizotinib, two drugs that are FDA-approved and marketed by Pfizer; contacts with the oncology development group at Pfizer have been initiated.
Also, several key preclinical concepts generated by the Team are advancing to clinical assessment. For instance, the Team has continued its effort to tease apart mechanisms of adaptive resistance to targeted drugs exhibited by breast cancer cells in the context of 3D cultures. They identified the gene Bcl-2 as a critical component of treatment resistance. The Dream Team reported a number of clinical observations that provide a strong rationale for the use of Bcl-2 antagonists in combination with HER2 treatment.
The various screens using shRNA libraries developed by the Dream Team since the inception of the project appear to have the potential to discriminate adaptive versus selected resistance mechanisms. Several screens have been completed; others are in the pipeline. Finally, the combined cell line screening studies and enhanced bioinformatics efforts have begun to produce genomic signatures related to drug sensitivity and resistance as well as prognosis for different breast cancer types and are suggesting ways to link drugs to treatment of cancers with specific genomic signatures. The Team intends to disseminate data and analysis tools broadly to other SU2C-funded Dream Teams and eventually the broader scientific community.
36 month milestones
During this last period of the initial grant term, the Dream Team has continued to make significant progress in all studies initiated. They have completed some, and will pursue others through monies leveraged from other sources. The Team has continued to develop the work demonstrating the role of Bcl-2 in breast cancer cell survival, including the possible use of Bcl-2 inhibitors (e.g., ABT-737) in breast cancer treatment. They have also continued their efforts to develop the new PARP inhibitor (BMN-763) for possible use in breast cancer patients. Supplemental funding of $1.0 million was approved to allow a subset of the original Dream Team to translate these two promising avenues of research into the clinic.
In this period, the Team reports the development of a robust system to assess genomic aberrations and drug responses in cells grown on cell spot microarrays (CSMA). Numerous studies are now underway using this system. Analyses of the 32 completed genome-wide RNAi screens using the third generation shRNA library (74,304 shRNAs targeting > 19,000 genes) have also continued; data has been analyzed for 16 of the 32 so far. For the sequencing, the Team has transitioned to high capacity platforms and developed a new protocol that will allow completion of sequencing in the first half of 2013. The Team has continued to develop and improve computational methods to analyze and visualize the wealth of data generated by this and other SU2C-funded Dream Teams. These include: PARADIGM, PARADIGM- SHIFT, Differential Pathway Signature Correlation (DiPSC), and the SU2C Cancer Genome Browser.
The Haussler group is requesting further support from SU2C to support the UCSC Cancer Genomics Browser as a common resource to service all SU2C teams. The browser will be a platform for data sharing, and provides a coherent mechanism for teams to release data to the public. The browser will serve as a living data portal to view, access and retrieve past and current SU2C team data. As each team concludes their projects, the datasets generated under their awards could be made available at a common site that provides storage and retrieval, dynamic access and online exploration. If funded, The Haussler lab would work with all the teams to process and host their data sets
How much money? Since Stand Up To Cancer was founded in May 2008, we have granted $161 Million Dollars to ten Dream Teams of scientists and researchers, one international translational research team and 26 high-risk, high-reward Innovative Research Grants.
100% of public funds go directly into research grants. A portion of the funds that are raised from major donations and third-party fundraising go towards administrative expenses and overhead.
3. Is there a "cap" on the amount the company will donate? Has this maximum donation already been met? Can you tell? No cap; the more money raised, the more funding there is for research.
4. Does this purchase put you or someone you love at risk for exposure to toxins linked to breastcancer? What is the company doing to ensure that its products are not contributing to the breastcancer epidemic? I went to the website store and looked at all their products. They sell clothes, blankets, pet sweaters & leases, jewelry, tennis shoes, blankets, cups, buttons etc. all with the StandUp2Cancer Logo. Nothing I saw would contain any toxins.0 -
O.K. Here you go. StandUp2Cancer is one of the charities funded by the Entertainment Industry Foundation. First is the breakdown of the entire foundation from Charity Navigator, and second I have addressed StandUp2Cancer itself (also through Charity Navigator):
Entertainment Industry Foundation
1201 West Fifth Street
Suite T-700
Los Angeles, CA 90017
tel: (213) 240-3900
fax: (213) 481-3100
EIN: 95-1644609
Mission: Created in 1942, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) was established on the belief that the entertainment industry was in a unique position to truly help others. EIF harnesses the collective power of the entertainment industry and channels its unique assets to raise awareness and funds for critical health, educational and social issues in order to make a positive impact in our community and throughout the nation. Annually, the Entertainment Industry Foundation funds more than 300 charitable organizations within the greater Los Angeles area and throughout the nation.
