WHERE THE MONEY GOES

In the United States, A Sister's Hope Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization and contributions are tax deductible under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code. Money raised in the United States stays in the United States.

In The Netherlands, Stichting A Sister's Hope is registered with the Chamber of Merchandise-Amsterdam as a certified non-profit organization. Money raised in The Netherlands stays in The Netherlands.

Funds raised in the United States are being used for the following research:
2023
Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, received $9,700 Nov2023, $2,500 Jan2024
2022
Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, received $15,750 November 14, 2022
2021
Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, received $15,500 September 22, 2021
2020
Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, received $20,000 September 16, 2020
Dr. Cynthia Ma, Siteman Cancer Center/Washington University-St. Louis in Missouri, received $8,600 January 20, 2021

2019
Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, received $24,750 September 5, 2019
Dr. Cynthia Ma, Siteman Cancer Center/Washington University-St. Louis in Missouri, received $10,000 December 27, 2019

2018
Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, received $26,155 September 6, 2018
Dr. Cynthia Ma, Siteman Cancer Center/Washington University-St. Louis in Missouri, received $5,520 December 21, 2018

2017
Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, received $11,000 August 14, 2017, and another $22,000 on September 14, 2017

2016
Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, received $22,500 February 2017
Dr. Cynthia Ma, Siteman Cancer Center/Washington University-St. Louis in Missouri, received $22,500 February 2017


2015
UPDATE AUGUST 2016: Oncotarget article
Progress Report: Inhibition of cyclin dependent kinase 9 by dinaciclib suppresses cyclin B1 expression and tumor growth in triple negative breast cancer
Dr. Cynthia Ma, Siteman Cancer Center/Washington University-St. Louis in Missouri, (Received $9,000 on Sept. 21, 2015, and $16,000 on Aug. 21, 2015) - "Combined Targeting of PI3K and Cell Cycle Pathways In Treating Resistant Triple Negative Breast Cancer"

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is associated with high risk of early recurrence. Unlike estrogen receptor positive (ER+) or HER2 positive breast cancer, there are no targeted therapies for TNBC. Chemotherapy is the only available systemic treatment option, but resistance is common. Our laboratory has been studying phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway, a major cell survival pathway, as a therapeutic target for TNBC based on the observation that TNBC is associated with particularly high levels of PI3K signaling compared to other subtypes of breast cancer.


Dr. Jacqueline Jeruss, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, (Received $24,000 March 5, 2015) - "A novel scaffold to detect metastasis and measure therapeutic response for aggressive breast cancer subtypes"

Prof. Jacqueline Jeruss, Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University Medical Center, Chicago 2013 (Received $25,000 in November 2013)
"The metastatic spread of cancer cells from the primary disease site to distant organs is a complex and multi-step process. Although patients with hormone-insensitive, triple negative breast cancer tend to have a greater reduction in tumor size in response to chemotherapy, these cancers are associated with poor outcomes. Triple negative cancers can overexpress proteins called cyclins D and E that act through cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), and a pro-metastatic protein, Pin1, all which are linked to cancer progression and metastasis. We hypothesize that treating cyclin overexpressing breast cancer cells with CDK inhibitors will disrupt the action of Pin1 in cell migration and result in decreased cancer cell metastases. To address the study hypothesis, initial experiments will be performed on triple negative cells to examine the impact of CDK inhibition and Pin1 binding on cell migration. Subsequent experiments will implement a mouse model to further validate the effect of CDK inhibitors and inhibition of Pin1 binding on the abrogation of cancer cell metastases. Taken together, this research will provide support for the therapeutic potential of CDK inhibitors and reveal new mechanistic information regarding a novel target, Pin1, in the effort to prevent cancer cell metastasis for patients with triple negative disease."

