Q3 2025

Dear NETRF Community,


NETRF recently released its Research Roadmap, outlining a bold plan to transform care for neuroendocrine cancers. As the leading global funder of neuroendocrine cancer research, we are focused on three key priorities:


By prioritizing these three key areas, we seek to speed up discovery, close vital knowledge gaps, and make real progress for patients and families affected by neuroendocrine cancers. The NETRF Research Roadmap is engineered to push scientific limits, encourage collaboration across fields, and bring us closer to a future where neuroendocrine cancers can be detected earlier, treated more effectively, and ultimately cured.

This is the future of neuroendocrine cancer research—and it starts now. Breakthroughs Today, Cures Tomorrow is an audacious promise: a commitment to fund $25 million in leading-edge neuroendocrine cancer research by 2030. The breakthroughs we invest in today will yield tomorrow’s cures, and we can’t do it without you. Learn more about how NETRF is charting the future of neuroendocrine cancer research.

Kind regards,
Anna Greene, PhD
NETRF Director of Research

A recent study published by NETRF-funded Collaborative Grant recipient Sharon Gorski, PhD, in Scientific Reports offers fresh insight into the complex biology of metastatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs), comprising samples of both neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). 

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) are a rare but increasingly detected cancer, thanks in part to more widespread and advanced imaging. Among them, small nonfunctional PanNETs (NF-PanNETs), are often assumed to be low-risk. but a new review article calls for a more nuanced approach to treatment.

In a newly published review, Dr. Benjamin Viglianti, recipient of a 2023 NETRF Investigator Award, offers a state-of-the-art analysis of molecular imaging technologies and their application in diagnosing and managing neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs). 

We’re proud to celebrate Dr. Suzann Duan, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at UC Irvine, as the recipient of the 2025 Basic/Translational Science Investigator (BTSI) Award. 

The landscape of biomedical research is undergoing a seismic shift. This year alone, the NIH has awarded roughly 6,800 fewer grants than in 2023—a staggering $2 billion drop in funding. Nearly 800 NIH grants have been canceled. While the effects ripple through the entire research ecosystem, the consequences for the neuroendocrine cancer research community are concerning.

Ensuring that we fund only the highest-quality, most promising research  requires deep scientific expertise, careful oversight, and an unwavering commitment to integrity. That’s where our Board of Scientific Advisors (BOSA) comes in. We're proud to welcome seven new members to the board. 

Neuroendocrine cancer research continues to evolve, with a growing number of clinical trials exploring bold, highly targeted strategies aimed at treating advanced and high-grade disease. From radiopharmaceuticals and drug conjugates to viral therapies and T-cell engagers, these studies reflect the evolving science behind how we detect, target, and treat neuroendocrine cancer. 

Perspective Therapeutics has begun enrolling participants into the next phase of its clinical trial of a new targeted alpha radiation therapy for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The trial is evaluating a radiopharmaceutical called [212Pb]VMT-α-NET, which delivers radiation directly to cancer cells that have a specific receptor called somatostatin (SSTR2) on their surface.

A recent study by Suriya Baskar, MD, and Udhayvir Singh Grewal, MD, published in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, sheds light on an often-overlooked yet vital aspect of the neuroendocrine tumor (NET) journey: how we care for patients when a cure is no longer possible and comfort becomes the primary goal.

For many patients newly diagnosed with small, nonfunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs), active surveillance (AS) with regular imaging and monitoring may be recommended, especially when tumors are less than 2 cm in size, do not cause symptoms, and appear low-grade.

The world’s first clinical trial for CAR T-cell therapy in neuroendocrine tumors has advanced to a higher dose level, an indication of progress. Advancing to what Chimeric Therapeutics calls Dose Level Two is possible because there were no safety concerns or “off-target” effects seen at the initial lower dose of the therapy. 

An important advancement in neuroendocrine neoplasm (NEN) patient care has been released: the Position Statement on Nutritional Support in NENs from the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS), recently published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology.

What if small intestine neuroendocrine tumors (SI-NETs), often diagnosed in people over age 60, actually begin decades earlier, in childhood? And what if the same tumors aren’t driven by typical genetic “on switches,” but instead evolve quietly over time through subtle disruptions in DNA repair and cell identity?

The Early Career Editor will join the Associate Editorial Board as an early career ambassador, gaining insight into the peer review process by being directly responsible for arranging the peer review of a number of original manuscripts submitted to the journals as an Associate Editor would. This process will be undertaken through the ScholarOne Manuscripts site, with full support from the Bioscientifica editorial office and a Member of the Editorial Board who will act as a mentor. Furthermore, Early Career Editors are invited to attend the annual Editorial Board meeting and are able to get involved in the development of the journal.

To be eligible for the Early Career Role, the candidates must fit within one of the following categories at the start date of the editorial term (January 1, 2026):

To apply, please send a copy of your CV and a brief account of why you are interested in this role to the ERC mailbox: erc@bioscientifica.com. Please note, ERC will be choosing one person from a pool of applicants, so it’s not a guaranteed position should you apply.

Deadline for applications: November 7, 2025

Endocrine-Related Cancer is a peer-reviewed journal publishing basic laboratory, translational and clinical investigations of human health and disease focusing on endocrine neoplasias and hormone-dependent cancers, and review articles in these areas. Endocrine-Related Cancer is an official journal of the Society for Endocrinology and is endorsed by the Endocrine Society of Australia, the North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society and the Japanese Hormone and Cancer Society.

Endocrine Oncology is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal publishing basic, translational and clinical research and reviews on the interplay between hormones and cancer, and related topics. With Bioscientifica sponsoring the Article Publishing Charge during the launch phase, authors can publish for free for a limited time.

NET Research Foundation
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The mission of the Neuroendocrine Tumor Research Foundation is to fund research to discover cures and more effective treatments for neuroendocrine cancer. NETRF is the largest global funder of neuroendocrine cancer research and a preeminent resource for expert patient education and support.



NETRF is a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.