Score (out of 70) Rating
Overall 61.34
Financial 57.76
Accountability & Transparency 70.00
Financial Performance Metrics
Program Expenses (Percent of the charity’s budget spent on the programs and services it exists to deliver) 77.6%
Administrative Expenses 9.7%
Fundraising Expenses 12.5%
Fundraising Efficiency $0.18
Primary Revenue Growth 13.2%
Program Expenses Growth 27.7%
Working Capital Ratio (years) 0.54
Accountability & Transparency Performance Metrics Information Provided on the Form 990 (my note: all these areas are checked 'yes' in the critique) Independent Voting Board Members, No Material diversion of assets, Audited financials prepared by independent accountant, Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From related parties, Documents Board Meeting Minutes, Provided copy of Form 990 to organization's governing body in advance of filing, Conflict of Interest Policy, Whistleblower Policy, Records Retention and Destruction Policy, CEO listed with salary, Process for determining CEO compensation, Board Listed / Board Members Not Compensated
Is the following information easily accessible on the charity's website? (my note: all these areas are checked 'yes' in the critque) Donor Privacy Policy, Board Members Listed, Audited Financials Form 990, Key staff listed
Contributions
Contributions, Gifts & Grants$36,788,081
Federated Campaigns$0
Membership Dues$0
Fundraising Events$4,457,791
Related Organizations$0
Government Grants$0
Total Contributions$41,245,872
Program Service Revenue$0
Total Primary Revenue$41,245,872
Other Revenue$158,865
TOTAL REVENUE$41,404,737
EXPENSES
Program Expenses$46,468,144
Administrative Expenses$5,850,145
Fundraising Expenses$7,534,816
TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES$59,853,105
Payments to Affiliates$0
Excess (or Deficit) for the year $-18,448,368
Net Assets$32,603,989
Compensation of Leaders:
Compensation $414,855 0.69% of Expenses
Paid to Lisa PaulsenPresident, CEO
http://www.standup2cancer.org/mission_statement
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a groundbreaking initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C is bringing together the best and the brightest researchers and encouraging collaboration instead of competition among the entire cancer community. By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2C creates awareness and builds broad public support for this effort.
SU2C’s unique funding model, developed with the help of prominent cancer researchers, encourages collaboration and innovation through two new types of scientific grant.
Dream Team grants are awarded to multi-institutional groups of scientists who work collaboratively, rather than competitively, to develop new treatments quickly in order to save lives now.
Innovative Research Grants support groundbreaking cancer research projects that are high-risk but could also be high-impact, and have the potential to significantly affect patient care.
1. Does any money from this purchase go to support breast cancer programs? and 2. What organization will get the money? What will they do with the funds, and how do these programs turn the tide of the breast cancer epidemic? Here is the project one of the Dream Teams is working on:
An Integrated Approach to Targeting Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes and Their Resistance Phenotypes
Funding: $16.5 million
Leader: Joe W. Gray, Ph.D., professor and chair, biomedical engineering department, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, and Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., director of clinical/translational research at the University of California Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Project Background
During the past several years, researchers have come to understand that breast cancer is not a single disease but rather a spectrum of conditions that vary in their biology and response to treatment. Understanding breast cancer’s molecular diversity has been the driving force leading to the development of new treatments for this disease. Researchers are rapidly moving beyond the "one size fits all" approach into a new era in which breast cancer treatments will be tailored to the biology of the tumor. This project will address the most significant issues related to the three major subtypes of breast cancer — ER positive, HER2 positive, and triple negative (simultaneously ER negative, PR negative and HER2 negative) and will use that information to develop innovative, less toxic therapies with the potential to improve the treatment outcomes for women with this disease.
One of the primary obstacles to effective cancer treatment is the ability of cancer cells to become resistant to treatments that are initially effective. Over a period of time, cancer cells are able to develop ways of "outsmarting" the drugs and agents designed to kill them, a phenomenon known as drug resistance. This Dream Team will study the driving mechanisms that lead to drug resistance in the three major breast cancer subtypes. Understanding resistance opens the door to developing innovative therapeutic agents that overcome this critical problem.
Another area of interest is in the role that cancer stem cells play in resistance. Researchers now realize that the growth and spread of many cancers, including breast cancers, are influenced by the existence of these stem cells which are often highly resistant to otherwise effective treatments. The Team will study the ways in which this unique malignant cell population operates across the three major breast cancer subtypes, knowledge that could be important to the developing new treatments for breast as well as other major cancers.
One critical component of this study will be to bring together the vast amount of information that exists about breast cancer into an integrated data base that will form a "discovery platform", or basis for identifying and validating new drug combinations and targets that can be pursued in clinical trials. The Team expects that these efforts will lead to significantly improved therapies for breast cancer, especially the most difficult to treat forms, within the three-year period.
