Mesothelioma

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation is pleased to announce a breakthrough in their quest to finding a cure for those who have been affected by this deadly disease. They have finally received funding ($50 million) from the Department of Defense for the very first time due to the Defense Appropriations Bill that was signed by the President in November.

As a candidate research area within the program, mesothelioma investigators are eligible to compete for funding through the program’s 2008 grant cycle. “The Meso Foundation has been working with fifteen senators, led by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), advocating the federal government to respond to the mesothelioma crisis through a commitment of new federal research dollars,” said Chris Hahn, Executive Director of The Meso Foundation. “Our advocacy efforts in this area for the past several years finally paid off.”

Federal medical research projects must be of clear scientific merit and have direct relevance to military health. Military relevance is a key feature of the Investigator-Initiated award, a connection that will not be difficult for mesothelioma researchers to establish for their grant applications. There is a long history of asbestos exposure in military service, and a
significant elevated risk of mesothelioma in the military population. In fact, approximately one third of mesothelioma cases have been shown to involve Navy and shipyard exposures. Given the long latency of the disease, even if exposures are reduced, mesothelioma will continue to affect the veteran and military population for decades to come.

This funding opportunity can serve as a vital resource to the meso community and is another crucial step toward advancing the research and treatment of mesothelioma. The Meso Foundation strongly encourages mesothelioma investigators to consider submitting applications for funding in 2008, as the interest and engagement shown by the community will likely be a factor in whether mesothelioma is included as a candidate in future years.