2022 ANNUAL REPORT Message From The President Dear Friends and Cherished Supporters, Every day we continue to hear the words “YOU HAVE CANCER.” It is these three words that strike fear into our lives. Sadly, none of us have more than one degree of separation from this plague upon humanity and that is why supporting the mission to CONQUER CANCER NOW by the Concern Foundation is still so important. Since 1968 Concern Foundation has steadfastly believed that by supporting the young pioneers of immunology research, huge changes will continue to be made in understanding how we fight cancer. Our sole purpose is to provide salary support to researchers in order to better understand cancer and to help our immune system beat this insidious disease. Immunotherapy has emerged as the most significant breakthrough in cancer treatment in decades. Advances in cell biology, genetics, and tumor immunology have given us the foundation for today’s therapies. New technologies allow us to delve more deeply into individual patient responses to immunotherapy, with the goal of improving outcomes for all patients. Immunotherapy has become a beacon of hope for patients worldwide, and today up to one- third of all cancer patients are now eligible for treatment with immunotherapy. Thanks to our driven board, tremendous volunteers and dedicated supporters, we again fulfilled every single grant commitment while taking on several new research projects while also supporting some very important cancer community programs for patients, family members and caregivers. I hope that as you read this Annual Report you will be as proud as I am of the dedication of our board & donors, professionalism of our staff members that enabled us to continue to touch the lives of so many patients and families dealing with cancer. We will continue to grow our commitment to research and conquer cancer for every human being once and for all. On behalf of our board and especially the researchers we are funding, thank you. Sincerely, Derek Alpert President Concern In The Community Concern Foundation’s 2022 Block Party Raises $2 Million for Cancer Research On Saturday, July 9th 2022, Concern Foundation for Cancer Research successfully produced its 47th Annual Block Party on the backlot of Paramount Studios in Hollywood featuring multiple stages of live entertainment, casino-style games, live and silent auctions, and food, desserts, and beverages from over 60 of Los Angeles’ best restaurants and caterers. Themed this year as “Back on the Block” the foundation celebrated its return to hosting its highly anticipated event in-person following the Covid-19 restrictions of previous years. The sold-out event hosted approximately 3,000 guests, successfully raising $2,040,000 for cancer research through ticket sales, donations, and bids on auction items. This comes as a historic milestone for the foundation crossing the 2 Million Dollar mark in raising funds for cancer research with this event alone. 2022 marked Concern’s 47th Annual Block Party and since its inception, Concern has raised over $72 Million Dollars in salary support for over 1000 gifted cancer scientists studying cancer. This year, the foundation honored entrepreneurs, philanthropists, and community leaders Janet Crown and Steve Robinson with the first ever Larry Powell Spirit of Concern Award. Concern In The Community TEAM CONCERN Raises over $130K at the Los Angeles Marathon and 5K Concern Foundation joined the Los Angeles Marathon as an official charity for the fourteenth consecutive year and raised over $130,000 by its dedicated team! The LA BIG 5K and Los Angeles Marathon was held on March 19 and 20, and it was a huge success. 10 runners and walkers took to the streets of Los Angeles and conquered the Stadium to the Stars marathon course. The day before the marathon, Saturday March 19, over 95 runners and walkers represented Team Concern at the LA BIG 5K at Dodger Stadium. Six different organizations came together to support Team Concern and help make the event a success. These included AYA@USC, Beauty Bus Foundation, Cedars-Sinai Wellness, Resilience, and Survivorship Program, Giving From the Heart, The Kevin Cordasco Foundation: Something Yellow, and Sharsheret. The event was a great opportunity to raise awareness about cancer and the need for continued research. It brought together people from all over the city to run and walk for a great cause. Participants ranged from experienced runners to casual walkers, all with the common goal of supporting cancer research and those affected by cancer. It also provided a chance for cancer