2024 Notable Accomplishments
As 2024 draws to a close, we want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible progress we’ve made together. This year, we’ve witnessed real change in the fight against myoepithelial carcinoma (MEC), and none of it would have been possible without you.
We often say “Research is Hope,” and it’s not just a slogan—it’s the truth that guides everything we do. Every breakthrough, every new partnership, and every dollar raised is fueled by hope—the hope that we will find better treatments and, ultimately, a cure for Sebas and children like him. Thanks to your generosity, that hope is growing stronger every day.
As we look back on 2024, we want to celebrate some of the milestones you’ve helped make possible. These accomplishments are a testament to the power of community and the difference we can make when we come together for a common cause.
2024 Notable Accomplishments:
Building Critical Partnerships. As a small organization, we know that collaboration is key to speeding up the discovery of new treatments for rare cancers like MEC. This year, we established invaluable partnerships with some of the most respected cancer organizations in the country, including the TargetCancer Foundation, Pattern.org, CANCollaborate, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), and Kids v Cancer. These partnerships are accelerating research, and we are just getting started.
cureMEC Represented at National Conferences. cureMEC has begun to make a name for itself in the rare cancer community. Michael had the privilege of speaking at Target Cancer’s Think Tank on Advancing Precision Medicine in Rare Cancers in Boston, and we were invited to attend the NCCN Patient Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C. and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) conference in Chicago. These events helped us form invaluable relationships and have already sparked new research efforts that will impact the future of MEC treatment.
We raised over $129,000 for MEC Research! Thanks to your generosity, we raised $129,000 this year to fund MEC research. From our successful “$100,000 Besos for Sebas” campaign to our annual “Explore a Cure for Kids with Cancer” event, your contributions have made a direct impact on our ability to support groundbreaking research.
New Research Grants and Breakthroughs. In August, cureMEC and the Rally Foundation co-funded a $50,000 grant to Dr. Brian Van Tine at Washington University in St. Louis, focused on investigating the proteins on the surface of MEC cells to find new ways to target and treat MEC with antibody-drug conjugates and cellular therapies. In addition, our support enabled the Children’s Cancer Therapy Institute (cc-TDI) to develop the world’s first genetically engineered MEC mouse model, a critical tool for accelerating research.
Advanced MEC Cancer Research. Our investments in MEC research are beginning to show progress! cc-TDI submitted a paper, “A Functional Genomic Landscape of Myoepithelial Carcinoma (MEC)”, based on cureMEC-funded research, for publication. Thanks to our new partnership with Pattern.org, MEC patients will soon be able to donate tumor tissue directly to research efforts, helping scientists make faster strides toward a cure. In addition, the Treehouse Children’s Cancer Initiative at UC Santa Cruz is working on developing a new MEC mouse model, which will provide invaluable data to speed up cancer research. Click here to read our recent research update blog post.
Raising Awareness for Childhood Cancer. In September, we worked alongside local leaders to raise awareness for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. We were honored to have proclamations signed by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller, Albuquerque City Council and the Bernalillo County Commission. These efforts have brought more attention to the urgent need for research and resources to fight childhood cancers like MEC.
