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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Community Foundation of Broward, AutoNation and the Royal Dames Partner to Support Cancer Research at NSU
(Photo caption – L to R): Appu Rathinavelu, Ph.D., executive director of NSU’s Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research; Alice Jackson, representing AutoNation and honoree at the 2014 Royal Dames Tiara Ball; Carol Harrison, member of Royal Dames; Sheri Brown, vice president of grants and initiatives, Community Foundation of Broward; Jacqueline Travisano, M.B.A., CPA, NSU executive vice president and COO and chair of the Royal Dames 2014 Tiara Ball; and George L. Hanbury II, Ph.D, president and CEO of NSU.
The Community Foundation of Broward and AutoNation, the country’s largest auto retailer, have teamed up to provide $100,000 to help researchers at Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research (RGI) get a promising new drug into the hands of cancer sufferers.
The Community Foundation is providing $50,000 to NSU’s Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research, which matches AutoNation’s $50,000 gift to the Royal Dames of Cancer Research’s efforts to support RGI. These gifts will support testing of a new, more effective version of a drug developed at RGI to treat prostate, ovarian and colorectal cancers.
“This support of NSU’s Rumbaugh-Goodwin Institute for Cancer Research will help our researchers on their quest for better treatments and cures for cancer,” said George L. Hanbury, Ph.D., president and CEO of NSU. “We are extremely grateful to Community Foundation of Broward, AutoNation, and the Royal Dames for Cancer Research for their continued support of NSU’s efforts to make a difference in the lives of so many people facing cancer.”
Preliminary testing has shown the new version of the drug, called JFD-WS, is absorbed into human tissue more effectively, increasing its therapeutic potential. With this support, researchers can now investigate if the new drug is safe to use in isolation and when paired with other cancer treatments.
The effort builds on the work of researchers at RGI who have already received two U.S. patents for the anti-angiogenic drugs that can destroy blood vessels supplying oxygen and nutrients through blood circulation to cancer tissues.
“The fact that cutting-edge research on what is the second leading cause of death in the United States is being conducted and financed right here in Broward is something we should all be proud of,” said Community Foundation of Broward President/CEO, Linda Carter. “This partnership between philanthropic, corporate and academic sectors proves how much we can achieve when we work together for collective impact.”
AutoNation’s Chairman & CEO Mike Jackson agrees: “Sadly, all of us have been touched by cancer in some way and that’s why AutoNation has committed our charitable efforts to conquering this disease. We’re proud to join forces with the Community Foundation to make real progress towards finding a cure.”