The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), a voluntary health agency dedicated to blood cancer, has awarded 21 new grants representing a total investment of $12.6 million to tackle six areas of high unmet medical need in the blood cancers.

In response to requests for proposals (RFPs) from researchers, LLS has awarded these grants under its Translational Research Program (TRP), an initiative designed to help accelerate the movement of promising discoveries from the lab to the clinic. Each grant is for three years with a total value of $600,000.

The RFPs mark LLS's proactive approach to addressing the challenge of improving outcomes for cancer patients with particularly urgent needs. The focus of the TRP grants include new immunotherapeutics for patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML), novel therapeutics for patients with non-cutaneous T-cell malignancies, the introduction of novel agents in the treatment of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphom(DLBCL) and mantle cell lymphoma(MCL), therapies for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes(MDS) who have failed hypomethylating agents, therapies for new targets such as bromodomains, methylation and other epigenetic approaches for patients with high-risk myeloma and research that addresses long-term and late effects of blood cancer therapies.

LLS also announced the awarding of an additional 20 TRP grants not related to the RFPs, totaling $11.4 million, to scientists working in other areas of blood cancer research.

"The translation of research discoveries in the laboratory to the patient's bedside for the treatment of blood cancer is a central part of the mission of LLS," said Lee Greenberger, Ph.D., LLS chief scientific officer. By taking a strategic, proactive approach, LLS is directing grant funds with the intent to accelerate the advancement of breakthrough therapies and provide the best quality of life for our patients."