Grant Success Stories
2024 | Grants
In 2024, we provided a $10 million grant to create a cellular therapeutics Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) laboratory in the new University of Kansas Cancer Center building. This continues our commitment to supporting research into CAR T-cell therapy to cure blood cancers, including leukemia. In addition, the new GMP lab will increase treatment capacity, thus saving additional lives at the Cancer Center. For more information on our grant and The University of Kansas Cancer Center, please see the KU Endowment website.
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Some fun "b-roll" video from the presentation. ​
In 2024, we continued our support of Dr. Riggins at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine by providing a 3-year grant to move his research with mebendazole into human trials for pancreatic and breast cancer. In breast cancer his research will determine if mebendazole can be used to help slow, treat or prevent metastasis to the brain, where, unlike many other drugs, mebendazole reaches in therapeutic concentrations. Additionally, Dr. Riggins is investigating the use of mebendazole in prevention of breast cancer in high-risk patients. In pancreatic cancer, he hopes to determine if mebendazole can augment immunotherapy or the standard of care therapy for advanced disease. Dr. Riggins is currently trying to move his findings into human trials, and we are excited to see he progress this year and next!
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Al's initial dream for the foundation was to create a web based free online resource to help high school students become college proficient. In essence, he wanted to create the Khan Academy. So rather than reinvent the wheel, we decided to provide a grant to support their excellent work. This is year two of our support for this great organization.
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To support the Khan Academy directly, click here.
In 2024, we continued our support of the Center for Reimagining Education (CRE) in the University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences. The CRE aims to accelerate the pace of transformational change in schools and districts by leveraging technology and data and bringing together diverse teams of people to establish school-community driven partnerships and open pathways for learning. CRE seeks to help students, teachers, leaders, and districts innovate by taking ideas from conception to implementation. The CRE is currently partnering with three Kansas school districts.
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To support this important initiative, please click here and specify you want to support the CRE.
Dr. Chilkoti’s lab at Duke University is working on a new intervention for inoperable pancreatic tumors using an injectable, “liquid brachytherapy.” The researchers have invented a new type of radioactive material that is a liquid below body temperature, but when injected inside a tumor forms a solid gel that irradiates the tumor from the inside. Our grant for Dr. Chilkoti and his team (photos to the right or above on mobile phone) will support studies that test new methods for injecting this liquid brachytherapy in human patients. Pictured (L to R, top to bottom): Image of Radioactive Biopolymer, Ashutosh Chilkoti, PhD, Timothy Turkington, PhD, Satya Achanta, DVM & PhD, Niharika Mettu, MD & PhD, Eric Mastria MD & PhD, Joshua Milligan, MS and Rachel Strader.
