- Structure / organization
- We are a micro entity: one principal investigator/scientist, three board members. We are capable of rapid evaluation and implementation of changes. There is virtually no administrative overhead, allowing nearly 100% of donations received to go directly towards research.
- Private versus public
- We are intentionally a 501(c)(3) public charity, in order to ensure that all discoveries will be strictly for the benefit of the public (those with cancer) and for the glory of God. We want to be supported by the general public (and not by VC investors).
- Innovation / original
- We take novel and original approaches to eradicating cancer by activating the immune system. We will not replicate or compete with work being done by other research scientists.
- Integration of faith
- We conduct every brainstorming session, experiment, board meeting with prayer and dependence on the God who knows all mysteries and secrets. Every idea and inspiration is acknowledged as a revelation from God.
Our story . . .
Daniel 2:28, Inc. was born out of a desire to get back to basic science research. Our principal investigator had been practicing as a board-certified general surgeon (and still is) for 10 years, and he was really missing the lab.
Lynn’s research interests began in childhood, and continued into young adulthood as a chemistry major and then a medical student. After medical school, he chose general surgery as a specialty. Partway through residency, it is an academic tradition to take some time off to engage in research activities in a laboratory. He was looking forward to this opportunity to ask and answer some burning scientific questions. At the time, he had a special interest in the lymphatic system. He had the great privilege of entering the laboratory of Dr. Judah Folkman, the pioneering founder of angiogenesis research.
You might ask yourself, “What is angiogenesis?” Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels, specifically capillaries. Your next question might be, “And what is the big deal about blood vessels?” Consider this – every part of our body needs blood vessels, which bring oxygen and nutrients and take away waste and carbon dioxide, yes, every part of our body, including cancer. It was Dr. Folkman’s ultimate desire to conquer cancer by cutting off its lifeline, the blood vessels. Enter anti-angiogenesis therapy.
Dr. Folkman devoted his career to understanding the things that regulate angiogenesis, what makes blood vessels grow and what makes them stop growing.
In the four years Lynn spent in his laboratory, God had revealed to him ground-breaking new knowledge and discoveries in the then nascent field of lymphangiogenesis (the growth of lymphatic vessels). The four years were productive and culminated in a seminal publication that contributed greatly to the world of lymphangiogenesis. As it turned out, lymphatic vessels are another important aspect of cancer.
Lynn went back to surgery, and graduated from his surgical residency in 2002. He and his wife left Boston and went back home to the San Francisco Bay Area to take his first job as a general surgeon. For the next ten years, he got to know the other side of cancer. He had gone from the microscope to the operating room, and from the bedside to many funerals. Yes, the side of cancer that patients see is brutal. And there he was for ten years, cutting out cancer after cancer, wondering when the line was going to end.
Then one day, Lynn heard a voice from the past, that of his medical school mentor, Dr. Vernon Wong, a staunch believer in research, “Lynn, you know, as a doctor, when you help one patient, you help one patient.” Lynn knew enough math to agree, “Yes, 1=1.” Vernon continued, “but when you discover one cure, you help countless patients!” That profound truth elevated Lynn’s love for research to another level. It was time to get back to the “microscope.”
Lynn’s family saw his yearning to return to the lab, and they had a crazy idea, “Why don’t you build a lab downstairs in the basement?” They were right; that was a crazy idea, and the lab was built. He got every permit possible, and made sure he wasn’t breaking any laws.
And Daniel 2:28, Inc. was formed. The focus of Daniel 2:28, Inc. is not too different from Dr. Folkman’s. He never focused on the cancer cell, which is genetically unstable, ever changing, ever mutating.
Dr. Folkman focused on the the blood vessels. Daniel 2:28, Inc. focuses on the immune cells. They were created to protect our bodies from invaders and rebels (cancer cells). Unfortunately, when it comes to cancer, the immune cells can sometimes become an accomplice to the crime or even a supporter of the rebel cell.
“Why the name Daniel 2:28?,” you might ask. Two thousand six hundred years ago, the king of Babylon had a dream, and no one in his kingdom could interpret the disturbing dream. He heard that a man named Daniel, an Israelite among those captured and deported to Babylon, had the ability to interpret dreams. Daniel was brought before the king who asked Daniel if he could explain the dream. Daniel replied…
Daniel 2:28, Inc. is named so because we intentionally depend on God to reveal the mysteries of His creation. We intentionally depend on God to reveal the right questions to ask, to set up the right experiments, and to make the right discoveries that will benefit cancer patients of all types and all stages.
We would love to have you join our journey. Under “Give,” you can see the many ways to support Daniel 2:28, Inc.
Daniel 228, Inc. 