Friday, February 15, 2008

Dana-Farber wins $400K NSF cancer research grant

The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has landed $400,000 from the National Science Foundation to expand research on cancer cells. The institute's research will explore the role of certain protein enzymes in cancer cells. By designing and testing such compounds, Dana-Farber said its researchers hope to learn how the enzymes affect the development of cancer cells.

The institute said it intends to design new drugs to more specifically target cancer cells.

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) announced the federal grant this morning.

Earlier this week, Dana-Farber reported a collaboration with Merck and Co. Inc. to identify new targets for cancer drugs and develop therapies to affect those targets.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a principal teaching affiliate of the Harvard Medical School.