Israel Cancer Research Fund and Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation Announce Grantees for New Aging and Cancer Research Program

October 27, 2023 – The Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) and the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation (SWCRF) have selected the grantees for their new, two-year collaborative program to address the rising incidence of cancer due to aging. The two teams, each comprised of one Israeli and one American, will receive $400,000 over two years, with an additional $100,000 extension to continue their research based on progress.

“Aging is considered the highest risk factor for cancer,” said Dr. Samuel Waxman, CEO and founder of SWCRF. “Over the years, research has identified many key processes that drive cancer growth, many of which are also involved in the aging process, but we don’t fully understand how they are connected. These projects will hopefully improve our understanding of these complex mechanisms and spur new interventions and treatments.”

The awardees include Drs. Raul Mostoslavsky from Harvard Medical School and Haim Cohen from Bar-Ilan University. Their project expects to identify why a special component called SIRT6, which protects against cancer, decreases with age. They hope to find ways to manipulate this component to prevent cancer in aging. Drs. Charles Brenner from City of Hope National Medical Center and Fuad Iraqi from Tel Aviv University aim to pinpoint specific genes that play a role in the initiation of intestinal cancer in response to aging and dietary factors.

“Funding for research into aging and cancer has been historically underfunded. This is why we are thrilled to expand our relationship with SWCRF to focus on this crucial area of research. We are optimistic that these projects will lead to important discoveries, but equally crucial, will propagate further interest in the links between aging and cancer across our field,” said Beryl Chernov, National Executive Director, ICRF.

Both organizations will jointly administer the research program. Funded investigators will be required to present research progress during the Annual SWCRF Scientific Review held in New York City each fall. For more information visit www.waxmancancer.org and www.icrfonline.org.