survivors to come together and celebrate their triumphs while supporting a cause that is so important to them. We’re so proud of Team Concern and all of the athletes who tirelessly trained and fundraised on our behalf. It’s an honor to be chosen as their charity of choice, and we promise that the money raised will be committed to programs for cancer patients, as well as innovative and life-saving cancer research. Concern In The Community 2022 Holiday Party for Pediatric Cancer Patients and Their Families This year, our annual holiday party welcomed over one hundred pediatric cancer patients and their families to enjoy a day of dancing, games, crafts, food, animals, presents, and photos with Santa. Paramount Studios was once again our generous host and was incredibly accommodating when we had to move the party into Soundstage 5 last-minute due to rain. The kids started out the day by watching Paws of Fury and then made their way to the soundstage, where they were greeted with a snow machine, provided by Event Special Effects, creating a winter wonderland at the entrance. Adding to the splendor were our magnificent food vendors: The Breakfast Club, Factor’s Famous Deli, Fresh Brothers, and Pink’s Hot Dogs, our wonderful DJ who got everyone up and dancing, D’City Sound and Event Productions, our therapeutic “petting zoo” including Mini Therapy Horses, the fun photo booth provided by BobaLife/Snap It Studio, and Beauty Bus’s pop-up, providing hair braiding, makeup, and glitter tattoos for everyone who wanted it. Our fantastic volunteers ran game and craft stations, helped set up and break down the party, and packed bags of toys for each patient and their siblings. Of course, no holiday party would be complete without Santa and his sleigh, and we were lucky enough to have Brian Kramer Photography with us once again to capture the holiday magic. Our friends at Town and Country Event Rentals worked in conjunction with Paramount to make the space truly beautiful and festive. It was an unforgettable day and a true honor to help brighten the holiday season for pediatric cancer patients and their families. Thank you to every board member, volunteer, donor, and vendor who made this day possible. CONCERN FOUNDATION 2022-2024 CONQUER CANCER NOW GRANT RECIPIENTS Brittany Allen-Petersen, Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) Purdue University The role of PP2A in regulating PDAC methuosis Adam Courtney, Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) University of Michigan Regulating JAK-STAT signaling pathways to enhance T cell immunotherapy Begoña DÍaz, Ph.D. (Immunotherapy - Lung and Colon focus) The Lundquist Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Investigating novel signaling circuits controlling PDL1 surface localization in cancer cells Ylli Doksani, Ph.D. (General Cancer Mechanisms) IFOM - The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncoloy Investigating a mechanism of eccDNA accumulation in tumor cells as a consequence of DNA damage Ekrem Emrah Er, Ph.D. (Breast Cancer) The University of Illinois at Chicago Regulation of mechanosurveillance by K+ handling during breast cancer metastasis Jennifer Guerriero, Ph.D. (Breast Cancer Immunotherapy) Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School Overcoming PARP inhibitor resistance by modulating tumor associated macrophages to enhance T cell activation Aaron Hobbs, Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) Medical University of South Carolina KRASG12R Allele-specific Metabolic Reprogramming Alters Therapeutic Sensitivity Michelle Mendoza, Ph.D. (Lung Cancer) University of Utah Tenascin-C in Early Lung Cancer Invasion Michael Pacold, M.D., Ph.D. (Pancreatic Cancer) NYU Grossman School of Medicine Discovering and Targeting CoQ10 Synthesis in Pancreatic Cancer JinSeok Park, Ph.D. (Pediatric Cancer - Rhabdomyosarcoma) Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Flip-flopping of Fusion-positive Rhabdomyosarcoma Leading to Metastatic Invasion George Souroullas, Ph.D. (Melanoma) Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis Investigate the tumor suppressive role of ARID homologs in melanoma Srividya Swaminathan, Ph.D. (B-cell Lymphoma & Leukemia) Beckman Research Institute City of Hope Targeting the long isoform of the prolactin receptor in B cell malignancies ONGOING RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROJECTS Dr. Evanthia Roussos Torres (Breast Cancer and Immunology) University of Southern California Dr. Anat Erdreich-Epstein (Pediatric Brain Tumors) Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Beauty