Status Update
6 month milestones
In the first six months, the Dream Team focused on implementing a variety of integrated approaches to identify novel targets and mechanisms that may lead to later stage clinical trials opportunities. These so-called "discovery" studies included the development of (1) techniques that can measure drug impacts on single cells; (2) xenografts model from human tissues; and (3) 2D and 3D assays to examine the interaction of tumor cells with their environment in response to drug treatment. In addition, they completed the construction of a library of "short hairpin RNAs" (shRNAs) that will be used to systematically inactivate genes in order to identify potential new targets for therapy. The Dream Team also established a state-of-the-art bioinformatics and data analysis platform aimed at maximizing multi-site communication and collaboration.
On the clinical side, the Dream Team made progress in the validation of new drug treatments to circumvent anti-hormone resistance in ER positive breast cancers. Potential candidates include VEGFR2 inhibitors, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), c-SRC inhibitors, as well as PI3K inhibitors. They also showed that cells expressing the gene ZNF217 were more resistant to chemotherapy, suggesting that this gene could be good target for new therapies. For HER2 positive breast cancers, the Dream Team focused on the development and characterization of tumor cell lines model that demonstrate either acquired or de novo resistance to two different drugs: lapatinib or trastuzamab. Analyses of these preclinical data are ongoing, and potential targets will be selected for in vivo validation studies. The Dream Team also reported an interesting correlation between a deficiency in the product of the gene RAD51, and strong response to chemotherapy for triple negative breast cancers. Finally, the Dream Team developed a method to identify cancer stem cells (CSCs) in breast cancer cell lines. They reported data indicating that Herceptin may target those CSCs when used in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent.
12 month milestones
In this period, the Dream Team continued their preclinical studies to determine how resistance arises in each subtype of breast cancer, and the best drugs that can be employed to overcome this resistance. Some of the planned targets, such as c-SRC, failed to be confirmed as drug resistance mechanisms in ER positive breast cancers. They began planning clinical trials to test other potential targets, such as VEGFR2, or cdk-4/6. Positive results for HER2 positive breast cancers were reported as the Team identified the loss of PTEN, combined with mutations in the PI3K pathway, as a potential mechanism of resistance. The Dream Team also reported the results of clinical trials demonstrating that the drugs Lapatinib and Trastuzumab have a synergistic effect when used in combination.
The "discovery group" within the Dream Team assembled and classified several hundred breast cancer cell lines, and the bioinformatics Team began working to extract novel information from this large dataset. Progress on 3D models of breast cancer cells was also reported. There, the Team has made the interesting observation that those cells in the outer layer in 3D cultures seem to be protected from treatment with PI3K inhibitors. Their next step was to explore the molecular mechanism responsible for this phenomenon.
18 month milestones
At the half-way point, the Dream Team translated some of their preclinical studies into the clinic; multiple clinical trials were started for each of the different types of breast cancers, and more were still in the planning phase. The Dream Team also reported extensive preclinical evaluation of T-DM1, a HER2-targeted agent which appears to be effective against HER positive breast cancer cell lines, even when Trastuzumab and/or Lapatinib failed. The Dream Team reported on their continued effort to discover new targets and agents for triple negative breast cancers, particularly those targeting DNA repair pathways which tend to be crippled in many triple negative breast cancers. Of note, the product of the gene PTPN12 seems to act as a tumor suppressor by interfering with the activity of a number of receptor tyrosine kinases, and appears to be mutated in 5% of triple negative breast cancers and absent from as many as 60%. This finding suggests that Sunitinib (or Crizotinib) and Lapatinib might have beneficial activity against these tumors.
The Team also reported follow-up studies based on their observation that cells located in the outer layer of 3D cultures were activating a variety of survival signaling pathways leading to treatment resistance. They confirmed that this phenomenon was also evident for model breast cancer cells propagated in vivo, and for breast cancer tissue specimens in women treated with anti-breast cancer agents. These preclinical experiments have nominated combinations of targeted drugs and the BCL-2 antagonist ABT-737 for future clinical trials.
24 month milestones
At the two year mark, the Dream Team had made significant progress at integrating "omics" data from various sources. They launched the SU2C Cancer Genomics Browser that contains both SU2C-generated and other published data from hundreds of cell lines. Most of the data from other platforms, such as those generated by other SU2C Dream Teams, or non SU2C-affiliated laboratories, can be easily ported to the SU2C Cancer Genomics Browser and added to the collection.
The Team also continued to make progress in defining both prognostic and predictive genomic signatures. Notably, their preclinical work using cell lines and animal models led to the identification of genes potentially involved in the development of resistance to hormone therapy. These included MEK1/2, mTOR, B1-intergrin, FAK, c-Src, and PTEN. From these efforts, a new clinical trial was planned to test the effect of specific inhibitors of MEK1/2, mTOR, B1-intergrin, and FAK.