Jacqueline S. Jeruss, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Surgery
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center


Prof. Cheng, Lurie Cancer Center, Northwestern University Medical Center, Chicago 2012 - [received $23,000 on Nov. 19, 2012]
"The goal of the proposed studies is to investigate the role of alternative splicing cancer. My lab has developed the experimental systems and technical expertise necessary to perform the proposed studies. My previous research experience has prepared me to successfully lead the proposed studies. My PhD work in Dr. Stewart Shuman's lab at Sloan-Kettering Institute revealed, for the first time, structural and mechanistic similarities between eukaryotic type I topoisomerase and prokaryotic site-specific recombinases (Cheng C, et. al., Cell, 92:841)."

Chonghui Cheng, M.D., Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Department of Medicine
Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center

Prof. JoEllen Welsh, University at Albany-NY, Cancer GeNYsis Center
[received $10,000 on May 21, 2012; previously received $40,153 in 2008/2009]
How vitamin D might protect normal breast cells from environmental agents that increase cancer risk. Another impact would be insight into whether vitamin D status might improve outcome in patients with breast cancer that are undergoing therapy with agents such as adriamycin or radiation.

Progress Report: Vitamin D and Breast Cancer - December 2012

Personal Thank You from Prof. Welsh, July 2012

AUGUST 2010- "The nice thing about the money I receive from A Sister's Hope is that we can use it to explore new & emerging ideas (whereas NIH experiments are spelled out in detail for a five year period). We are screening a large (800+ compounds) set of naturally derived products for their effects on breast cells and their ability to synergize with vitamin D." - Prof. Welsh

In 2010 and 2011, funds raised by A Sister's Hope were given to Dr. Seema Khan, Co-Leader of the Breast Cancer Program at Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Medical Center, Chicago. Dr. Khan's project received $50,000 from A Sister's Hope between Nov. 15, 2010 and Nov. 15, 2011.

Funds raised through A Sister's Hope events in Holland are delivered to Dutch researchers for breast cancer research. In its first eight years (2007-2014), A Sister's Hope in The Netherlands has given researchers 4.5 million euro (more than $6 million.)

Funding in The Netherlands from 2014 actions went to:
Dr. Wilma Mesker, Leiden UMC, 50.000 euro (TESTBREAST study) - transferred 8 dec 2014
Prof. Dr. Paul van Diest, UMC-Utrecht, 36.000 euro (Unraveling site-specific metastasis) - transferred 21 november 2014
Prof. Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL, 50.000 euro (National Breast Cancer Project) - transferred 12 maart en 3 juni 2015
Wilbert Zwart, NKI-AVL, 40.000 euro (gene classifier for tamoxifen success) - transferred 4 mei en 3 juni 2015
Dr. Willemijn Kolff, AMC, 24.000 euro (re-irradiation, locally recurrent breast cancer) - transferred 13 en 19 februari 2015

The funding from the 2013 actions and events went to:
Prof. Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL/UMC-Utrecht 68.420 euro (National Breast Cancer Project) - transferred funds Dec 2013
Prof. dr. Daniel Peeper, NKI 70.000 euro (FRA-1 studies) - transferred funds Aug 2013
Dr. Michel van Gelder, Maastricht UMC, 19.000 euro (alloreactive NK cell) - transferred funds Aug 2013
Dr. Wendy Onstenk, Erasmus MC, 68.000 euro, (ctc profiling for therapy selection) - transferred funds Jan. 10, 2014
Dr. Michael Schaapveld, Dr. Jelle Wesseling, NKI-AVL, 86,500 euro (ipsilateral invasive breast cancer risk) - transferred funds Jan. 22, 2014
Update: Wesseling/Schaapveld (EN)
Sleijfer, Beije (EN)


The funding from the 2012 actions and events went to:
Dr. Sabine Linn, Karin Beelen, NKI-AVL 153.000 euro (PK13 activation)
Dr. Stefan Sleijfer, Erasmus MC, 60.000 euro (profiling circulating tumor cells)
Prof. dr. Daniel Peeper, NKI 50.000 euro (FRA-1 studies)
Dr. Carina Hilders, UMC-Leiden 50.000 euro (ovarian tissue)
Dr. Tanja de Gruijl, VUMC, 123.000 euro (targeting tumor-induced immune suppression)
Wilbert Zwart, NKI-AVL, 80.000 euro (gene classifier for tamoxifen success)

Wachtlijst - Waiting List:
Renee van Amerongen, NKI-AVL, 98.750 euro (effects of estrous cycles on stem cells)
en andere ...

