NCI Renews Major Grant Bringing New Cancer Discoveries to Patients Sooner

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has renewed the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) for The Wistar Institute and ChristianaCare’s Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute, awarding $16.3 million over the next five years.

The renewal received an “exceptional” rating — the highest possible — recognizing the strength and impact of a partnership that combines world-class basic science with leading community-based cancer care.

This collaboration is the only one of its kind in the nation, joining Wistar, an NCI-Designated Basic Cancer Center, with ChristianaCare, one of the country’s premier academic community cancer centers and a National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program. Together, they focus on driving advances against some of the most challenging cancers, including pancreatic, melanoma, breast, lung and ovarian cancers. The grant supports shared infrastructure, scientific resources and programs that enable researchers and clinicians to work seamlessly across both institutions. By connecting laboratory breakthroughs at Wistar with ChristianaCare’s ability to rapidly apply new approaches in a diverse patient population, the partnership accelerates the path from discovery to care. NCI highlighted the collaboration’s effectiveness, noting that “the ongoing alliance with the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute is where most clinical translation into active oncology trials is occurring, supported by productive collaboration between Wistar investigators and Graham Cancer Center oncologists.”

“At ChristianaCare, we are committed to bringing innovation directly to the people we serve. Our collaboration with Wistar connects the best of basic science with the realities of patient care,” said Thomas Schwaab, M.D., Ph.D., Bank of America Endowed Medical Director of the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute. “The NCI’s exceptional score recognizes the promise of this work and the progress we are making together. It is a powerful affirmation that our patients are benefiting from research at the highest level.”

“This renewal from the NCI is proof that we are building a model for how cancer research and community care can come together,” said Nicholas Petrelli, M.D., director of the Cawley Center for Translational Cancer Research at the Graham Cancer Center and associate director of Translational Research at The Wistar Institute Cancer Center. “Through our partnership with Wistar, patients in Delaware and beyond are gaining access to cutting-edge research and therapies for some of the toughest cancers we face.”

Dario Altieri, M.D., president and CEO of The Wistar Institute and director of its Ellen and Ronald Caplan Cancer Center, added: “An exceptional rating from the NCI is a reflection of the scientific excellence and real-world impact of this partnership. What makes this collaboration unique is its ability to take discoveries in areas such as melanoma and ovarian cancer and bring them rapidly into clinical practice through ChristianaCare.” NCI underscored the alliance’s reach, noting that “the partnership with the Graham Cancer Center brought cutting-edge cancer research to the community and advanced groundbreaking discoveries to first-in-human oncology clinical trials.”

Research achievements supported by the Wistar-ChristianaCare partnership include:

• Advancing multiple Wistar discoveries into investigator-initiated, first-in-human oncology clinical trials, including studies in pancreatic, melanoma, lung, breast and ovarian cancers.
• Launching joint research programs across several cancer types, with expanding efforts in cancer risk and population health.
• Increasing access to high-quality biospecimens — including tumor tissue, biopsies and blood samples — that fuel translational research.
• Strengthening shared scientific infrastructure supporting immunotherapy research, organoid development, xenograft models and molecular profiling.

The Wistar-ChristianaCare partnership, established in 2011, has grown into a nationally recognized alliance that bridges science and medicine. With this CCSG renewal, the collaboration will expand research in pancreatic, melanoma, breast, lung and ovarian cancers and continue advancing prevention, early detection and training programs for the next generation of physician-scientists. The Helen F. Graham Cancer Center & Research Institute depends on grants and community support to keep this work moving forward. To learn more or make a gift, click here.