In the nearly three years that Greenwich's Barbara Netter has served as president of the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy, she has seen history-making strides in the successful use of gene therapy in combating cancer. Individuals, young and old with certain types of cancer have been living cancer-free after receiving treatments funded by the Stamford-based foundation that she and her late husband Edward Netter created in 2001.

To learn more about Netter's work, Greenwich Time took a Time Out with her in her ACGT office.

Q: What is your role as president of ACGT?

A: As president, I try to map out strategic directions for the alliance, to see that what chiefly needs to be done is done. I became president shortly after my husband, Ed Netter, passed away -- it took me a while to get my arms around it. I was still grieving for my husband. But a year ago, April of last year, on the day we held our benefit, I was named "donor of the day" by The Wall Street Journal. The editor had asked me how did I know what to do when I took over, but I had worked on the alliance with Ed. I had done special events. I found I had inner resources I never thought I had. You develop confidence when you make important things happen. Seeing wonderful things happening mitigated my grief. I feel we've really made progress.

Q: How does ACGT dispense its funds?

A: We give seed money to scientists who are chosen by ACGT's Scientific Advisory Council from applications for funding that are sent to us. My esteemed scientists are able to determine which applications present potential for future discoveries.

Q: What are the major new advances of cancer treatment using gene therapy that ACGT has funded?

A: The extraordinary results brought about by Dr. Carl June at the University of Pennsylvania with T cell therapy were first reported in the New England Journal of Medicine in August of 2011. His T cell therapy seemed to work for a number of people with lymphocytic leukemia. There are 22 to 23 adults who have achieved cancer remission from this therapy who are now back at work. Emily Whitehead, a child who had leukemia, was treated by Dr. June using T cell therapy, and she is doing great. She's back at school. She was not expected to live.

We funded Dr. June first in 2004 and again in 2008. We also funded another research fellow in 2004, Dr. Michael Sadelain of Sloan-Kettering's Cancer Center. He is the director of cell engineering at the center. He and Dr. June spoke at a recent event we held in New York City. Sadelain said we're on the cusp of a golden age of cancer prevention and treatment, thanks to the promise of recent discoveries.

Q: Your event was held at the Harvard Club in New York. What was the purpose of this event?

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Funding research in search for a cure - GreenwichTime

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