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A Family Affair: Supporting Cancer Research

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The Speech that Lives On

Jim Valvano won a National Championship as a college basketball coach. He showed off his vivacious personality on and off the court, and he shined behind the microphone. He was a legendary coach, commentator and character. But he’ll forever be remembered for a speech that changed the world. At the inaugural ESPYS in 1993, not only did he, along with ESPN, launch the V Foundation for Cancer Research, he also delivered a speech that is still as inspiring and motivational today as the day it was given.

Although cancer would take Jim’s life just months after his iconic speech, he wanted to do everything he could to ensure other lives might be saved.

WATCH JIM’S LEGENDARY SPEECH

 

“We Need Money for Research”

Jim had seen the great work being done in AIDS research, and he wanted to see the same progress in cancer research. So, he joined forces with ESPN to create the V Foundation. Since then:

“Don’t Ever Give Up”

Jim’s speech was a monumental move forward in garnering support for cancer research, but its legacy is much more than that. His words are a rallying cry for anyone who needs a boost, especially those going through a cancer journey. A few of our favorites:

 

“Laugh, Think and Cry”

Jim’s description of the three things we should all do every day are the perfect embodiment of what creates a “Heck of a day.”

“Cancer cannot touch …”

Jim gave a powerful reminder that while cancer may diminish your physical abilities, there are three things that will carry on forever.

“It May Save Someone You Love”

While Jim was aware that his prognosis was not good, he urged us to continue fighting to potentially save someone else’s life.

Join Us!

ESPN and the V Foundation team up every December to raise awareness and funding for cancer research. This year, V Week runs from Giving Tuesday, December 1, through December 12. Join us for V Week, as each ONE of us comes together as ONE community with ONE mission – to defeat cancer.

Intercepting secret messages to fight pancreatic cancer

Researchers have worked tirelessly for decades to find new therapies for pancreatic cancer, yet it remains a difficult disease to treat. In fact, in 2016, pancreatic replaced breast cancer as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S.

“There have been significant strides in understanding the genetics of pancreatic cancer,” said Mara Sherman, Ph.D., from the Oregon Health & Science University Knight Cancer Institute. “However, it is becoming clear that we need to know more about the biology of this cancer to develop more effective treatments.”

With V Foundation funding, Sherman is moving science closer to understanding the biological pathways that make pancreatic tumors tick. Among cancers, one thing that sets pancreatic tumors apart is their unusual microenvironment. Only a small portion of the tumor consists of cancer cells—malignant cells with mutated DNA. Most of the tumor is made of scar-like tissue that nurtures the cancer cells while shielding them from anti-cancer drugs. Sherman said she believes understanding the inner workings of this protective tissue could be key to developing new therapies for pancreatic cancer.

Looking to the stars

Sherman’s research focuses on stellate cells, which are shaped like tiny stars. In healthy tissue, these cells help to heal damage in the pancreas, liver and other organs by transforming themselves into scar-forming cells called myofibroblasts. They also are the body’s storage lockers for vitamin A, which they carry inside small droplets of fat, or lipid.

Stellate cells respond to a tumor the same way they respond to tissue damage, by creating scar tissue. Unfortunately, in the case of pancreatic cancer, it seems this process may only make the situation worse.

My previous work showed that lipid storage and metabolism change profoundly in stellate cells during pancreatic tumor progression. In this new work, we wanted to understand the potential significance of this and whether this switch may somehow help pancreatic cells survive.
Mara Sherman, Ph.D.

Working with Jurre Kamphorst from the Beatson Institute in the U.K., Sherman and her team found fibroblasts from human pancreatic tumors secrete high levels of lipids. Using mouse models, they also observed pancreatic cancer cells take up these lipids. These findings suggest stellate cells are essentially feeding the cancer by spitting out fat droplets.

Following the trail further, the researchers discovered the lipids are also metabolized, or digested, by autotaxin, an enzyme secreted from pancreatic cancer cells. This process creates a molecular signal that urges the cancer cells to keep growing.

While it would likely be hard to stop stellate cells from feeding their lipids to cancer cells, stopping autotaxin is much more feasible. In fact, there are already drugs on the market that inhibit autotaxin. To find out how inhibiting autotaxin would affect the cancer, the researchers blocked the enzyme using two different methods: drugs and genetic manipulation. Although both approaches slowed pancreatic tumor progression in mice, the genetic inhibition was much more potent. This could mean the drug wasn’t getting delivered efficiently, or that a better drug is needed.

Targeting the ‘puppet master’

The researchers are continuing to study how inhibiting autotaxin affects pancreatic cancer cells and the tumor microenvironment. “If we better understand the consequences of autotaxin inhibition, perhaps we can come up with a combination of therapeutic strategies that will be more efficient than targeting autotaxin alone,” said Sherman. “Understanding the cell type that’s the puppet master of this reaction may help us figure out which pathways or molecules to target therapeutically.”

To do this, the researchers are developing new mouse models that will allow them to turn off specific cell types, enabling them to see what happens to other cells within the tumor microenvironment when certain cells are inactivated.