List of all research projects made possible by funding thus far from A Sister's Hope and event participants

Research Updates February 2014
Sensitivity to cisplatin chemotherapy determined in Circulating Tumor Cells, Drs. Stefan Sleijfer and Nick Beije, Erasmus MC-Rotterdam (EN)
Targeting tumor-­‐induced immune suppression: a promising strategy in the battle against breast cancer, Dr. Tanja de Gruijl, VUmc (EN)
Autotransplantation of Cryopreserved Ovarian Tissue, Dr. Carina Hilders, Leiden UMC (EN)
A molecular signalling network in breast cancer metastasis: finding new targets, designing new drugs, Dr. Daniel Peeper, Nils Visser, AVL-NKI (EN)
A genomics-based tool to predict tamoxifen success, Dr. Wilbert Zwart, AVL-NKI (EN)


Research Updates March 2013
National Breast Cancer Project, Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL (EN)
National Breast Cancer Project, Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL (NL)
Prof. Daniel Peeper, NKI (EN)
Prof. Daniel Peeper, NKI (NL)
Prof. Daniel Peeper, NKI (National Academy of Sciences)
Dr. Carolien Schroder, UMC-Groningen (NL&EN)
Dr. Marjolien Smidt, UMC-Maastricht (NL&EN)
Dr. Michel van Gelder, UMC-Maastricht (NL)
Dr. Michel van Gelder, UMC-Maastricht (EN)
Wilbert Zwart, NKI-AVL (EN)
Wilbert Zwart, NKI-AVL (NL)

Research Updates JAN 2012 from projects funded by 2011 actions:
Dr. Carina Hilders, Leiden UMC (EN)
Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL (NL & EN)
Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL
Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL (EN)
Dr. Wilma Mesker, Leiden (EN)
Prof. Daniel Peeper, NKI
Dr. Carolien Schroder, UMC-Groningen (EN & NL)
Dr. Madeleine Tilanus, Erasmus MC
Dr. Carla van Gils, UMC-Utrecht (EN)
Dr. Wouter Veldhuis, UMC-Utrecht (EN)


Money raised from the 2010 actions of A Sister's Hope in The Netherlands went to:
Dr. Paul van Diest, UMC-Utrecht 210,000 euro (aspirated nipple fluid)
Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL 150,000 euro (Olaparib, PARP inhibitor)
Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL 50,000 euro (BRCA-like CGH test)
Prof. dr. Daniel Peeper, NKI 101,000 euro (FRA-1 studies)
Dr. Carina Hilders, UMC-Leiden 50,000 euro (ovarian tissue)
Dr. Sabine Linn, NKI-AVL 37,225 euro (BRCA2-like genomic hybridization classifier)

Dr. Sabine Linn , Clinician/Researcher In the past 8 years, Dr. Sabine Linn and her fellow Antoni van Leeuwenhoek-Netherlands Cancer Institute researchers have received nearly $2 million of A Sister's Hope donations for their promising breast cancer research. More Info on Dr. Sabine Linn

Michel van Gelder , Researcher Michel van Gelder is a hematologist at University Medical Center-Maastricht. His research is focused on using NK Killer Cells to search out and destroy metastasized breast cancer. More Info on Michel van Gelder

Dr. Seema Khan , Researcher Dr. Seema Khan is co-leader of the Women's Cancer Program and a surgical oncologist. Research teams under her guidance look at biomarkers for early detection, alternative splicing in HER2-positive patients, and various other facets of breast cancer. More Info on Dr. Seema Khan