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May 28, 2008

The American Association for Cancer Research is pleased to announce its partnership in Stand Up To Cancer, a new initiative to raise philanthropic dollars for accelerating ground-breaking research which launches today through an unprecedented collaboration uniting the major television networks, entertainment industry executives, celebrities and prominent leaders in cancer research and patient advocacy. ABC, CBS and NBC will donate one hour of simultaneous commercial-free primetime for a nationally televised fundraising event to air on September 5, 2008 (8 pm EDT and PDT), aimed at rallying the public around the goal of ending cancer's reign as a leading cause of death.

New developments in the laboratory are revealing the way cancer begins, progresses and spreads. Stand Up To Cancer is founded on the belief that now, more than ever, there is sufficient knowledge of the basic science of cancer, and that the technologies are available to translate this knowledge into real advances in treatment and prevention. Today's cancer scientists are on the verge of life-saving discoveries, but their progress is hindered by a lack of sufficient research funding. Stand Up To Cancer is dedicated to providing this much needed new source of cancer research funding.

Stand Up To Cancer's innovative approach to research is designed to eliminate barriers that have traditionally inhibited creativity and collaboration by enabling the best and brightest investigators from leading institutions across the country and internationally to work together. These collaborative "Dream Teams" will pursue the most promising research, accelerating the discovery of new therapies for cancer patients and advancing efforts in cancer prevention research. Stand Up To Cancer monies will also be used for some high-risk, high-impact cancer research proposals, which are often not supported by conventional funding sources.

The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will provide scientific oversight and will conduct expert scientific review of the research projects and administer funds raised through the initiative under the direction of a Scientific Advisory Committee. Highly regarded for its scientific brain trust in all subfields of cancer research, and for its peer-review process that is fast, flexible, rigorous and transparent, the AACR provides scientific leadership critical to achieving Stand Up To Cancer's mission to translate the most promising cancer research into real advances in cancer treatment and prevention as quickly as possible.

Nobel Laureate Phillip A. Sharp, Ph.D., Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research at MIT chairs the Scientific Advisory Committee, which includes highly accomplished clinical investigators, senior laboratory researchers and physician-scientists. Arnold Levine, Ph.D., professor in the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study and professor in the departments of pediatrics and biochemistry at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School is vice-chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee.

"This project has tremendous potential to change the face of cancer research," said Sharp. "Our goal is to rapidly move new research discoveries out of the lab and into the clinic to save lives from cancer."

"I am pleased that AACR is a partner in the Stand Up To Cancer initiative," said Raymond N. DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., AACR President and Provost and Executive Vice President at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. "The Stand Up To Cancer model is distinctive because it emphasizes collaboration among scientists and will accelerate translational research on the verge of breakthroughs as well as provide an additional revenue stream to encourage novel, high-risk proposals that have great potential in making inroads against cancer."

The AACR will distribute to the cancer research community a "call for ideas" for research topics in early June. The focal topics and Dream Team leaders will be selected by the Scientific Advisory Committee. Dream Team leaders will recruit members to their Dream Teams with final approval by the Scientific Advisory Committee. More details about submitting ideas for research topics will be available in early June on www.aacr.org.

A Stand Up To Cancer Advocate Advisory Council is being formed, and will include leaders from approximately 25 organizations. Additionally, representatives from the advocacy community will work side-by-side with the scientists on the "Dream Teams," so the perspectives of the patients and survivors they represent will be integrated into the direction of the research.

For more information:
Visit the Stand Up To Cancer website.
Read the press release announcing the campaign.
Review the grant giving model.
See the members of the Scientific Advisory Committee.

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