Bus Foundation (Patient Services) Children’s Hospital Summer Oncology Program Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Hope for Henry (Patient Services) Sharsheret (Patient Services) The Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Program University of Southern California Wellness, Resilience, and Survivorship Program (Patient Services) Cedars-Sinai Cell therapy could improve bone marrow transplant safety UCLA Blue iNKT cells attack a blood cancer cell Lili Yang lab Human stem cell-engineered iNKT cells (blue) attack a human blood cancer cell (magenta). FINDINGS UCLA researchers report a step forward in the development of an “off-the-shelf” cell therapy that could reduce the severity of graft-versus-host disease in people receiving donor bone marrow transplants for the treatment of blood cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. The method utilizes rare and powerful immune cells called invariant natural killer T, or iNKT, cells, which can reduce and delay the transplanted cells’ attacks on healthy tissue without compromising these cells’ cancer-fighting abilities. The iNKT cells are produced from blood-forming stem cells obtained from donated umbilical cord blood and could potentially be produced in large quantities, stored for extended periods and safely used to treat patients without the need for immune system compatibility. BACKGROUND A bone marrow transplant, also known as a stem cell transplant, is a procedure in which healthy blood-forming stem cells are transplanted into a person’s body to help treat disease. There are two types of bone marrow transplants: autologous, which use a person’s own cells, and allogeneic, which use cells from a healthy donor (usually a family member). Allogeneic bone marrow transplants are a common treatment for people with blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma. After an allogeneic transplant, donor cells kill cancer cells while helping to restore the production of healthy blood and immune cells. Any transplant that involves cells or tissue from a donor carries the risk of graft- versus-host disease, a condition in which the donated immune cells attack healthy tissue. Graft-versus-host disease occurs in 30% to 50% of people who receive bone marrow transplants and comes in two forms: acute, which typically occurs in the first 100 days after transplant and can affect the skin, the gastrointestinal tract or the liver, and chronic, which often sets in after the first 100 days and can affect one organ or multiple. METHOD The researchers used a method they developed to produce large numbers of genetically engineered iNKT cells from blood-forming stem cells that had been isolated from donated cord blood. To test the efficacy of these cells at preventing graft-versus-host disease, the researchers divided immune-deficient mice with leukemia or lymphoma tumors into two groups. One was injected with human immune cells and the other was injected with a combination of human immune cells and the genetically engineered iNKT cells. While the transplanted cells helped both groups of mice clear their tumors, the group that received only immune cells developed severe graft-versus-host disease (both the acute and chronic forms) that caused weight loss, organ damage and ultimately death. The mice that received iNKT cells along with the immune cells lived nearly twice as long as those in the other group and developed slower progressing and less-severe cases of chronic graft- versus-host disease. If the same effect occurs in humans, the researchers say the slower onset of graft-versus-host disease could extend patients’ lives and give them more time for currently available therapies to treat their disease. IMPACT The findings identify a potential strategy to make bone marrow transplants safer without disrupting their ability to fight cancer. While the protective effects iNKT cells have against graft- versus-host disease has been observed in patients in the clinic, this discovery has not yielded an available therapy because iNKT cells are so rare. The new study outlines a new method for producing large numbers of iNKT cells from donated cord blood. The researchers estimate one cord blood donation could produce more than 10,000 doses of iNKT cells for clinical use. AUTHORS Yan-Ruide Li and Samuel Zeng, both UCLA graduate students, are the study’s co-first authors, and the corresponding author is Lili Yang, a UCLA associate professor of microbiology, immunology and molecular genetics and a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Other co-authors are