Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · 3d

The Emerging Leader Award program “lets people follow where the science goes,” says 2019 winner Andrew Lane. That flexibility has allowed him to bring discoveries from bench to bedside with impressive speed. Learn more in our 2024 Annual Report: 2024.themarkfoundation.org/an-emerging-...

1 1

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · 4d

Their findings — published in new papers in @embojournal.org & @natureportfolio.nature.com Communications — will allow researchers to precisely map replication and understand its druggable checkpoints & will inform both predictive biomarkers and next-generation therapeutic strategies.

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · 4d

A dual breakthrough in #CancerResearch: ASPIRE awardees Bennie Lemmens & Jira Bartek of @ki.se & @scilifelab.se developed tech to visualize DNA replication in stunning detail AND uncovered a key protein that acts as an “on-switch” for the replication process.
themarkfoundation.org/blog/aspire-...

ASPIRE Awardees Uncover DNA Replication Dynamics with Unprecedented Precision | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

DNA replication is a critical biological process that cells use to copy their genome – but when it goes wrong, those failures can have dire consequences. Missteps in the replication process are key…

themarkfoundation.org

1 1 1

Reposted by The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

Johanna Joyce @johannajoyce.bsky.social · 5d

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research is making a huge impact - in the US and globally 🙌

Very grateful for their support 🙏 - for an #ASPIRE award that funded our microbiome research, and for two #Momentum Fellows in our lab @lbejarano.bsky.social & @ale-matera.bsky.social

@themarkfdn.bsky.social

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · 5d

$34.5 million in awarded grants. 7 new interventional trials. 212 peer-reviewed publications. Read our newly released 2024 Annual Report to catch up on our grantees’ achievements and discover how we’re accelerating progress in the fight against cancer.
2024.themarkfoundation.org

3 16

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · 5d

$34.5 million in awarded grants. 7 new interventional trials. 212 peer-reviewed publications. Read our newly released 2024 Annual Report to catch up on our grantees’ achievements and discover how we’re accelerating progress in the fight against cancer.
2024.themarkfoundation.org

2

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · 7d

New in @nature.com: past ASPIRE Awardee Trudy Oliver identifies the likely origin of some SCLC tumors. This breakthrough discovery for an aggressive, hard-to-treat disease could enable therapies that target lineage plasticity—a major challenge in cancer.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Basal cell of origin resolves neuroendocrine–tuft lineage plasticity in cancer - Nature

Basal cells, rather than neuroendocrine cells, have been identified as the probable origin of small cell lung cancer and other neuroendocrine–tuft cancers, explaining neuroendocrine–tuft heterogeneity and offering new perspectives for targeting lineage plasticity.

www.nature.com

1

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Sep 9

The new Waxman Institute builds on a longstanding partnership between the two foundations, which have jointly funded workshops & research on aging and cancer for several years. Over the next 3 years, the Institute plans to distribute $15+ million in #researchfunding.

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Sep 9

📣Introducing the Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging & Cancer! 📣

As today's NYTimes DealBook reports, the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation is joining us to launch a world-first institute focused on how the biology of aging drives cancer risk at all life stages.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/09/b...

1 2

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Sep 5

Since 2020, Janowitz and co-investigator Semir Beyaz have been investigating the systemic processes behind cachexia. Their work has led to important new insights into the condition, some of which they shared earlier this year in @science.org.
themarkfoundation.org/portfolio/ho...

Host Response to Cancer | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

Most cancer research focuses on understanding the biology of the cancer cell, but tumors are composites of many cell types, not just cancerous ones. In addition, although cancers are usually…

themarkfoundation.org

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Sep 5

Sometimes, research is personal. In @cp-neuron.bsky.social, Endeavor awardee Tobias Janowitz shares how his late mother’s experience with cancer-associated cachexia, a debilitating wasting syndrome, continues to shape his perspective and research.
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...

Of hope from fading will: Interoceptive signaling and the behavioral biology of cachexia

This NeuroView explores how systemic cancer signals induce behavioral changes via brain-body communication pathways, framing cachexia as an adaptive yet unsustainable interoceptive response. Recognizi...

www.cell.com

2 2 4

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 26

Please check with your grants office to ensure institutional eligibility prior to applying. We look forward to reviewing your proposals!

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 26

⏳Reminder: Letters of Intent for our next round of Endeavor Award funding are due next Wednesday, September 3! #ResearchFunding
themarkfoundation.org/endeavor/

Endeavor | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

themarkfoundation.org

1 1 2

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 22

“To accelerate cancer research, we need to invest in talented investigators and novel approaches,” said Mark Foundation CEO Ryan Schoenfeld, PhD. “The story of Interius BioTherapeutics is exactly the kind of trajectory we aim to foster.”

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 22

Interius has already advanced its first-in-class therapy, INT2104, into clinical trials in Australia and has approval for European trials. This treatment approach could make cell therapy more accessible, reduce treatment timelines, & spare patients harsh chemotherapy regimens.

