ARPA-H Announces Funding for Programs to Support Cancer Moonshot Objectives

Renee Wegrzyn, PhD, Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), announced funding of three new programs to support the Cancer Moonshot during a Cancer Moonshot Mission Update hosted by POLITICO. The programs are:

• Targeted Hybrid Oncotherapeutic Regulation (THOR): $45 million to Rice University to develop a minimally invasive implant that senses and responds with a specific treatment and will trigger the immune system against tumors.
• Synthetic Programmable bacteria for Immune-directed Killing in tumor Environments (SPIKEs): Up to $19 million to the University of Missouri to develop an inexpensive and safe therapy using bacteria specifically selected for tumor-targeting.
• Cancer and Organ Degradome Atlas (CODA): Up to $50 million to the Georgia Institute of Technology to map cancer cell biomarkers to drastically improve multi-cancer early detection and streamline clinical intervention when tumors are still small.

Danielle Carnival, PhD, Deputy Assistant to the President for the Cancer Moonshot, reiterated the collaboration and non-duplicative efforts among ARPA-H and the National Cancer Institute during the update. She also emphasized the relationship between innovative technology and access to care, emphasizing preventive care and early detection.

For more information, contact Katie Grady, American College of Radiology® Director of Government Affairs.