Yang Zhou, Zhe Li, Jiaji Yu, Yu-Chen Wang, Josh Ku, Noah Cook, Adam Kramer, all of UCLA, and Zachary Spencer Dunn of the University of Southern California. JOURNAL The study is published online in the journal iScience. FUNDING The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, the STOP CANCER Foundation, a UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center Rose Hills Foundation Graduate Scholarship and Research Award, the Concern Foundation for Cancer Research and the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center Ablon Scholars Program. This cell therapy strategy is covered by a patent application filed by the UCLA Technology Development Group on behalf of the Regents of the University of California, with Yan-Ruide Li, Jiaji Yu and Lili Yang listed as inventors. “The method utilizes rare and powerful immune cells called invariant natural killer T, or iNKT, cells, which can reduce and delay the transplanted cells’ attacks on healthy tissue without compromising these cells’ cancer-fighting abilities.” CONCERN IN THE NEWS: A new investigational medication might treat brain tumors Christian Badr and Steven Bensinger, two cancer researchers funded by Concern Foundation An experimental medication, YTX- 7739, has been shown to slow tumor growth and increase glioblastoma cells’ susceptibility to anticancer medications. Researchers are looking for glioblastoma cells that may be candidates for new therapies due to its highly destructive and deadly nature. To meet their energy demands, cells depend on de novo lipid synthesis, also known as the conversion of carbohydrates to fats. When given to mice with glioblastoma, the drug delays tumor growth and increases glioblastoma cells’ tolerance to anticancer therapies, according to new research published in Science Translational Medicine. SCD converts saturated fatty acids to monounsaturated fatty acids during one step of de novo lipid synthesis. According to Christian Badr, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neuroscience at Harvard Medical School, glioblastoma cells depend on the activation of SCD and the availability of monounsaturated fatty acids. The team conducted a phase I clinical investigation on the anti- glioblastoma potential of an SCD inhibitor, YTX-7739, which can cross the blood-brain barrier and is being evaluated as an oral medication for Parkinson’s disease sufferers. The scientists concluded that the MEK/ERK signaling pathway makes glioblastoma cells more susceptible to YTX-7739, whereas the AMPK signaling pathway protects them from the loss of de novo lipid synthesis that occurs when YTX-7739 is present. According to Badr, MEK/ERK and AMPK activities, which may be detected in tumor biopsies, may be predictive biomarkers for patient selection and stratification. Patients with robust MEK/ERK activity would most likely benefit from YTX-7739, while those with weak AMPK activity would most likely not. “Our findings should also help tailor treatment strategies to maximize therapeutic efficacy. “Targeting de novo lipid synthesis induces lipotoxicity and impairs DNA damage repair in glioblastoma mouse models,” Katharina M. Eyme, Alessandro Sammarco, Roshani Jha, Lily Pechdimaljian, Anna Carvalho, Daniel F. Tardiff, Baolong Su, Kevin J. Williams, Steven J. Bensinger, Chee Yeun Chung, and Christian E. Badr The National Institutes of Health, the Defense Department, the American Brain Tumor Association, and the Concern Foundation contributed to this work. THE CONCERN FOUNDATION EFFECT Making a real difference in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Prof. Ofer Mandelboim, Chairman The Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research Hebrew University Despite the pandemic challenges, we’ve had a very productive academic year in 2022. 19 new students started working at the Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Research Center this year and the overall student number amounted to more than 100. Dozens of Concern Lab/Lautenberg Center publications appeared during this year in highly rated scientific journals. The Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Research Center is proud not only for its academic achievements, but also for its contribution to cancer therapy and two new medicines developed at our Center; one for refractory AML (Acute Myeloid Leukemia), and the other for immunotherapy of cancer, both having already started clinical studies. The AML experimental drug is already being tested in three leading cancer centers in the US, and the immunotherapy drug clinical trial is conducted in MD Anderson