Featured Researchers

Researcher Profile
Atsuo Sasaki

Atsuo Sasaki, PhD

University of Cincinnati

Making Advancements in Brain Cancer

Atsuo Sasaki was recently awarded a seed money grant for up to $60,000 from Ohio Cancer Research for his work in brain cancer research. Considered by many to be a rising research star and likely to make tremendous strides in the fight against cancer, Dr. Sasaki’s grant proposal received the first perfect score in more than 30 years by the OCR Scientific Review Committee!

Become a part of the cure and make a difference

Your donation will help fund this exciting project and ensure Dr. Sasaki achieves significant fund- ing from other sources based on his initial study. The results will help Cincinnati lead the way in cancer research and clinical trials while improving the lives of patients suffering from brain cancer.

About Atsuo Sasaki’s Research
Atsuo Sasaki's Research

Targeting the metabolic vulnerability of GTP-metabolism in IDH mutated glioma (brain cancer)

Glioblastoma is the most common primary malignant brain tumor and has a five-year survival of less than 2%. A major advancement in fighting this aggressive form of cancer centers around the mutation in a gene that alters the metabolism of the tumor. While this mutation offers a survival advantage, it presents with a unique biology and the survival is still poor. In Dr. Sasaki’s research proposal, he plans to develop therapeutic strategies against these mutant tumors by evaluating known inhibitors of metabolic processes that have not been tested for this new class of brain tumors.

This type of cutting-edge research gives us the chance to develop a cure for tomorrow.

Researcher Profile
Saori Furuta

Saori Furuta, PhD

University of Toledo

Making Advancements in Breast Cancer

In the breast cancer research scene, Saori Furuta is one to watch. Dr. Furuta was recently awarded a seed money grant for up to $60,000 from Ohio Cancer Research for her work investigating the cell and tissue behavior of this devastating disease that affects 1 in 8 women in the U.S. and has death rates higher than those of any other cancer, besides
lung cancer.

Become a part of the cure and make a difference

Your donation will help fund this exciting project and ensure Dr. Furuta achieves signifi- cant funding from other sources based on her initial study. The results will help Toledo lead the way in cancer research and clinical trials while improving the lives of patients suffering from the devastating effects of breast cancer.

About Saori Furuta’s Research
Saori Furuta's Research

Exploring the role of nitric oxide in regulating the extracellular matrix in breast cancer

Cells are embedded in a specialized structural network called the extracellular matrix (ECM). In cancer tumors, the ECM is denser and thicker than normal tissues. This ECM stiffness disrupts tissue architecture and makes cells more migratory and prone to tumors. Dr. Furata’s research proposal includes determining whether ECM stiffening in the breast is attributed to a local deficiency of nitric oxide and whether it leads to breast tumor initiation. Her findings may justify the development of a method modulating NO level and ECM stiffness for prevention and treatment of the disease.

This type of cutting-edge research gives us the chance to develop a cure for tomorrow.