Boston researchers lead cancer 'dream teams'

Boston researchers figure prominently in a national project announced today that brings scientists, clinicians, and patient advocates across the country together in five "dream teams" to speed cancer treatments to patients.

Stand Up to Cancer, a philanthropic project funded by the Entertainment Industry Foundation, has awarded $73.6 million in grants administered through the American Association for Cancer Research. Nobel laureate Phillip A. Sharp of MIT chaired the committee that reviewed 237 grant applications.

Lewis Cantley, director of the Cancer Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, will lead a team investigating a molecular pathway involved in breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers. The team won a three-year, $15 million grant. Thomas M. Roberts of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the team's co-leaders. Advocates include Sarah Weiss, Elizabeth Frank, and Ruth Fax of Dana-Farber and Judi Hirshfield-Bartek of Beth Israel Deaconess.

Dr. Daniel A. Haber, director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, heads a team exploring the bioengineering and clinical applications of chip technology to detect tumor cells circulating in the blood. The team also has a three-year, $15 million grant. One of his co-leaders is Mehmet Toner of Mass. General and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Sangeeta N. Bhatia of MIT and Dr. Bruce E. Johnson of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are also on the team. Advocates include Jeanie Ungerleider of Boston IVF.

Peter Sorger and Joan Brugge of Harvard Medical School are members of a team targeting molecular resistance to treatments in some types of breast cancer.