The 2021 NETRF Grant Award Program received a record 102 applications that were well distributed across the four award types and across the spectrum of basic, translational and clinical research. Applications were received from 22 countries reflecting the expanding global NET research community and NETRF’s growing support of international NET research. The applications have been assigned to be reviewed by NETRF’s 24-member review committee whose broad collective expertise ensures that only the most transformational NET research will be selected to receive funding. NETRF represents the single largest private funder of NET research.

In January, NETRF announced a Pilot Award to Peter M. Clark, PhD of the UCLA Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging for his research of pancreatic NETs. The award was made possible by Katherine Mueller NET Research Fund. Katherine is a pancreatic NET patient and NETRF donor who hosted fundraisers in 2019 and 2020. In late February, Katherine found herself hospitalized facing a serious health scare resulting from her NETs. When Peter and his team learned about her condition, they worked with NETRF to create a video to wish her well and show her the science she is making possible.

We are pleased to report that Katherine is recovering and growing stronger by the day. With her permission, we’d like to share the video with you. Whether you are interested in a behind-the-scenes tour of the lab, understanding the science that could result in new therapies for pNETs or to see first-hand the commitment NET researchers have to patients, we think you’ll find this video to be meaningful. (WATCH VIDEO)

NETRF continues to build a global community of researchers as scientists from around the world recognize they are eligible to apply for NETRF research grants. Over the last two years, NETRF has awarded nine awards to international researchers. This is a number that is expected to continue growing. 

We credit growing awareness of NETRF among the international research community, in part, to our collaboration with the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS), which recently held its 18th annual conference. NETRF was proud to both participate in and support this educational effort aimed at improving the diagnosis and treatment of NETs. (LEARN MORE)

Martin Gotthardt, PhD, of Radboud University in the Netherlands is leading an international collaboration between researchers in Spain and the Netherlands to explore the use of photodynamic therapy to target NET cells. Gotthardt received a NETRF Investigator Award in 2019.

Currently, the only option to cure patients with NETs is through the complete removal of the tumor(s) with surgery. However, there remains the risk of residual cells that can allow the cancer to come back. Gotthardt and his team are working to develop molecules that could aid a surgeon in removing all the tumor cells by using an approach called tumor targeted photodynamic therapy. In this therapy, a molecule called a photosensitizer is delivered to the tumor cells where it binds and is activated with near infrared light (using a LED or a laser). Upon activation, the photosensitizer would produce molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are toxic to cells and would thus induce tumor cell death.

Gotthardt describes the team’s progress, “With the funding that we received from NETRF, we were able to join forces between chemists and medical biologists, to develop novel photosensitizers for implementation in a promising treatment strategy named targeted photodynamic therapy. Besides using these photosensitizers for targeting two well-known targets in neuroendocrine tumors (GLP1R and SSTR2), they can easily be used for coupling to other molecules in future projects, expanding the therapeutic repertoire for neuroendocrine tumors or other cancer types.”