“When we applied for the V Foundation funding, we didn’t know if the process we were studying would actually impact tumor progression,” said Sherman. “The support allowed us to get preliminary data, which led to an NIH grant that is allowing us to continue this line of study.”

Sherman said she hopes that within the next five to 10 years their research will reveal a combination of drugs that is promising enough to move into clinical testing.

In Their Own Words: Trea Turner

The V Foundation for Cancer Research is successful thanks to the contributions of many – donors, corporate partners, our incredible Board and Scientific Advisory Committee and the amazing researchers to whom we award grants. With “In Their Own Words,” we sit down with key members of our team to learn more about their commitment to the V Foundation and their personal desire to put an end to cancer. In this edition, we chat with World Series champion Washington Nationals shortstop Trea Turner.

 

The V Foundation: How has cancer affected you personally?

Trea Turner: Cancer has affected both of our families. Kristen and I have seen loved ones battle with cancer, and we know the feelings of helplessness and frustration it brings to everyone involved. We have been moved by our own experiences to help the efforts to find a cure to this terrible disease.

 

The V Foundation: What made you decide that you wanted to support pediatric cancer research specifically?

Trea Turner: Kristen and I attended NC State University, where the legendary Jim Valvano coached. We knew of his story and the difference he made in the battle with cancer. We have wanted to give back and make a difference as well. We love kids and thought we could make the biggest impact in support of the fight against pediatric cancer.

 

The V Foundation: How has Jim’s legacy inspired you (and other members of the NC State community) to support cancer research?

Trea Turner: He is a huge part of the reason we got involved. He is a great example of perseverance and positivity. We loved his message of never giving up, and we feel a strong connection with him through the NC State community.

 

The V Foundation: You encouraged fans to join in on your efforts in raising money for research via Pledge It last season. Why was it so important for you to give fans the chance to join you in supporting research?

Trea Turner: I think when you can have a group of people get behind a great cause and all pull in the same direction great things can happen. One person can make an incredible difference, but with the addition of each individual, the possibilities are endless. We wanted to give the pediatric cancer community a cause to get behind so that we are in this together, just like sharing in the journey of a baseball season.

 

The V Foundation: How has your life changed after winning the World Series in 2019?

Trea Turner: Honestly, my life hasn’t changed much. Other than the fact that I have a beautiful World Series ring that I’ll always love, along with the greatest memories with an unbelievable group of guys that I’ll never forget!

 

The V Foundation: What would Victory Over Cancer® look like to you?

Trea Turner: Victory over cancer to me would look like freedom – free from suffering, free from pain, free from seeing someone with so much life in front of them gone.

Despite the Pandemic, the Fundraising Must Go On!

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed most aspects of our life. Kids are learning remotely, parents are working from home, and we are unable to gather in large groups. But one thing hasn’t changed: Cancer continues. Every day, peoples’ lives are turned upside down when they hear the words: “You have cancer.”

We know raising money to fund innovative cancer research is as important today as ever. And while it may seem impossible to move forward with a fundraiser given life these days, we’re here to let you know you can still make it happen! A little creativity and ingenuity can help you make a few small adjustments so your fundraiser is still a hit.

Going Virtual

Earlier this year, Mania Club was unsure how its yearly fundraiser would go on. The group of WWE super fans hosts an in-person tailgate each year at WrestleMania, and with the event not allowing fans, changes were needed. But that didn’t stop them.

“We were planning a tailgate with an expected attendance of close to 5,000 people,” said Mania Club’s co-founder Ashontay Owens. “But cancer doesn’t stop, so Mania Club doesn’t stop.”

The group took the tailgate online via a virtual video conference, hosted a contest among members and even got a WWE Superstar to join the conference and judge the contest. Despite everything working against them, they reached their fundraising goal of $20,000.

“It was truly amazing seeing everyone come together for a common purpose, if only for a couple hours,” said Owens.

Matt Florio, the Senior Vice President of Event Operations for Legendary Sports Group, which runs the Alumni Challenge, tries to look at the potential positives.

“We were forced to move the race to a virtual event, so it will allow us to reach a broader audience. We’re hoping moving to virtual will allow people to get involved from all over the country,” said Florio.

Making the Ask

Even if you can successfully navigate around gathering a large number of people together, asking for donations during a pandemic can feel difficult. Ron Chatfield’s original event was cancelled, but he chose to ride and raise money for cancer research by Everesting in Utah. While his physical challenge was climbing over 29,000 feet on his bike, he thought it might be difficult to raise money in the midst of COVID-19.

“Some people are struggling in 2020 to stay afloat, so my goal was make it about the cause and not me,” said Chatfield. “My line was simple: ‘Cancer patients can’t choose their bad days. Will you donate to help cancer patients have some better days?’ ”

You never know who might say yes; you just have to ask. Unfortunately, nearly everyone you know is impacted by cancer in some way. And although the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our day-to-day lives in a major way, it cannot stop us from continuing to fundraise. It cannot stop us from rallying our friends, families and communities. And it cannot stop us from achieving Victory Over Cancer®.

Start Your Fundraiser Today