The studies on the effect of the microenvironment on drug sensitivity continued moving forward with linkages to the clinical research components of the Team. Specifically, the up-regulation of Bcl-2 in the microenvironment suggested that it might create an opportunity for combination therapy using a Bcl-2 antagonist. The Dream Team also reported plans to move forward with a PARP inhibitor that was shown to be 100-fold more potent than other agents currently in the clinic; a phase I trial was initiated. The Dream Team plans to take the drug into trials for ER positive and HER2 positive breast cancers.
30 month milestones
By the end of this period, the Dream Team has initiated or joined a significant portfolio of breast cancer clinical trials, clearly contributing to improving breast cancer outcomes. Of note are attempts to improve treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer using the new drug T-DM1. A neoadjuvant trial of the conjugate given in alone and in various combinations (including with Pertuzumab and no cytotoxic chemotherapy) should discern the magnitude of the treatment effect. Another promising study involves the new PARP inhibitor BMN-673 that appears to be so much more potent that the other existing PARP inhibitors.
The Dream Team reported a fascinating opportunity for triple negative breast cancers with PTPN12, which is lost in 65-70% of triple negative breast cancer cases, exhibits tumor suppressor actions when reintroduced into breast cancer cells devoid of the enzyme. The Team is now exploring the possibility of a clinical trial with sunitinib and crizotinib, two drugs that are FDA-approved and marketed by Pfizer; contacts with the oncology development group at Pfizer have been initiated.
Also, several key preclinical concepts generated by the Team are advancing to clinical assessment. For instance, the Team has continued its effort to tease apart mechanisms of adaptive resistance to targeted drugs exhibited by breast cancer cells in the context of 3D cultures. They identified the gene Bcl-2 as a critical component of treatment resistance. The Dream Team reported a number of clinical observations that provide a strong rationale for the use of Bcl-2 antagonists in combination with HER2 treatment.
The various screens using shRNA libraries developed by the Dream Team since the inception of the project appear to have the potential to discriminate adaptive versus selected resistance mechanisms. Several screens have been completed; others are in the pipeline. Finally, the combined cell line screening studies and enhanced bioinformatics efforts have begun to produce genomic signatures related to drug sensitivity and resistance as well as prognosis for different breast cancer types and are suggesting ways to link drugs to treatment of cancers with specific genomic signatures. The Team intends to disseminate data and analysis tools broadly to other SU2C-funded Dream Teams and eventually the broader scientific community.
36 month milestones
During this last period of the initial grant term, the Dream Team has continued to make significant progress in all studies initiated. They have completed some, and will pursue others through monies leveraged from other sources. The Team has continued to develop the work demonstrating the role of Bcl-2 in breast cancer cell survival, including the possible use of Bcl-2 inhibitors (e.g., ABT-737) in breast cancer treatment. They have also continued their efforts to develop the new PARP inhibitor (BMN-763) for possible use in breast cancer patients. Supplemental funding of $1.0 million was approved to allow a subset of the original Dream Team to translate these two promising avenues of research into the clinic.
In this period, the Team reports the development of a robust system to assess genomic aberrations and drug responses in cells grown on cell spot microarrays (CSMA). Numerous studies are now underway using this system. Analyses of the 32 completed genome-wide RNAi screens using the third generation shRNA library (74,304 shRNAs targeting > 19,000 genes) have also continued; data has been analyzed for 16 of the 32 so far. For the sequencing, the Team has transitioned to high capacity platforms and developed a new protocol that will allow completion of sequencing in the first half of 2013. The Team has continued to develop and improve computational methods to analyze and visualize the wealth of data generated by this and other SU2C-funded Dream Teams. These include: PARADIGM, PARADIGM- SHIFT, Differential Pathway Signature Correlation (DiPSC), and the SU2C Cancer Genome Browser.
The Haussler group is requesting further support from SU2C to support the UCSC Cancer Genomics Browser as a common resource to service all SU2C teams. The browser will be a platform for data sharing, and provides a coherent mechanism for teams to release data to the public. The browser will serve as a living data portal to view, access and retrieve past and current SU2C team data. As each team concludes their projects, the datasets generated under their awards could be made available at a common site that provides storage and retrieval, dynamic access and online exploration. If funded, The Haussler lab would work with all the teams to process and host their data sets
How much money? Since Stand Up To Cancer was founded in May 2008, we have granted $161 Million Dollars to ten Dream Teams of scientists and researchers, one international translational research team and 26 high-risk, high-reward Innovative Research Grants.
100% of public funds go directly into research grants. A portion of the funds that are raised from major donations and third-party fundraising go towards administrative expenses and overhead.
