Fight against tumors, together with the Airc on the front line for research

Italians can become protagonists of research in the oncology field by donating 5 per thousand. This is evident from the initiatives of Airc Foundation for cancer research, which uses the 5 per thousand funds to finance eight special programs for research into metastases and more than 360 individual research projects. In 2022, more than one and a half million citizens have allocated almost 70 million euros to Airc, of which 5 per thousand. This choice allowed the foundation, after a rigorous and meritocratic selection process, to support the most deserving scientific projects, with the aim of finding increasingly effective solutions to early treat, prevent and diagnose cancer in all its forms. . The 5 per thousand funding, which adds to donations from 4.5 million sustained supporters, makes the Airc Foundation the first private center for funding independent research into cancer in Italy. «Our philosophy – explains the professor Federico Caligaris Cappio, scientific director of the Airc Foundation – is that to heal you have to understand, but to understand you have to do research and to do research you need funding. And the projects we support are extremely strictly selected by a panel of 600 experts, all foreign, to avoid any conflict of interest with our country.”

Federico Caligaris Cappio, Scientific Director of the Airc Foundation

The eight projects on metastasis, which are currently supported by Airc, are carried out by more than 80 research groups, working in many different areas. “The teacher Maria Rescigno (Humanitas, Milan) – recalls Professor Caligaris Cappio – is concerned with the role of the intestinal microbiota in promoting the occurrence of liver metastases from intestinal tumors, while Professor’s group Alberto Bardelli (Ifom, Milan) investigates how metastases from colorectal tumors develop and spread, using new technologies (liquid biopsy, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence) to develop innovative systems to combat them. The teachers group Maria Chiara Bonini (San Raffaele, Milan) – continues the Scientific Director of Airc – is instead working on the development of new advanced therapeutic products, based on gene and cellular therapies, involving the immune system, for the treatment of liver metastases of colorectal and pancreas. While the group of professor Stefano Piccolo (University of Padua) studies the physical characteristics of metastatic cells to understand how they manage to escape from the primary tumor, to localize themselves at a distance.” All of these results already have potential (in some cases even real) clinical applications at the bedside.

«The professor’s studies are also always supported by AIRC – recalls Professor Caligaris Cappio Alberto Mantovani (Humanitas, Milan) on how the immune system can promote or oppose the development of metastases in different types of tumors, in an attempt to propose new treatments. We supported the professor’s project in the field of oncohematology Robin Foa (La Sapienza University, Rome) for the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia without chemotherapy, but only with targeted biologics; while the professor’s project Alessandro Maria Vannucchi (University of Florence) focuses on the characterization of myeloproliferative hematological neoplasms to address the treatment of individual patients with a personalized medicine approach.”

THE MESSAGE

Research is vital and an integral part of treatment, as the figures show. Between 2010 and 2020, Italians have beaten cancer and are still alive more than a decade later diagnosis they rose by 54%. But we cannot be satisfied with these results, because the number of new cancer diagnoses is increasing (395 thousand last year, 208 thousand among men and 187 thousand among women). In addition to its strong commitment to research, Airc spreads culture about health and prevention in schools, companies and public squares, bringing citizens closer to researchers. Bringing researchers out of the ivory towers of high-tech laboratories to meet ordinary people, with their questions and the many hopes pinned on a cure for cancer, is the aim of the new roadshow that has just started. After the meeting in Turin that took place on April 13, it will be the turn of Friday April 19 and Saturday April 20 Naples: the appointment is at Piazza degli Artisti from 10am. The agreements follow Padua (24-25 maggio), Arezzo (June 7-8) e Bergamo (mid-September).

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

You can allocate 5 per thousand free of charge to cancer research financed by Airc on your tax return, stating the Airc tax code (80051890152) in the section regarding Financing of scientific research and the University. More info: programma5permille.airc.it/come-donare.

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

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