1

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 22

🎉Mark Foundation portfolio company Interius BioTherapeutics
has been acquired by Kite Pharma!🎉 The move advances a game-changing in vivo CAR T-cell platform that originated with Saar Gill’s Emerging Leader Award project.
themarkfoundation.org/2025/08/kite...

1 1

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 15

Yesterday we wrapped up a 2-day scientific review meeting for the Mark Foundation Center for Advanced Genomics and Imaging at ‪@jhu.edu‬. The Center’s brilliant scientists are driving breakthroughs in genomics, imaging & data science that will make immunotherapy effective for more patients.

1

Reposted by The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

EACR - European Association for Cancer Research @helloeacr.bsky.social · Aug 6

Submissions are open for the EACR - @themarkfdn.bsky.social Postdoctoral Fellowships until 20 August!

This funding is awarded for a period of three years to support excellent postdoctoral researchers in laboratories throughout Europe 🌍

Learn more: eacr.org/eacr-fellows...

8 6

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 11

These findings could radically change outcomes for cancer patients and make treatment more effective. Learn more about how Erez and her Endeavor team’s work at the interplay of the nervous system, immune system, and liver led to the discovery: themarkfoundation.org/portfolio/de...

Decoding the Dynamic Interplay between Hepatic Metabolism, the Nervous System, and Immune Response in Cancer Cachexia | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

Cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) is a debilitating syndrome characterized by severe weight loss, muscle wasting, and fatigue that affects up to 80% of advanced cancer patients.

themarkfoundation.org

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 11

Erez shows that inflammation caused by cancer can dysregulate the vagus nerve, disrupting brain-liver communication & leading to a cascade of negative effects. But there’s good news: blocking the nerve (even non-invasively) led to significant improvement in a mouse model.

1

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 11

Cancer-related cachexia is responsible for ~1/3 of cancer deaths, yet its causes & treatments have proven elusive—until now. In @cellpress.bsky.social, Endeavor Award team leader Ayelet Erez identifies a cause for the syndrome—and a path forward for patients. www.cell.com/cell/abstrac...

Vagal blockade of the brain-liver axis deters cancer-associated cachexia

Vagal dysfunction mediates the impact of tumor on liver metabolism, leading to cachexia. Blocking the right cervical vagus nerve with various invasive or non-invasive approaches alleviates cachexia, d...

www.cell.com

1 3

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 6

Notably, she found that high-fat diets based on lard, beef tallow, and butter accelerated tumor growth while palm, coconut, and olive oils had no apparent effect. Learn more about Dr. Lynch’s work: themarkfoundation.org/portfolio/id...

Identification of Specific Dietary Fats that Fuel Cancer | The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research

Obesity is a risk factor for 13 types of cancer. Obesity and a high fat diet can fuel tumor cell growth and at the same time, prevent the immune system from killing cancer cells. However…

themarkfoundation.org

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 6

Do the types of dietary fats that patients consume impact cancer progression? In a new @nature.com paper, Emerging Leader Award winner @lydialynch.bsky.social shows that diets high in some types of fats suppress anti-tumor responses in patients with obesity.
www.nature.com/articles/s42...

The source of dietary fat influences anti-tumour immunity in obese mice - Nature Metabolism

This study shows that animal-based high-fat diets accelerate tumour growth and impair anti-tumour response to melanoma in obese mice, whereas plant-based high-fat diets do not.

www.nature.com

1 2

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 4

Understanding the role autoantibodies play in anti-tumor responses could help solve the mystery of why some patients respond to checkpoint inhibitors and others do not — and could lead to new therapeutic approaches and drastically improved outcomes for patients.

1

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Aug 4

Could the same proteins that drive autoimmune disease help fight cancer?

In @nature.com, Emerging Leader Award winner Aaron Ring of @fredhutch.bsky.social shows that some autoantibodies are linked to better patient outcomes with checkpoint inhibitor therapies.
www.fredhutch.org/en/news/rele...

Patients’ own autoantibodies may hold key to boosting cancer immunotherapy response

A study from Fred Hutch Cancer Center finds that some cancer patients' antibodies can boost their response to immunotherapy treatment.

www.fredhutch.org

1 1 3

The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research @themarkfdn.bsky.social · Jul 25

Amid widespread funding cuts, The Mark Foundation is creating a new operating system for cancer research. CEO Ryan Schoenfeld joined Sam Fazeli on the latest episode of the @bloomberg.com Vanguards of Health podcast to share how. Listen now: www.bloomberg.com/professional...

How the Mark Foundation Is Rebuilding the Cancer R&D Model | Insights | Bloomberg Professional Services

“I like the label ‘new operating system.’ I think that does capture well what we're trying to do here,” says Dr. Ryan Schoenfeld, CEO of the Mark Foundation.

www.bloomberg.com