Northwestern Gets $11.7 Million For Cancer Research

Northwestern University has received an $11.7 million grant from the National Cancer Institute for cancer research.

The grant, to be used over a five-year period, will allow Northwestern to use nanotechnology to develop next-generation cancer treatments, according to a University news release.

The funds will be used at the new Northwestern University Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence to develop nucleic-acid based nanoconstructs called Spherical Nucleic Acids. Nontoxic to humans, SNAs are versatile tools in medicine. They were invented in 1996 and have been used for therapeutic purposes since 2010.

“The support from the National Cancer Institute will enable researchers to continue to make significant cancer-relevant discoveries that ultimately can be transferred to the clinic and profoundly impact the way cancers are studied and treated,” said Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD and director/professor of oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.