Foundation Sponsor

On September 10, 2024, Expect Miracles Foundation [EMF] invited top donors, along with special guests, to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Tour 2024. The exclusive event provided an inside look at the groundbreaking research funded by EMF’s Innovation Fund at Dr. Heller’s Lab.

About EMF’s Innovation Fund

Expect Miracles Foundation has three funds: Discovery Fund, SAMFund, and Innovation Fund. The Innovation Fund specifically fuels the cutting-edge research of Dr. Daniel Heller and his team, who are on the frontlines of accelerating the development of new, more effective, and less toxic cancer therapies. Dr. Heller’s lab focuses on two of the most pressing challenges in cancer science: metastatic cancer and early detection. During this intimate tour, Miracle Makers and guests explored the lab’s revolutionary work and its potential to transform cancer treatment.

Tour Highlights

• Ninety percent of cancer deaths are caused by metastatic cancer. Dr. Heller’s lab is tackling this by developing treatments that target cancer cells without damaging healthy tissues.
• The lab has pioneered a way to deliver drugs using nanotechnology, allowing for lower doses with fewer side effects while increasing treatment efficacy.
• A key target has been P-selectin, a protein molecule found in tumor blood vessels that aids in metastasis, making it an ideal target for cancer-focused nanoparticles.
• Dr. Heller’s team created nanoparticles from brown algae that naturally bind to P-selectin, enhancing targeted drug delivery.
• Low-dose radiation was discovered to guide these nanoparticles to tumors by triggering P-selectin expression, even in tumors previously devoid of it.
• Their nanomedicine technology has been successfully tested in breast, head & neck, and brain cancers, with clinical trials for breast and head & neck cancers on the horizon.
• The lab is also developing nanosensors powered by AI to detect cancer biomarkers, especially for those at high risk or facing recurrence. One such sensor has successfully detected ovarian cancer, a particularly lethal cancer often diagnosed too late. Globally, 238,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer each year, and 151,000 die from the disease.

Top Donors Witness Impact

Thanks to the support of EMF’s top donors [a cohort known as Miracle Makers], other donors, and sponsors, Dr. Heller’s team is on the verge of major breakthroughs in cancer treatment, bringing hope to thousands of patients. This technology could dramatically shift how metastatic cancer is treated, saving countless lives.

Thank you to everyone who attended this remarkable event. If you’re interested in learning more about becoming a Miracle Maker and gaining access to exclusive opportunities like this, contact EMF’s Director of Development Maggie Dombroski at maggie@expectmiraclesfoundation.org.