and is funded by the hospital itself. In this new year, we are planning to recruit three new faculty members to our center. For that, the Center, thanks to the support of the Concern Foundation and others, is getting around 500 square meters in the floor above our current laboratory. The support of the Concern Foundation is critical for the construction of the new floor and for our ability to maintain our outstanding research. Thank you so much, Ofer Daniel Flores: Honors student at USC Majoring in Human Biology Project to lower mortality rates among African American women Thank you both very much for this opportunity to continue my research with Dr. Evanthia Torres. When I was first told about the Concern Foundation’s grant, I felt nothing but gratitude. Cancer research has been such a meaningful experience of mine as an undergraduate, but as I venture into graduation, I was unsure as to how I would be able to continue my passion for research. The Concern Foundation grant has graciously offered me that reassurance. I’d like to mention why cancer research is such a meaningful experience to me – I believe it aligns well with the legacy of Minnie Riperton. I was a sophomore in high school when my mother was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer. Amidst the chaos that was her treatment, I never fully understood the gravity of her condition. I don’t think she did either. Nine months after her diagnosis, she passed away. Frankly, I was unsure of how to carry on without her, or how to reconcile with such a horrendous disease. For two years, I carried on afraid of ever confronting cancer again, that is, until I entered USC. I found that through research, I was able to find the answers I was looking for. I was able to find peace in the ongoing research of cancer. Being an active participant in this process has been life changing. In the future, I am looking forward to continuing my cancer research as an aspiring oncologist. The Concern Foundation and The Minnie Riperton Legacy Fund has helped tremendously in helping my dream become a reality. Again, I am looking forward to helping advance the understanding of breast cancer in African American patients, in efforts to better personalize our research efforts. I am ever more grateful to Mr. Rudolph and the Rudolph family as well as the Concern Foundation for this help. I look forward to meeting you all soon! With Thanks, Daniel Flores Sumanta Kumar Pal, M.D., F.A.S.C.O. Medical Oncologist Professor, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research; Co-director, Kidney Cancer Program City of Hope The Concern Foundation support has been tremendous in launching my career, as you have done for so many others. Your foundation takes a risk on individuals who may not have alternative avenues of funding, and I think it many cases it pays off in spades! I think every paper we publish in cancer research has special meaning because at some fundamental level it includes the stamp of our patients. This paper we just published in Nature Medicine is one that I hope will spark a sea change in how we treat cancer, and is particularly near and dear because every patient enrolled was treated at my hospital (City of Hope) and most were under my care. The paper shows that (for the first time) a live bacterial product, which affects dynamics in the gut, can positively influence immune treatments for kidney cancer. The effect we saw here was striking, and I'm hoping it will inspire larger trials to validate the results. The future of cancer care is bright- excited to deliver results! Anat Erdreich-Epstein, MD, Ph.D. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles A gene that improves brain tumor response to therapy The Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases remains ever grateful for the Concern Foundation’s generous support of the research we conduct and the children and families we serve. It is only through partnerships with philanthropic organizations like Concern that we can achieve our mission to discover cures for devastating pediatric brain tumors while serving the needs of our patients. Our work on PID1 has been generously supported for the past two years through funds from the Concern Foundation. “The work supported by the Concern Foundation has prompted interactions with two groups of brain tumor researchers from separate institutions, who have access to independent and non- overlapping expression microarray databases of tumors and survival data from patients with medulloblastoma and gliomas. As a result, these investigators are now collaborating with