The Prostate Cancer Foundation And Movember Announce 2020 Challenge Award Winners

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Nov 18, 2020, 09:40 ET

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) and Movember today announced two new Movember – PCF Challenge Awards. The awards, which total $2 million, are granted to teams at some of the world's leading cancer research institutions to support cross-disciplinary pioneering research toward the goal of finding cures for prostate cancer. Of these funds, $792,000 was raised from the 2019 Movember U.S. Campaign and $477,000 came from the 2019 Distinguished Gentleman's Ride.

The two teams awarded 2020 Movember – PCF Challenge Awards are:

Movember – Distinguished Gentleman's Ride – PCF Challenge Award
Principal Investigators: Arul Chinnaiyan, MD, PhD (University of Michigan), Marcin Cieslik, PhD (University of Michigan), Ulka Vaishampayan, MBBS (University of Michigan), Yuzhuo Wang, PhD (University of British Columbia).
Co-Investigators: Lanbo Xiao, PhD (University of Michigan), Abhijit Parolia, PhD (University of Michigan), Yuanyuan Qiao, PhD (University of Michigan), Jeremy Taylor, PhD (University of Michigan)
Project Description: Despite recent advances, advanced prostate cancer eventually progresses to an incurable treatment-resistant state for which new treatments are urgently needed. Dr. Chinnaiyan and team have identified a promising new therapeutic strategy for advanced treatment-resistant prostate cancer that targets cancer-driving regulators of gene expression. In this project, the team will study the biology of how this new treatment works and test its efficacy in an early phase clinical trial.

Movember – Distinguished Gentleman's Ride – PCF Challenge Award
Principal Investigators: Phuoc T. Tran, MD, PhD (Johns Hopkins University), Kenneth Pienta, MD (Johns Hopkins University)
Co-Investigators: Ana Kiess, MD, PhD (Johns Hopkins University), Hao Wang, PhD (Johns Hopkins University, Alexander Wyatt, PhD (University of British Columbia)
Project Description: Oligometastatic prostate cancer is thought to be a potentially curable state of advanced prostate cancer, in which five or fewer metastases are present. Dr. Tran and team will conduct clinical trials to test the efficacy of stereotactic ablative radiation (SABR), a highly focused form of radiation therapy combined with other systemic radioactive treatments, in patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer, and study how these treatments work.

For more detailed project descriptions visit www.pcf.org/2020-Movember-awards/.

"Movember is pleased to be supporting high caliber research teams led by Professor Chinnaiyan and Professor Tran," said Paul Villanti, Executive Director of the Movember and PCF Board Member. "We look forward to seeing the results from their research projects, which we believe have great potential to lead to new breakthroughs in reducing the number of men that die from prostate cancer."

"The intent of the PCF Challenge Award is to support ambitious team science with the potential to develop new treatments for metastatic prostate cancer," said PCF Executive Vice President and Chief Science Officer Howard R. Soule, PhD. "We congratulate Drs. Chinnaiyan and Tran and their colleagues on their research which we believe has the potential to develop new therapeutic approaches for advanced prostate cancer and provide more options for patients in need."

About the Prostate Cancer Foundation
The Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) is the world's leading philanthropic organization dedicated to funding life-saving prostate cancer research. Founded in 1993 by Mike Milken, PCF has raised more than $848 million in support of cutting-edge research by more than 2,200 research projects at 220 leading cancer centers in 22 countries around the world. Thanks in part to PCF's commitment to ending death and suffering from prostate cancer, the death rate is down by 52% and countless more men are alive today as a result. The Prostate Cancer Foundation research now impacts more than 70 forms of human cancer by focusing on immunotherapy, the microbiome, and food as medicine. Learn more at www.pcf.org.

About Movember
Movember is the leading charity changing the face of men's health on a global scale, focusing on mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. The charity raises funds to deliver innovative, breakthrough research and support programs that enable men to live happier, healthier and longer lives. Committed to disrupting the status quo, millions have joined the movement, helping fund over 1,250 projects around the world.

In addition to tackling key health issues faced by men, Movember is working to encourage men to stay healthy in all areas of their life, with a focus on men staying socially connected and becoming more open to discussing their health and significant moments in their lives. The charity's vision is to have an everlasting impact on the face of men's health. To donate or learn more, please visit Movember.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Staci L. Vernick
Prostate Cancer Foundation
[email protected]
610-812-6092

SOURCE Prostate Cancer Foundation