3. Is there a "cap" on the amount the company will donate? Has this maximum donation already been met? Can you tell? No cap; the more money raised, the more funding there is for research.
4. Does this purchase put you or someone you love at risk for exposure to toxins linked to breastcancer? What is the company doing to ensure that its products are not contributing to the breastcancer epidemic? I went to the website store and looked at all their products. They sell clothes, blankets, pet sweaters & leases, jewelry, tennis shoes, blankets, cups, buttons etc. all with the StandUp2Cancer Logo. Nothing I saw would contain any toxins.0 -
Sorry, computer problems. I will try one more time.0 -
O.K. Here you go. StandUp2Cancer is one of the charities funded by the Entertainment Industry Foundation. First is the breakdown of the entire foundation from Charity Navigator, and second I have addressed StandUp2Cancer itself (also through Charity Navigator):
Entertainment Industry Foundation
1201 West Fifth Street
Suite T-700Los Angeles, CA 90017
tel: (213) 240-3900
fax: (213) 481-3100
Mission: Created in 1942, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) was established on the belief that the entertainment industry was in a unique position to truly help others. EIF harnesses the collective power of the entertainment industry and channels its unique assets to raise awareness and funds for critical health, educational and social issues in order to make a positive impact in our community and throughout the nation. Annually, the Entertainment Industry Foundation funds more than 300 charitable organizations within the greater Los Angeles area and throughout the nation.
Score (out of 70) Rating
Overall 61.34
Financial 57.76
Accountability & Transparency 70.00
Financial Performance Metrics
Program Expenses (Percent of the charity’s budget spent on the programs and services it exists to deliver) 77.6%
Administrative Expenses 9.7%
Fundraising Expenses 12.5%
Fundraising Efficiency $0.18
Primary Revenue Growth 13.2%
Program Expenses Growth 27.7%
Working Capital Ratio (years) 0.54
Accountability & Transparency Performance Metrics Information Provided on the Form 990 (my note: all these areas are checked 'yes' in the critique) Independent Voting Board Members, No Material diversion of assets, Audited financials prepared by independent accountant, Does Not Provide Loan(s) to or Receive Loan(s) From related parties, Documents Board Meeting Minutes, Provided copy of Form 990 to organization's governing body in advance of filing, Conflict of Interest Policy, Whistleblower Policy, Records Retention and Destruction Policy, CEO listed with salary, Process for determining CEO compensation, Board Listed / Board Members Not Compensated
Is the following information easily accessible on the charity's website? (my note: all these areas are checked 'yes' in the critque) Donor Privacy Policy, Board Members Listed, Audited Financials Form 990, Key staff listed
Contributions
Contributions, Gifts & Grants$36,788,081
Federated Campaigns$0
Membership Dues$0
Fundraising Events$4,457,791
Related Organizations$0
Government Grants$0
Total Contributions$41,245,872
Program Service Revenue$0
Total Primary Revenue$41,245,872
Other Revenue$158,865
TOTAL REVENUE$41,404,737
EXPENSES
Program Expenses$46,468,144
Administrative Expenses$5,850,145
Fundraising Expenses$7,534,816
TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES$59,853,105
Payments to Affiliates$0
Excess (or Deficit) for the year $-18,448,368
Net Assets$32,603,989
Compensation of Leaders:
Compensation $414,855, 0.69% of Expenses
Paid to Lisa PaulsenPresident, CEO
http://www.standup2cancer.org/mission_statement
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) is a groundbreaking initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now. SU2C is bringing together the best and the brightest researchers and encouraging collaboration instead of competition among the entire cancer community. By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2C creates awareness and builds broad public support for this effort.
SU2C’s unique funding model, developed with the help of prominent cancer researchers, encourages collaboration and innovation through two new types of scientific grant.
Dream Team grants are awarded to multi-institutional groups of scientists who work collaboratively, rather than competitively, to develop new treatments quickly in order to save lives now.
Innovative Research Grants support groundbreaking cancer research projects that are high-risk but could also be high-impact, and have the potential to significantly affect patient care.
1. Does any money from this purchase go to support breast cancer programs? and 2. What organization will get the money? What will they do with the funds, and how do these programs turn the tide of the breast cancer epidemic? Here is the project one of the Dream Teams is working on:
An Integrated Approach to Targeting Breast Cancer Molecular Subtypes and Their Resistance Phenotypes
Funding: $16.5 million
Leader: Joe W. Gray, Ph.D., professor and chair, biomedical engineering department, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, and Dennis J. Slamon, M.D., Ph.D., director of clinical/translational research at the University of California Los Angeles, Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Project Background
During the past several years, researchers have come to understand that breast cancer is not a single disease but rather a spectrum of conditions that vary in their biology and response to treatment. Understanding breast cancer’s molecular diversity has been the driving force leading to the development of new treatments for this disease. Researchers are rapidly moving beyond the "one size fits all" approach into a new era in which breast cancer treatments will be tailored to the biology of the tumor. This project will address the most significant issues related to the three major subtypes of breast cancer — ER positive, HER2 positive, and triple negative (simultaneously ER negative, PR negative and HER2 negative) and will use that information to develop innovative, less toxic therapies with the potential to improve the treatment outcomes for women with this disease.
