Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation June 2010 Vol. 2

Everyone knows someone with cancer. It affects millions of lives every day. A world where cancer is treated without side effects, a world where cancer is curable is more than just a good idea. That’s why thousands of people from across the country voted the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation’s proposal,“Develop an alternative cancer treat-ment that has no side effects” the number one refreshing idea in the Pepsi Refresh Project.

In lieu of advertising during the Super Bowl this year, Pepsi decided to donate $20 million to charities or innovative projects that would benefit people around the country. From all the submissions Pepsi receives each month, the company selects 1,000 projects that become eligible to win via online voting.

After trying unsuccessfully to enter in February, the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation (KCRF) resubmitted their proposal March 1. A month later, Pepsi announced 298 ideas in the $250,000 category, and KCRF made the list for April.

As the month progressed and KCRF started climbing the rankings, the competition intensified. What began as a campaign for the Kanzius Foundation transformed into a per-

Insidethis issue

1001 State Street • Suite 1400 • Erie, PA 16501 • (814) 480-5776 • www.KanziusCancerResearch.org

#1 Refreshing IdeaFind out how our proposal beat out 298 other ideas to earn $250,000 for the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation.

I Hate CancerRead about a 6-year-old boy who is making a difference in the battle against cancer.

Q&AAnswers to your commonly asked questions: Why use gold nanoparticles? How are they injected into the body? How do they attach to cancer cells?

The MISSION of the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation is to create national and global awareness of the potential of the Kanzius Non-invasive Radio-wave Cancer Treatment and to raise funds to help accelerate the speed at which research progresses to human trials.

“Develop an Alternative Cancer Treatment That Has No Side Effects”

sonal project for the people who voted. “It got to the point where people were calling friends, posting on their Facebook walls, using the words ‘we’ and ‘our’ and come on and join us,” said Mark Neidig, executive director. “It became a very personal endeavor for everyone involved.”

Through social media, traditional media, and old fashioned word of mouth, support spread throughout the month and across the country, and KCRF finished the month number one. It was one of only two projects of those eligible chosen to win in the $250,000 category.

“In May, during the project vetting process, Pepsi representatives notified us that, due to an internal corporate policy, they would not be able to fund our research because it involved testing animals,” Neidig said. But that turned out to be a blessing in disguise in two ways. For starters, KCRF will still receive the money. It will be used to spread the word to the greater community about the innovation, what the research is doing, and the fact that there is hope for treatment that doesn’t have any side effects.

The second reason speaks volumes about how much people want to see a cure in their lifetime. “We had a donor in the Midwest that stepped up to the plate and said, ‘Just because Pepsi isn’t funding the research, that doesn’t stop me,’ and he donated a quarter of a million dollars,” Neidig said.

Beyond its financial impact, the Pepsi contest helped spread the wave. “We became a household name,” Neidig said. “There’s urgency any time you’re raising money, but this contest had a specific timeline where people had to em-brace the idea and share it with others to make it happen.” This national exposure and generous funding would not have been possible without each of your votes. Thank you!

Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation • 1001 State Street • Suite 1400 • Erie, PA 16501

Facesof theFight

“I Hate Cancer” Hate is one of those four-letter words that moms often tell their children not to use. But when Alyson Amendola’s 6-year-old son Conor used the word, she approved and oth-ers in the room agreed.

“I hate cancer,” were Conor’s exact words. The response came immediately after watching the “Spread the Wave” video with his mom at a volunteer meeting for the Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation (KCRF).

Conor has good reason for his feelings toward the disease. Both his mom and his grandmother (Alyson’s mom) are two-time cancer survivors.

When Mark Neidig, executive director, heard those words coming from someone so young, he looked to Alyson and said, “Wow, could he be our national spokesperson?”

“Whatever it takes to get this project to human trails,” Aly-son responded. “Absolutely.”

Then, in mid-April, Alyson and her fiancé, Matthew Cum-mings, suggested to Mark that the three of them and Conor take a trip to New York City to do some guerilla marketing in support of the Pepsi Refresh Project.

They filmed a PSA, made posters and fliers, created a new website land-ing page called “HelpConor.com,” and set off to spread the word about KCRF. After booking a discount hotel and renting a car, they went to work for the weekend.

Conor was a big hit. He met some of the Fox News personalities, got a picture with the Today Show crew, and even shook hands with Al Roker. The big city platform helped raise awareness as KCRF jumped from third place to first by the time they got back to Erie.

Conor’s influence was not limited to that one weekend in New York. “He’s volunteered on many occasions. He attended our pep rally. He went around at an Erie BayHawks game and asked people for donations,” Neidig said. “He is definitely one of our superstars.”

Conor and Alyson helped spread the wave in Times Square.

“Climbing for a Cure” When Greg Sesler heard about John Kanzius and his determination to find a better treatment for cancer, he was inspired. He recognized even though John was not a medical pro-fessional, his passion had created a breakthrough in the fight against cancer.

