Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is the second most common salivary gland cancer. So the re-invigoration of the field of salivary gland tumor research over the past 6 years has been a very welcome development for ACC patients. The process was jumpstarted in 2006 by 33 researchers who attended the 1st Workshop on Salivary Gland Tumor Research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and ACCRF. The main focus of the meeting was on the missing building blocks that kept scientists from making progress. Two years later, at the 2nd Workshop, it became evident that the necessary components for successful research - a biorepository, animal models and a research consortium - were falling into place with the active support of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR).

The 3rd Workshop took place in February with an impressive 77 researchers in attendance. Certainly, there were discussions about research resources that are still missing. However, the bulk of the meeting focused on the basic and translational science that is blossoming. The molecular understanding of ACC, mucoepidermoid carcinoma and other salivary gland cancers is growing by leaps and bounds. And the findings are gradually working their way into the clinic, the ultimate goal for scientists, patients and their families.

The meeting could not have taken place at a better time. The NIDCR soon will be awarding an additional $8 million in grants to salivary gland tumor researchers. By reviewing the state of the science and engendering a vibrant discussion about priorities, the 3rd Workshop on Salivary Gland Tumor Research helped light the path forward.

Of particular note was the collaborative spirit that suffused the meeting. Many of the speakers thanked other attendees for providing specimens, animal models or data that helped move along their research projects. Such activity is a rarity in most scientific fields, but it has become the hallmark of a core group of dedicated, generous and highly-respected investigators who have been sowing the seeds of collegiality and future breakthroughs.

ACCRF was recently featured in the Innovator Spotlight of FasterCures, a nonprofit that seeks to improve the medical research system. The Q&A with Executive Director Jeff Kaufman outlines the initial impetus for the creation of ACCRF as well as the foundation's challenges, strategies, accomplishments and near-term goals.

FasterCures has invited ACCRF to join The Research Acceleration and Innovation Network (TRAIN). The group "was established to create opportunities for medical research innovators to discuss and tackle the challenges that cut across diseases. It is a group of unique nonprofit foundations that fund medical research across a spectrum of diseases, from breast cancer to Parkinson's disease. In many cases TRAIN's member foundations have been created by patients and their families who are frustrated by the slow pace of change in the traditional medical research system. They represent the kind of organizations that are fast becoming the engine behind innovation in disease research - collaborative, mission-driven, strategic in their allocation of resources, and results-oriented. They are organizations that have a singular focus on, and a significant stake in, getting promising therapies from the laboratory bench to the patient's bedside as rapidly as possible." ACCRF's Research Agenda is included as one of TRAIN's Innovation Tools.

The Massachusetts General Hospital recently honored ACCRF co-founders Marnie and Jeff Kaufman as part of "The One Hundred". The designation refers to "those individuals and groups whose diligence and discoveries, philanthropy and passion have helped advance the fight against cancer."