us on this project. They have contributed important clinical correlations to our first manuscript” 1500 East Duarte Road Duarte, CA 91010-3000 Phone 800-826-HOPE (4673) CityofHope.org FINANCIALS: Year Ending December 31, 2022 Concern Foundation Statement of Financial Position December 31, 2022 (With Comparative Totals as of December 31, 2021) 2022 2021 Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 364,699 $ 375,794 Pledges receivable 771,076 918,234 Investments 6,649,296 7,440,106 Beneficial interest in charitable remainder trusts 165,243 217,954 Note secured by deed of trust 977,722 - Prepaid expenses and other assets 39,711 39,974 Property and Equipment, net 1,935 1,728 Total Assets $ 8,969,682 $ 8,993,790 Liabilities and Net Assets Liabilities Accounts payable and accrued expenses $ 70,333 $ 74,940 Grants payable 792,500 1,040,000 Deferred revenue 689,442 853,076 Total Liabilities 1,552,275 1,968,016 Net Assets Without donor restrictions Undesignated 4,283,428 3,494,300 Board designated 792,500 1,040,000 Total net assets without donor restrictions 5,075,928 4,534,300 With donor restrictions 2,341,479 2,491,474 Total Net Assets 7,417,407 7,025,774 Total Liabilities and Net Assets $ 8,969,682 $ 8,993,790 See accompanying notes to financial statements. Concern Foundation Statement of Activities Year Ended December 31, 2022 (With Comparative Totals for the Year Ended December 31, 2021) 2022 2021 Without Donor Restrictions With Donor Restrictions Total Total Revenue and Support: Special event income, net $ 1,673,880 $ - $ 1,673,880 $ 1,457,949 Contributions 1,150,261 145,071 1,295,332 148,413 Investment loss (842,994 ) 145 (842,849 ) 643,987 Change in value of CRTs - (52,711 ) (52,711 ) (26,141 ) PPP loan forgiveness recorded - - - 72,500 Net assets released from restrictions 242,500 (242,500 ) - - Total Revenue and Support 2,223,647 (149,995 ) 2,073,652 2,296,708 Expenses: Program services 1,101,528 - 1,101,528 1,383,623 Management and general 124,854 - 124,854 135,196 Fundraising 455,637 - 455,637 437,494 Total Expenses 1,682,019 - 1,682,019 1,956,313 Change in Net Assets 541,628 (149,995 ) 391,633 340,395 Net Assets, beginning of year 4,534,300 2,491,474 7,025,774 6,685,379 Net Assets, end of year $ 5,075,928 $ 2,341,479 $ 7,417,407 $ 7,025,774 See accompanying notes to financial statements. 2022 CONCERN FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE BOARD Lorene Goldman, Chair Derek Alpert, President Ilyse Teller, Vice Chair Michael Firestein, Secretary/Legal Counsel Marc Lauter, Chief Financial Officer Eden Alpert Anastasio Brian Anastasio Anne Barnett Bill Barnett Harvey Beesen Shelby Blecker Nancy Blecker Barry Brucker Sue Brucker John Carroll Lexy Carroll Jaclyn Clifford Nancy Eisenstadt David Entin Steve Fortner Lynne Fox Steve Freed Jim Freedman Robert Goldman Aliza Goldsmith Jackie Gottlieb Caroline Hanasab Farhad Hanasab Matt Hirsch Ivan Kallick Allie Lehrman Max Liszt Latimer Lorenz Eric Massi Michelle Massi Ian Metrose Lauri Metrose Frank Mottek Jessica Nicastro Wendy Schneider Nogradi Jerry Otelsberg Joyce Powell Rick Powell Debbie Powell Laurie Resch Lori Rubin Dana Schwartz Courtney Teller Steve Teller Bettina Tendler O’Mara Steve Ullman Briana Vickers Scott Vickers Susan Hirsch Wohl Myrna Zimmerman Get Involved With Concern Foundation Concern Foundation has raised over $70 Million to fund cancer research through donations from individuals like yourself! Help us CONquer canCER Now. • Make a monetary donation today. • Become an Annual Sponsor and enjoy sponsorship benefits • Send a tribute in honor or in memory of someone special • Be a part of our signature Block Party fund raising event • Start your own fundraiser • Be a part of Team Concern by participating in the LA marathon or another athletic event or activity of your choice • Take steps to create a planned gift • Donate your time and expertise by volunteering • Get your place of business involved and become a community partner or corporate sponsor • Help spread the word about Concern Foundation Each year, 14 million men, women, and children worldwide are diagnosed with some type of cancer. Continued research to find better, smarter, more effective treatments is urgently needed. Only with your help can we continue to fund innovative research and bring breakthrough treatments and “cures” to more cancer patients. CONCERN FOUNDATION FOR CANCER RESEARCH 11111 West Olympic Blvd. Suite 214 Los Angeles, CA 90064 tel: 310.360.6100 fax: 310.473.8300 info@concernfoundation.org www.concernfoundation.org Please consider Concern Foundation in your estate plan.