Gov. Rick Perry announced the creation of the Institute for Applied Cancer Science at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, which will help scientific discoveries become viable therapies. He believes that the Institute will give us a better understanding of cancer, and bring together top researchers and scientists with expertise in clinical trials, cancer genomics, cancer biology and cancer drug discovery and pharmacology. Starting in 2007, Perry led an initiative to help make Texas home for cancer treatment. This led to the creation of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT). Between the state and CPRIT, $800 million has been raised for cancer research. Voters approved bonds to fund the institute for more than 10 years, enabling the state to finance research grant awards and attract top researchers. CPRIT has funded 350 awards for cancer research, commercialization and prevention since 2010, totaling more than $570 million.
Ronald Depinho, MD Anderson states "The Institute for Applied Cancer Science will exploit the enormous opportunities provided by recent truly transformative scientific and technological advances to improve the appallingly low rate of success in the nation's current cancer drug development system.” Scientists will concentrate on research, drug discovery and translational medicine, incorporating academic and pharmaceutical science to develop innovative medicines.
Gov. Perry created the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (TETF), to attract world-class researchers through CPRIT and TETF. The state has invested nearly $178 million in grant-matching and research superiority funds to Texas universities. This has helped attract some of the top researchers in their respective fields. Texas has gotten the attention of many of the best scientists from around the world through CPRIT and TETF. These scientists have been assigned to work on projects that will cure diseases, resulting in lives saved.