Having experienced the loss of his grandfather to cancer and seeing other family members fight the disease, Sesler, an attorney and real estate developer, began to plan for a personal challenge that would honor and benefit the Kanzius research.

Describing himself as an occasional climber—par-ticipating in a family climb of Mt. Washington in New

Hampshire at age 12 and rock climbing with friends—Sesler decided to push him-self with a 14,720-foot climb to the peak of Grand Teton Mountain in Wyoming.

On July 14, 2009, Sesler and his group reached the peak after four days of intensive climbing. “It was the most challenging aerobic activity of my life,”

he said. “It required determi-nation and perseverance. It was beautifully stark and quite emotional at the peak. Knowing I was not doing this climb for myself kept me going through some of the rough spots.”

Safely home with his wife Beth and their four children, Greg was able to make a donation of $1,170 in memory of John Kanzius and his quest to make life better for those suffering from cancer.

Greg’s view from Grand Teton Mountain was breathtaking.

As a child, I loved going to the amusement park and riding roller coasters. As I grew older, the rides needed to be taller and faster. To this day, I still love to take on a challenging ride. And that’s how I feel about the Kanzius project today. America joined in acknowledging the need for our innovative research through the Pepsi contest. Grassroots fundraisers all over the country con-tinue to bring in thousands of dollars to advance our research.

Q&A

From the Executive Director Mark A. NeidigMNeidig@KanziusCancerResearch.org

• Why do we use gold nanoparticles? We use gold for two reasons. First, it is already FDA approved in a form called colloidal gold to treat arthritis. Secondly, the gold nanoparticles heat at the highest rate we have ever measured for any type of material in the Kanzius RF field.

• How are they injected into the body? They are given intravenously (into a vein).

• Where do the nanoparticles go once injected into the body? Nanoparticles not taken up by cancer cells are either taken up by macrophages, a type of scavenger cell in the immune system, or they are secreted into the urine by your kidneys and urinated out after treatment.

• How do they attach to the cancer cells? They attach to the cancer cells only if we attach a specific targeting molecule to the gold nanoparticles that binds to an abnormal molecule on the surface of cancer cells. Not all cancer cells have such abnormal molecules, but many do.

A significant donation by an anonymous donor turned fears into triumphs, and the best is yet to come. I have just received a pre-publication copy of Dr. Curley’s latest manuscript which we will highlight in the next issue of “the wave.” In the meantime, we need each of you to keep raising awareness and money for research and keep riding this incredible wave!

Spread the Wave to Cure Cancer • (814) 480-5776 • www.KanziusCancerResearch.org

From the Lab

Transmission electron microscope images of human pancreas cancer cells. The left panel shows cells treated with gold nanoparticles followed by Kanzius radiofrequency (RF) treatment; the cell is dead with material leaking out through the cell membrane. The cell on the right is treated only with gold nanoparticles (no Kanzius RF); this cell is alive and normal showing the gold nanoparticles work to kill the cancer cell only if treated by the Kanzius device.

Wish ListMake a donation: This list is representative of current needs of the Foundation. Your generous, unrestricted gift in any amount will greatly help fulfill our mission.

Associate Professor $179,200

Cell Plate Reader $120,000

(2) Assistant Professors $115,200 each

Sr. Flow Cytometry Specialist - $66,620

Research Fellow $56,140

Copier/Document Scanner $6,000

Video/DVD Reproduction $2,500

Desktop Computer $2,000

Computer Software $1,000

(6) File Cabinets $200 each

(50) Rolls of Postage Stamps $44 each

RF No RF

✓

Spread the Wave to Cure Cancer • (814) 480-5776 • www.KanziusCancerResearch.org

1001 State Street, Suite 1400Erie, PA 16501

The Gift of GivingThe Erie Playhouse is one of the nation’s longest running playhouses, but this past winter they did more than entertain. Their 2009-10 holiday musical, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, had 17 performances spanning December and January.

At the conclusion of each evening, Joe Greulich, who played the lead role as Bob Wallace, shared the story of seeing the black and white version of White Christmas with Bing Crosby the Christmas following his dad’s passing. “Christmas is a family time and too many of us are losing our loved ones to cancer,” Joe said. He then invited everyone in attendance to reach deep into their pockets and give in the spirit of a loved one they had lost to cancer.

Cast members then greeted audience members at the door with colorfully adorned gift bags to receive donations. Bundled

with five gift baskets ranging in value from $199-$499, the Play-house raised more than $16,000 to go toward research.

Do you have a great idea for a grassroots

fundraiser to help support the Kanzius

Foundation? Use the supplied envelope or

visit our website and tell us all about it.

Please help us maintain up-to-date records and save money. Did you receive a duplicate copy of this newsletter? Is your mailing information correct? Would you like a copy sent to a friend? If so, please let us know by returning the supplied envelope or visit our website and click “Contact Us.”

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The Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with EIN Tax ID# 26-1790100

L-R Erie Playhouse Executive Staff Richard Davis, Char-lie Corritore, Mark Neidig (KCRF) and Almitra Clerkin

Cast of White

Christmas