Patients with glioblastoma have some of the worst treatment outcomes among all cancer types, with an average survival of just over one year. It’s one of the most aggressive cancer types in existence – which has made it a primary subject of research in the field of cancer cell and gene therapy.

Juan Fueyo, MD, and Candelaria Gomez-Manzano, MD, two researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, are lending their expertise to address this problem. Drs. Fueyo and Gomez-Manzano became ACGT Research Fellows funded by Swim Across America in 2023, when the organization provided funding for their research into the use of oncolytic viruses to treat glioblastoma.

Two years later, they’ve found their research going in directions they never expected and generating hypotheses that could change the way we understand glioblastoma.

Read more about Dr. Fueyo’s ressearch on our website. 

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 

ACGT recently issued a request for applications for the ACGT–Cinelli Family Foundation Investigator Award in Cell and Gene Therapy for Breast Cancer Research, designed to fund and advance scientific discoveries that will improve treatment options using cell and gene therapies. Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.

Each year in the U.S., a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer approximately every two minutes. In 2025, over 300,000 women and approximately 2,800 men are expected to be diagnosed.

Stay tuned as ACGT plans to announce this new research award in early 2026.

Read more here.

As the fall season begins, many of our supporters start planning their year-end giving strategy. Now is the perfect time to explore the different ways you can make a lasting impact through Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy.

October is a popular month for establishing a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), which offers a simple and tax-efficient way to support breakthrough cancer research. If you already have a DAF, you can recommend a gift today and immediately fuel the next wave of scientific innovation. 

This is also an ideal time to take advantage of employer matching programs, which can often double — or even triple — the value of your contribution. Many companies set deadlines for matching gifts before year-end, so acting now ensures your generosity goes further.

For those 70½ and older, an IRA charitable rollover can be a powerful way to support ACGT’s mission while reducing taxable income. It’s a win-win for you and for the future of cancer research at ACGT.

Your planning today ensures that tomorrow’s patients have access to the most promising therapies. 

Make your year-end gift today.

To designate Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy as one of your ongoing beneficiaries, our tax ID number is 06-1619523. We are here to help: If you have questions, please contact us at info@acgtfoundation.org or (203) 358-5055. 

Cancer forms when our body’s cells mutate and begin multiplying rapidly. Our immune system, which is the first line of defense against cancer, is often unable to identify cancer cells as dangerous since they look similar to healthy cells.

Cell and gene therapy unlocks the immune system’s ability to destroy cancer cells. By making genetic modifications to the immune system, scientists can turn a patient’s own body into a cancer-fighting force – a new opportunity different from standard chemotherapy or radiation.

On September 29, ACGT held an awareness and fundraising event in Los Angeles, meeting with local business and community leaders to explore the future of cancer treatment through cell and gene therapy. ACGT thanks AstraZeneca for opening their Santa Monica campus for this important conversation.

The afternoon featured leading voices in science and advocacy, including ACGT Scientific Advisory Council member Christine Brown, PhD, Deputy Director, T Cell Therapeutics Research Laboratory, City of Hope, and CAR T-cell therapy advocate and survivor Laurie Adami.

Their stories underscored how philanthropy fuels the breakthroughs that give patients new hope. AstraZeneca speakers Marianna Sabatini, MD, VP Process Sciences, Analytics and Technology and Arianne Perez, PhD, Global Head of Cell Therapy Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences also provided attendees with an overview of cancer cell and gene therapy product development.

ACGT will share more reflections and photos from this event in the November e-newsletter.

ACGT SAC members Carl H. June, MD (University of Pennsylvania) and Michel Sadelain, MD, PhD (Columbia University) will be honored with the inaugural Broermann Medical Innovation Award, recognizing their groundbreaking contributions to the development of CAR T-cell therapy for cancer.

Drs. June and Sadelain played pioneering roles in the early conception and research into CAR T-cell therapy, helping to usher in a new age of cancer treatment. The prize, which carries with it a one million Euro endowment, will be presented at a ceremony in Wiesbaden, Germany, by Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein.

ACGT congratulates Drs. June and Sadelain for receiving this prestigious honor. Read more about the Broermann Medical Innovation Award.