100 percent of donations support advanced breast cancer research
and treatment
PHOENIX, Ariz. - July 26, 2010 - The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of
Hope Foundation continues its fight against advanced breast cancer
with a $50,000 donation to the Phoenix-based Translational Genomics
Research Institute (TGen), for a total contribution over two years
of $300,000.
In addition, the Mountains of Hope Foundation recently gave an
additional $60,000 to Ohio's University Hospitals (UH) Ireland
Cancer Center, bringing the total donated during the past year to
$110,000.
"Our sole mission is to enable research that allows for earlier
diagnosis and better treatment for patients with advanced breast
cancer," said Allen J. Gula, Chairman of the Mountains of Hope
Foundation. "Collaborative relationships, such as those we've
fostered among renowned research and medical institutions,
including TGen and UH Ireland Cancer Center, help to further the
Foundation's efforts to ensure the research gets into the hands of
those who stand to benefit the most - the patients."
TGen continues to make significant strides by conducting
groundbreaking research into the genetic components of common and
complex diseases, including advanced breast cancer. Recent
contributions from the Mountains of Hope Foundation were matched
with other donations to the TGen Foundation, the fundraising arm of
the non-profit biomedical research institute. That combination has
enabled bioinformatics expertise to accelerate TGen's project to
Molecularly Characterize Circulating Tumor Cells in Stage IV breast
cancer patients.
"The latest donation from the Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope
Foundation will add enormously to our ability to turn genomic
discoveries in the research laboratory into evidence-based
approaches to treat breast cancer patients with advanced disease,"
said Dr. Heather Cunliffe, who leads TGen's Breast and Ovarian
Cancer Research Unit. "The tremendous amount of data generated by
high resolution genomics research poses a significant computational
challenge. The support of the Mountains of Hope Foundation have
alleviated that bottleneck, and is propelling discovery toward
advances in healthcare."
Michael Bassoff, President of the TGen Foundation, said, "We are
proud to team up with the Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope
Foundation, and other leading institutions, to bring new hope to
tens of thousands of women with aggressive breast cancer
worldwide."
The latest donation to UH Ireland Cancer Center, as well as all
future proceeds, will be used solely to fund clinical research and
treatment options for metastatic breast cancer by UH Ireland Cancer
Center physicians, researchers and care providers. Earlier this
year, the Mountains of Hope Foundation announced it had also joined
forces with the UH Ireland Cancer Center's "Miracle Fund" to raise
ongoing research funds across Northeast Ohio.
"What makes the UH Miracle Fund unique is that it is one of the
first funds to focus solely on advanced breast cancer, and every
dollar raised goes directly to research here in Cleveland. We are
so pleased to have this outstanding support for our breast cancer
research program," said Paula Silverman, M.D., Medical Director,
Breast Cancer Program University Hospitals Ireland Cancer
Center.
"Extensive metastatic breast cancer research is currently underway
at UH Ireland Cancer Center thanks to the unwavering commitment of
the Mountains of Hope Foundation and their partnership with the UH
"Miracle Fund," said William Schiemann, Ph.D., associate professor
and co-director, breast cancer program leader at Case Comprehensive
Cancer Center.
"Our team is focused on discovering the molecular basis for how
recurrent breast cancers arise. Defining these deadly rules will
enable researchers here at UH and other centers like TGen to
develop novel and effective therapies, as well as usher in a new
era of personalized medicine to eradicate metastatic breast
cancer."
The Mountains of Hope Foundation was established in 2003 by Marilyn
B. Gula, who ultimately lost her decade-long battle with advanced
breast cancer, but not before she established the Foundation with
the intent of making inroads to improve the detection, treatment
and management of this deadly disease for others.
*
About The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope Foundation
The Mountains of Hope Foundation (501-c3) was established in 2003
by Marilyn Barry Gula, a native of Northeast Ohio, who was
diagnosed with breast cancer in 1996. Although controlled by
powerful drugs, the cancer continued to recur until the drugs were
ineffective and she lost her battle with this insidious disease on
July 26, 2006. As a result, the Mountains of Hope Foundation was
renamed "The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope Foundation" to honor
her memory and continue the work she began. Based in Phoenix, 100
percent of every dollar donated is applied directly to funding
highly-regarded researchers across the nation who study advanced
stages of breast cancer, with the hope of making inroads to improve
the detection, treatment and management of this deadly disease. For
more information, visit www.mountainsofhopefoundation.org.
Media Contact:
Jill Arslanian / Jennifer Raynor
The Marilyn B. Gula Mountains of Hope Foundation
216-712-7778
[email protected]
*
About University Hospitals
University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an
integrated network of hospitals, outpatient centers and primary
care physicians. At the core of our health system is University
Hospitals Case Medical Center. The primary affiliate of Case
Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals
Case Medical Center is home to some of the most prestigious
clinical and research centers of excellence in the nation and the
world, including cancer, pediatrics, women's health, orthopedics
and spine, radiology and radiation oncology, neurosurgery and
neuroscience, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery, organ
transplantation and human genetics. Its main campus includes the
internationally celebrated UH Rainbow Babies & Children's
Hospital, ranked second in the nation for the care of critically
ill newborns; UH MacDonald Women's Hospital, Ohio's only hospital
for women; and UH Ireland Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. For more information, go to
www.uhhospitals.org.
Media Contact:
Alicia Reale
University Hospitals Ireland Cancer Center
216-844-5158
[email protected]
*
About TGen
The Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is a Phoenix,
Arizona-based non-profit organization dedicated to conducting
groundbreaking research with life changing results. Research at
TGen is focused on helping patients with diseases such as cancer,
neurological disorders and diabetes. TGen is on the cutting edge of
translational research where investigators are able to unravel the
genetic components of common and complex diseases. Working with
collaborators in the scientific and medical communities, TGen
believes it can make a substantial contribution to the efficiency
and effectiveness of the translational process. TGen is affiliated
with the Van Andel Research Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
For more information, visit: www.tgen.org.
Media Contact:
Steve Yozwiak
TGen Senior Science Writer
602-343-8704
[email protected]
# # #