“With the high-risk, high-reward projects, it's very hard to get traditional NIH grants. We’re lucky to have VeloSano support because we can accumulate supporting evidence that we can use to eventually get the bigger grants.” - Dr. Lin
Co-Investigator
Co-Investigator
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have revolutionized cancer treatment, offering powerful therapeutic options across a range of malignancies. Yet, their effectiveness varies widely from patient to patient.
Those with “cold” tumors—tumors lacking immune cell infiltration—often do not respond well and may require alternative therapies to activate the immune system. In contrast, patients with “hot” tumors, which are rich in infiltrating immune cells, are typically more responsive to these therapies.
To bridge this gap, Feng Lin, PhD, whose earlier VeloSano-funded research helped secure approximately $15 million in support from the National Cancer Institute to commercialize a new cancer drug, has been awarded another VeloSano grant to develop a solution. Alongside Frank DiFilippo, PhD, and Daniel Lindner, MD, PhD, Dr. Lin is pioneering a novel, non-invasive imaging approach.
“Our project is to develop a non-invasive and sensitive imaging technique that allows us to visualize whether a patient has a hot or cold tumor,” says Dr. Lin. “This critical insight will enable the physician to decide to prescribe those expensive and potentially effective therapies or not.”
The team’s idea is to target a certain aspect of cancer cells using positron emission tomography (PET) scans, which are generally used to detect signs of cancer, heart disease and brain conditions. This involves injecting a safe radioactive tracer that helps detect diseased cells.
“We’re going be able to determine whether a tumor is expressing that characteristic or not,” says Dr. DiFilippo. “And if so, that completely changes the course of therapy for a patient. What we’re really imaging is a molecule. So if we have a new molecule that we can image, it opens another door for patient treatment and care.”
This is the essence of VeloSano: providing critical seed funding that enables researchers to gather the data needed to pursue major federal grants and ultimately, to improve patient outcomes. Drs. Lin, DiFilippo and Lindner have long supported Bike to Cure and have witnessed firsthand the impact of VeloSano.
“Seeing how Bike to Cure has expanded over the years is just phenomenal,” says Dr. Lindner. “I know that many researchers are benefiting from all the funds generated. It’s a fantastic thing, and the goal is to get new treatments developed.”
VeloSano thrives on the power of collaboration, bringing together diverse institutes and departments to drive discovery. These partnerships don’t just spark innovation, they lead to real answers and better outcomes for patients.
“We are very grateful for this new VeloSano grant,” says Dr. Lin. “This support has led us to the position we are in right now. We want to get these things done for the benefit of the patients.”
100% For The Cure