One of the primary obstacles to effective cancer treatment is the ability of cancer cells to become resistant to treatments that are initially effective. Over a period of time, cancer cells are able to develop ways of "outsmarting" the drugs and agents designed to kill them, a phenomenon known as drug resistance. This Dream Team will study the driving mechanisms that lead to drug resistance in the three major breast cancer subtypes. Understanding resistance opens the door to developing innovative therapeutic agents that overcome this critical problem.
Another area of interest is in the role that cancer stem cells play in resistance. Researchers now realize that the growth and spread of many cancers, including breast cancers, are influenced by the existence of these stem cells which are often highly resistant to otherwise effective treatments. The Team will study the ways in which this unique malignant cell population operates across the three major breast cancer subtypes, knowledge that could be important to the developing new treatments for breast as well as other major cancers.
One critical component of this study will be to bring together the vast amount of information that exists about breast cancer into an integrated data base that will form a "discovery platform", or basis for identifying and validating new drug combinations and targets that can be pursued in clinical trials. The Team expects that these efforts will lead to significantly improved therapies for breast cancer, especially the most difficult to treat forms, within the three-year period.
Status Update
6 month milestones
In the first six months, the Dream Team focused on implementing a variety of integrated approaches to identify novel targets and mechanisms that may lead to later stage clinical trials opportunities. These so-called "discovery" studies included the development of (1) techniques that can measure drug impacts on single cells; (2) xenografts model from human tissues; and (3) 2D and 3D assays to examine the interaction of tumor cells with their environment in response to drug treatment. In addition, they completed the construction of a library of "short hairpin RNAs" (shRNAs) that will be used to systematically inactivate genes in order to identify potential new targets for therapy. The Dream Team also established a state-of-the-art bioinformatics and data analysis platform aimed at maximizing multi-site communication and collaboration.
On the clinical side, the Dream Team made progress in the validation of new drug treatments to circumvent anti-hormone resistance in ER positive breast cancers. Potential candidates include VEGFR2 inhibitors, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), c-SRC inhibitors, as well as PI3K inhibitors. They also showed that cells expressing the gene ZNF217 were more resistant to chemotherapy, suggesting that this gene could be good target for new therapies. For HER2 positive breast cancers, the Dream Team focused on the development and characterization of tumor cell lines model that demonstrate either acquired or de novo resistance to two different drugs: lapatinib or trastuzamab. Analyses of these preclinical data are ongoing, and potential targets will be selected for in vivo validation studies. The Dream Team also reported an interesting correlation between a deficiency in the product of the gene RAD51, and strong response to chemotherapy for triple negative breast cancers. Finally, the Dream Team developed a method to identify cancer stem cells (CSCs) in breast cancer cell lines. They reported data indicating that Herceptin may target those CSCs when used in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent.
12 month milestones
In this period, the Dream Team continued their preclinical studies to determine how resistance arises in each subtype of breast cancer, and the best drugs that can be employed to overcome this resistance. Some of the planned targets, such as c-SRC, failed to be confirmed as drug resistance mechanisms in ER positive breast cancers. They began planning clinical trials to test other potential targets, such as VEGFR2, or cdk-4/6. Positive results for HER2 positive breast cancers were reported as the Team identified the loss of PTEN, combined with mutations in the PI3K pathway, as a potential mechanism of resistance. The Dream Team also reported the results of clinical trials demonstrating that the drugs Lapatinib and Trastuzumab have a synergistic effect when used in combination.
The "discovery group" within the Dream Team assembled and classified several hundred breast cancer cell lines, and the bioinformatics Team began working to extract novel information from this large dataset. Progress on 3D models of breast cancer cells was also reported. There, the Team has made the interesting observation that those cells in the outer layer in 3D cultures seem to be protected from treatment with PI3K inhibitors. Their next step was to explore the molecular mechanism responsible for this phenomenon.
18 month milestones
At the half-way point, the Dream Team translated some of their preclinical studies into the clinic; multiple clinical trials were started for each of the different types of breast cancers, and more were still in the planning phase. The Dream Team also reported extensive preclinical evaluation of T-DM1, a HER2-targeted agent which appears to be effective against HER positive breast cancer cell lines, even when Trastuzumab and/or Lapatinib failed. The Dream Team reported on their continued effort to discover new targets and agents for triple negative breast cancers, particularly those targeting DNA repair pathways which tend to be crippled in many triple negative breast cancers. Of note, the product of the gene PTPN12 seems to act as a tumor suppressor by interfering with the activity of a number of receptor tyrosine kinases, and appears to be mutated in 5% of triple negative breast cancers and absent from as many as 60%. This finding suggests that Sunitinib (or Crizotinib) and Lapatinib might have beneficial activity against these tumors.
