Key Points
- This week’s Cancer Moonshot factsheet describes the Foundation’s efforts to advance focused ultrasound for cancer treatment.
- It highlights the Foundation’s partnerships with leading cancer immunotherapy organizations.
- Established in 2016 by the White House, the goal of the Cancer Moonshot is to end cancer as we know it.
The Foundation’s efforts to accelerate focused ultrasound research for cancer were highlighted in a Cancer Moonshot factsheet released this week by the White House.
The factsheet states, “The Focused Ultrasound Foundation (FUSF) is committing more than $3 million over the next three years for clinical trials exploring focused ultrasound as part of cancer treatment. In partnership with the Cancer Research Institute and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, FUSF has defined a roadmap to move towards clinical adoption of focused ultrasound and cancer immunotherapy combination treatments in glioblastoma, diffuse midline glioma, pancreatic cancer, liver cancer, breast cancer, and pediatric solid tumors. In addition, and in partnership with Arms Wide Open, FUSF will co-fund a preclinical research project exploring focused ultrasound for neuroblastoma.”
The document also features updates on government funding opportunities through organizations, including the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute (NCI), programs to ease tobacco use, and new resources for veterans facing cancer. Other non-governmental organizations featured included the American Cancer Society, the HealthWell Foundation, the Black Breast Cancer Alliance, the DIPG DMG Research Funding Alliance, the National Brain Tumor Society, and more.
“The Foundation is dedicated to advancing focused ultrasound treatments of hard-to-treat cancers to as many patients as possible, as quickly as possible,” said Jessica Foley, PhD, the Foundation’s chief scientific officer and managing director, Cancer Immunotherapy Program. “We believe that the technology will play a key role toward achieving the goal of the Cancer Moonshot to ‘end cancer as we know it.’ We are proud to partner with other organizations who share our passion for results and collaboration like the Cancer Research Institute, the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy, and Arms Wide Open Childhood Cancer Foundation, enabling us to expand our reach in the global community, deepen stakeholder investment, and leverage our donors’ contributions to advance our mission.”
The Cancer Moonshot was established in 2016 by President Barack Obama to accelerate cancer research. The initiative—which was led by then-Vice President Joe Biden—aims to make more therapies available to patients as quickly as possible, in part by breaking down silos that are impediments to progress in cancer research in order to promote collaboration and data sharing.
As part of the launch of the program, Foundation Chairman, Dr. Neal Kassell, was chosen to serve on the NCI’s Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel and helped to develop recommendations for the Cancer Moonshot Task Force.
President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden revived the Moonshot last year with two clear goals in mind: To prevent more than 4 million cancer deaths by 2047 and to improve the experience of people who are touched by cancer.