VAI Folio 2019
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AND IT’S HOW WE KNOW WE’RE<br />
MAKING A DIFFERENCE.<br />
For those affected by neurodegenerative diseases like<br />
Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. For people fighting cancer.<br />
For students and teachers embracing the challenges<br />
facing our world.<br />
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS<br />
Establishing a link between<br />
the appendix & Parkinson’s<br />
Blood test for<br />
pancreatic cancer<br />
Developing more precise<br />
medications<br />
Viral mimicry improves<br />
cancer treatment<br />
<strong>VAI</strong> scientists identified<br />
the appendix as a<br />
possible starting point<br />
for Parkinson’s, opening<br />
the door to potential<br />
new therapies that aim<br />
to head off the disease in<br />
the gut, long before motor<br />
symptoms occur.<br />
<strong>VAI</strong> scientists developed a<br />
new combination blood test<br />
for pancreatic cancer that<br />
may help catch the disease<br />
sooner, which could lead to<br />
earlier and more effective<br />
medical intervention.<br />
<strong>VAI</strong> scientists for the first<br />
time identified the structure<br />
of a G protein–coupled<br />
receptor, a major drug<br />
target, which is a critical<br />
step in understanding its<br />
function and leveraging it<br />
for treatment of disease.<br />
<strong>VAI</strong> scientists and<br />
collaborators have found<br />
that anti-cancer drugs<br />
called demethylating<br />
agents trick cancer cells<br />
to behave as though they<br />
are infected with a virus or<br />
other pathogen. This “viral<br />
mimicry” leads to cell death,<br />
decreasing the number of<br />
cancer cells and improving<br />
the effectiveness of other<br />
treatments, such as chemoand<br />
immunotherapies.<br />
Earliest stages of life<br />
<strong>VAI</strong> scientists are studying<br />
how DNA replicates, which<br />
may one day contribute to<br />
the development of better<br />
therapies for the more<br />
than 40 diseases related<br />
to failures in this process.<br />
SU2C Catalyst awards<br />
The Van Andel Institute–<br />
Stand Up To Cancer<br />
Epigenetics Dream Team<br />
scientists earned two of 10<br />
prestigious Catalyst awards<br />
from Stand Up To Cancer,<br />
which support clinical trials<br />
for new bladder cancer<br />
and non-small cell lung<br />
cancer therapies.<br />
Creating a cancer atlas<br />
<strong>VAI</strong> scientists played<br />
integral roles in The Cancer<br />
Genome Atlas, a federally<br />
led project to molecularly<br />
map cancer. The more<br />
than decade-long initiative<br />
was the most in-depth<br />
undertaking of its kind,<br />
spanning 10,000 tumors<br />
across 33 cancer types.<br />
Spread of Parkinson’s<br />
disease through the brain<br />
<strong>VAI</strong> scientists were the first<br />
to show that a Parkinson’s<br />
disease-associated protein<br />
spreads from parts of the<br />
brain connected to the<br />
nose to other brain regions<br />
affected by the disease. The<br />
discovery has implications<br />
for finding ways to slow or<br />
stop disease progression.<br />
Van Andel Institute Purple Community collaborates with community, educational<br />
and corporate partners to raise funds for <strong>VAI</strong>’s research into diseases like cancer<br />
and Parkinson’s. 100% goes directly to the cause.<br />
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