The Team also reported follow-up studies based on their observation that cells located in the outer layer of 3D cultures were activating a variety of survival signaling pathways leading to treatment resistance. They confirmed that this phenomenon was also evident for model breast cancer cells propagated in vivo, and for breast cancer tissue specimens in women treated with anti-breast cancer agents. These preclinical experiments have nominated combinations of targeted drugs and the BCL-2 antagonist ABT-737 for future clinical trials.
24 month milestones
At the two year mark, the Dream Team had made significant progress at integrating "omics" data from various sources. They launched the SU2C Cancer Genomics Browser that contains both SU2C-generated and other published data from hundreds of cell lines. Most of the data from other platforms, such as those generated by other SU2C Dream Teams, or non SU2C-affiliated laboratories, can be easily ported to the SU2C Cancer Genomics Browser and added to the collection.
The Team also continued to make progress in defining both prognostic and predictive genomic signatures. Notably, their preclinical work using cell lines and animal models led to the identification of genes potentially involved in the development of resistance to hormone therapy. These included MEK1/2, mTOR, B1-intergrin, FAK, c-Src, and PTEN. From these efforts, a new clinical trial was planned to test the effect of specific inhibitors of MEK1/2, mTOR, B1-intergrin, and FAK.
The studies on the effect of the microenvironment on drug sensitivity continued moving forward with linkages to the clinical research components of the Team. Specifically, the up-regulation of Bcl-2 in the microenvironment suggested that it might create an opportunity for combination therapy using a Bcl-2 antagonist. The Dream Team also reported plans to move forward with a PARP inhibitor that was shown to be 100-fold more potent than other agents currently in the clinic; a phase I trial was initiated. The Dream Team plans to take the drug into trials for ER positive and HER2 positive breast cancers.
30 month milestones
By the end of this period, the Dream Team has initiated or joined a significant portfolio of breast cancer clinical trials, clearly contributing to improving breast cancer outcomes. Of note are attempts to improve treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer using the new drug T-DM1. A neoadjuvant trial of the conjugate given in alone and in various combinations (including with Pertuzumab and no cytotoxic chemotherapy) should discern the magnitude of the treatment effect. Another promising study involves the new PARP inhibitor BMN-673 that appears to be so much more potent that the other existing PARP inhibitors.
The Dream Team reported a fascinating opportunity for triple negative breast cancers with PTPN12, which is lost in 65-70% of triple negative breast cancer cases, exhibits tumor suppressor actions when reintroduced into breast cancer cells devoid of the enzyme. The Team is now exploring the possibility of a clinical trial with sunitinib and crizotinib, two drugs that are FDA-approved and marketed by Pfizer; contacts with the oncology development group at Pfizer have been initiated.
Also, several key preclinical concepts generated by the Team are advancing to clinical assessment. For instance, the Team has continued its effort to tease apart mechanisms of adaptive resistance to targeted drugs exhibited by breast cancer cells in the context of 3D cultures. They identified the gene Bcl-2 as a critical component of treatment resistance. The Dream Team reported a number of clinical observations that provide a strong rationale for the use of Bcl-2 antagonists in combination with HER2 treatment.
The various screens using shRNA libraries developed by the Dream Team since the inception of the project appear to have the potential to discriminate adaptive versus selected resistance mechanisms. Several screens have been completed; others are in the pipeline. Finally, the combined cell line screening studies and enhanced bioinformatics efforts have begun to produce genomic signatures related to drug sensitivity and resistance as well as prognosis for different breast cancer types and are suggesting ways to link drugs to treatment of cancers with specific genomic signatures. The Team intends to disseminate data and analysis tools broadly to other SU2C-funded Dream Teams and eventually the broader scientific community.
36 month milestones
During this last period of the initial grant term, the Dream Team has continued to make significant progress in all studies initiated. They have completed some, and will pursue others through monies leveraged from other sources. The Team has continued to develop the work demonstrating the role of Bcl-2 in breast cancer cell survival, including the possible use of Bcl-2 inhibitors (e.g., ABT-737) in breast cancer treatment. They have also continued their efforts to develop the new PARP inhibitor (BMN-763) for possible use in breast cancer patients. Supplemental funding of $1.0 million was approved to allow a subset of the original Dream Team to translate these two promising avenues of research into the clinic.
