Walker Cancer Research Institute
Encyclopedia
The Walker Cancer Research Institute (WCRI) is an American
cancer
research organization consisting of two laboratories located in the states of Florida
and Michigan
and principal organizational offices in Maryland
. WCRI and the affiliated project National Cancer Research Center (NCRC) were incorporated as nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organizations in 1981.
Laboratory, was established in 1992. WCRI is currently listed among the industry and research partners of the Florida State University College of Engineering
. The Michigan lab, called the Experimental Anti-Cancer Drug Synthesis Laboratory, is located on the campus of Wayne State University
and was established in 1990. The founder of WCRI was Evan Harris Walker
, formerly of NASA
. Dr. Walker's discovery of time delay toxin activation
(TDTA) chemotherapy was a precipitating event in the formation of the Institute and formed the basis of a collaborative relationship with Battelle
, which began in 1988. At least one patent has been granted to the Institute, having been filed in 2002 and awarded in 2004.,
and the percentage of funds going toward primary mission aims versus administrative overhead. They also differ in the manner in which they treat donor lists and contact information. Information available from 2000–2003 indicates that WCRI applies approximately 40% of funds collected to the stated goals of the center, such as research and public education; the remaining 60% of funds raised were spent primarily on expenses incurred in raising funds, such as letters to potential donors. Fundraising for WCRI is conducted in part through the NCRC project via direct-mail campaigns. The mailing list utilized by NCRC for fundraising has been made available for purchase from mailing list broker Response Unlimited. WCRI has also raised funds under the name National Breast Cancer Research Center. Numerous complaints have been made by individuals who are receiving dozens of letters soliciting funds and are unable to persuade the charity to remove their names from the mailing list. The Center then sells those names to other charities, and people throughout the country have complained of being inundated by requests for money that they can not stop.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
research organization consisting of two laboratories located in the states of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and principal organizational offices in Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. WCRI and the affiliated project National Cancer Research Center (NCRC) were incorporated as nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organizations in 1981.
Research
Research by WCRI is conducted at its two laboratories. The Florida lab, called the Natural ProductsNatural product
A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism - found in nature that usually has a pharmacological or biological activity for use in pharmaceutical drug discovery and drug design...
Laboratory, was established in 1992. WCRI is currently listed among the industry and research partners of the Florida State University College of Engineering
Florida State University College of Engineering
The Florida A&M University - Florida State University College of Engineering is one of 13 colleges at and of sixteen colleges that make up Florida State University...
. The Michigan lab, called the Experimental Anti-Cancer Drug Synthesis Laboratory, is located on the campus of Wayne State University
Wayne State University
Wayne State University is a public research university located in Detroit, Michigan, United States, in the city's Midtown Cultural Center Historic District. Founded in 1868, WSU consists of 13 schools and colleges offering more than 400 major subject areas to over 32,000 graduate and...
and was established in 1990. The founder of WCRI was Evan Harris Walker
Evan Harris Walker
Evan Harris Walker , was an American physicist.Born in Franklin, Indiana, Harris received his Ph.D. in physics from the University of Maryland in 1964...
, formerly of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
. Dr. Walker's discovery of time delay toxin activation
Time delay toxin activation
Time Delay Toxin Activation belongs to a class of chemotherapy drugs known as High Specificity Anticancer Agents. This is a process for manufacturing and administering chemotherapy drugs in a nontoxic, proto-drug form...
(TDTA) chemotherapy was a precipitating event in the formation of the Institute and formed the basis of a collaborative relationship with Battelle
Battelle Memorial Institute
Battelle Memorial Institute is a private nonprofit applied science and technology development company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. Battelle is a charitable trust organized as a nonprofit corporation under the laws of the State of Ohio and is exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the...
, which began in 1988. At least one patent has been granted to the Institute, having been filed in 2002 and awarded in 2004.,
Fundraising
Charitable organizations differ in and are often compared on the basis of their methods of fundraisingFundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
and the percentage of funds going toward primary mission aims versus administrative overhead. They also differ in the manner in which they treat donor lists and contact information. Information available from 2000–2003 indicates that WCRI applies approximately 40% of funds collected to the stated goals of the center, such as research and public education; the remaining 60% of funds raised were spent primarily on expenses incurred in raising funds, such as letters to potential donors. Fundraising for WCRI is conducted in part through the NCRC project via direct-mail campaigns. The mailing list utilized by NCRC for fundraising has been made available for purchase from mailing list broker Response Unlimited. WCRI has also raised funds under the name National Breast Cancer Research Center. Numerous complaints have been made by individuals who are receiving dozens of letters soliciting funds and are unable to persuade the charity to remove their names from the mailing list. The Center then sells those names to other charities, and people throughout the country have complained of being inundated by requests for money that they can not stop.