CHAN SOON-SHIONG NANTHEALTH FOUNDATION

THE ORGANIZATION IS DIRECTLY ENGAGED IN THE CONTINUOUS ACTIVE CONDUCT OF MEDICAL RESEARCH IN CONJUNCTION WITH VARIOUS CLINICAL SETTINGS AND HOSPITALS. INITIALLY, THE ORGANIZATION WAS ENGAGED IN A JOINT EFFORT WITH PROVIDENCE SAINT JOHN'S HEALTH CENTER TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF PERSONALIZED MOLECULAR MEDICAL THERAPIES FOR THE TREATMENT OF UNMET MEDICAL NEEDS. CURRENTLY, THE ORGANIZATION IS ENGAGED IN JOINT EFFORTS WITH WINDBER HOSPITAL AND JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY TO CONDUCT PARALLEL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT. THE ORGANIZATION PROVIDES FUNDING, DATA AND EXPERTISE AND PERFORMS SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, CUSTOM ENGINEERING, REGULATORY AND MEDICAL SUPPORT SERVICES FOR EACH PROJECT CONDUCTED THROUGH ITS JOINT EFFORTS WITH WINDBER HOSPITAL AND JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO PLANS TO CONDUCT MEDICAL RESEARCH PROJECTS IN COLLABORATION WITH VARIOUS UNIVERSITIES, PARTICULARLY RESEARCH PROJECTS LED BY FACULTY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AND PARTNER INSTITUTIONS. THE ORGANIZATION WILL ANNUALLY EXPEND FUNDS EQUAL TO 3.5% OR MORE OF THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF ITS ENDOWMENT FOR THE CONTINUOUS CONDUCT OF MEDICAL RESEARCH OR WILL DEVOTE MORE THAN ONE HALF OF ITS ASSETS TO THE CONTINUOUS CONDUCT OF MEDICAL RESEARCH. THE ORGANIZATION HAS CONTRACTED WITH CHAN SOON-SHIONG INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR MEDICINE AT WINDBER TO STUDY THE LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF COVID-19 IN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS. THE STUDY INVOLVES OVER 400 PARTICIPANTS. BREAST CANCER IS A COMMON CANCER IN WOMEN WITH 685,000 WORLDWIDE DEATHS IN THE YEAR 2020 ALONE. APPROXIMATELY 30% OF ALL NEW FEMALE CANCERS ARE BREAST CANCER. MANY OF THE ESTABLISHED RISK FACTORS ARE LINKED TO ESTROGEN. RISK IS INCREASED BY BEGINNING MENSTRUATION AT A YOUNG AGE, ENTERING MENOPAUSE LATER IN LIFE, AND OBESITY IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN. THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT STIMULATES SOMATIC CELLS PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION LEADING TO CARCINOMA ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INFLAMMATION AND CANCER IS EMERGING. INFLAMMATORY DISEASES INCREASE THE RISK OF DEVELOPING CANCER. PLASMA FROM PARTICIPANTS IN THE STUDY WHO HAD COVID-19 OR NOT WILL BE UTILIZED TO UNDERSTAND THE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY IMMUNE RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH PREVIOUS BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS AND COMPARE WITH PARTICIPANTS WITH NO PREVIOUS CANCER DIAGNOSIS (CONTROLS). THE HYPOTHESIS IS THAT THE INCREASED IMMUNE RESPONSE TO COVID-19 RESULTS IN A CHRONIC IMMUNE RESPONSE IN THE BREAST CHANGING THE MICROENVIRONMENT FROM AT TH1 RESPONSE TO A TH2 RESPONSE WHICH RESULTS IN MORE AGGRESSIVE BREAST CANCER. THE STUDY IS ONGOING AND SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS WILL BE PUBLISHED UPON COMPLETION.