In this period, the Team reports the development of a robust system to assess genomic aberrations and drug responses in cells grown on cell spot microarrays (CSMA). Numerous studies are now underway using this system. Analyses of the 32 completed genome-wide RNAi screens using the third generation shRNA library (74,304 shRNAs targeting > 19,000 genes) have also continued; data has been analyzed for 16 of the 32 so far. For the sequencing, the Team has transitioned to high capacity platforms and developed a new protocol that will allow completion of sequencing in the first half of 2013. The Team has continued to develop and improve computational methods to analyze and visualize the wealth of data generated by this and other SU2C-funded Dream Teams. These include: PARADIGM, PARADIGM- SHIFT, Differential Pathway Signature Correlation (DiPSC), and the SU2C Cancer Genome Browser.
The Haussler group is requesting further support from SU2C to support the UCSC Cancer Genomics Browser as a common resource to service all SU2C teams. The browser will be a platform for data sharing, and provides a coherent mechanism for teams to release data to the public. The browser will serve as a living data portal to view, access and retrieve past and current SU2C team data. As each team concludes their projects, the datasets generated under their awards could be made available at a common site that provides storage and retrieval, dynamic access and online exploration. If funded, The Haussler lab would work with all the teams to process and host their data sets
How much money? Since Stand Up To Cancer was founded in May 2008, they have granted $161 Million Dollars to ten Dream Teams of scientists and researchers, one international translational research team and 26 high-risk, high-reward Innovative Research Grants.
100% of public funds go directly into research grants. A portion of the funds that are raised from major donations and third-party fundraising go towards administrative expenses and overhead.
3. Is there a "cap" on the amount the company will donate? Has this maximum donation already been met? Can you tell? No cap; the more money raised, the more funding there is for research.
4. Does this purchase put you or someone you love at risk for exposure to toxins linked to breastcancer? What is the company doing to ensure that its products are not contributing to the breastcancer epidemic? I went to the website store and looked at all their products. They sell clothes, blankets, pet sweaters & leases, jewelry, tennis shoes, blankets, cups, buttons etc. all with the StandUp2Cancer Logo. Nothing I saw would contain any toxins.
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Ruth masterful job. This has been an evolution. You've taken what I did and MADE IT BETTER. ALL THE WAYS THAT WE TALKED THAT THE REPORT COULD BE IMPROVED , HAVE INPROVED IT. yay. Once BCO straightens out either you or I can transfer this to the list thread. Bless you for doing this.0
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Go girl! Ruth you already have it there. LOL. You were mighty woman last night. I commend you on 2 counts. 1. you were tired---who can do such great work tired? 2. we talked just yesterday afternoon. It's not easy to decide what to put in and leave out. You must be a whirlwind at work.0
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I finished my StandUp2Cancer post late last night and just wanted to add a few points:
* First, for those of you whose eyes glaze over with information overload; what I learned about SU2C is that it is a good organization to donate too. Charity Navigator gave it's parent group, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, a perfect rating 70 of 70 points for accountability and transparency.100% of public donations are put into research. Administrative fees, salaries etc. come out of corporate donations. So if you are interested in research on many fronts in the fight against cancer, SU2C is a good option.
* I would encourage you to go on the StandUp2Cancer website and look around. They are organizing and funding some interesting and exciting research.
* Sheila wanted me to say a few words about the research process. Other than watching some of their telethons, I really didn't know anything about the workings of SU2C before yesterday. By using Charity Navigator and Sheila's questions (which I will list again below), I was able to narrow down the information I was looking for and could quickly put together the above post (one day's work). One note is that you might have to dig a little in the beginning. For instance, SU2C was not on the Charity Navigator list. By looking around the web, I found out that they are one of the charities of the Entertainment Industry Foundation. Once I knew that, I could punch the Entertainment Industry Foundation into Charity Navigator, and the rest was easy.
Questions:
1. Does any money from this purchase go to support breast cancer programs? How much? (What % goes to recipients and/or research and what % administrative costs?)
2. What organization will get the money? What will they do with the funds, and how do these programs turn the tide of the breast cancer epidemic
3. Is there a "cap" on the amount the company will donate? Has this maximum donation already been met? Can you tell? .
4. Does this purchase put you or someone you love at risk for exposure to toxins linked to breast cancer? What is the company doing to ensure that its products are not contributing to the breast cancer epidemic?0 -
AAoAAo, Thanks for your input too, I'll Pm my phone number and hopefully we can chat
2NdTime. All 501c3's submit their info to CharityNavigator. CN is like Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation(JACHO). It's function is to make sure a charity isn't ripping people off.
Anyone wishing to pick a charity an apply the same format contact me by PM. We'll talk on the phone. I'll walk you through the process.
Anyone wanting to know where the money goes? This is how to find out.
Komen is going to be done by Fredtan. 0
